Author: littlebeautyloves

Hello there! I'm Dal and I love makeup, fashion, living healthy and having fun. I'm always up for something new when it comes to makeup and I want to share that with you in my blog.

FabFitFun Box, Starter Box

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I recently subscribed to FabFitFun. I always see advertisements for this and I’ve watched a few unboxings on YouTube that I thought I might as well sign up and try it for a year.

FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription service. The items in the box range from beauty, skincare, fitness, health, jewelry etc. I figured this would be a great way to get other items rather than just makeup like I was receiving in my other boxes.

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When I signed up there was a promotion to receive a second box of surprises worth $150US ($195CAD). I figured that was a better deal than just receiving $10 off the box (their usual promo). Unlike the Winter Box, I didn’t get to choose any of the items so I didn’t know what I was going to get in the box.

Today’s post I’ll focus on the Starter Box and then in my next post I’ll share what I got in the Winter Edition Box.

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What I really enjoy is that both the winter edition and this box included a magazine. This has a lot of great little articles as well as descriptions of what you received in the box. I enjoyed reading this!

On to what was in the box!

Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream ($60.00CAD)

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This is a facial moisturizer that hydrates the skin without leaving residual oil or shine on the skin. I had to go into the website to figure out what this was because the packaging didn’t have too much information. I enjoy moisturizers so I’m happy to receive one in this box.

Moroccan Gold Series Leave-in Mask ($50.95 CAD)

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This leave-in mask seals in moisture, protects against heat and UV damage, detangles hair and seals split ends. I have a lot of hair items so I ended up passing this along to someone else. I do think this would have been a good product to try because I do have dry hair and I’m always styling my hair but, again, I do have a lot of hair masks and serums so I thought it didn’t make sense to hold on to it.

Spongelle Black Orchid Body Wash Infused Buffer ($20.88CAD)

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This was a limited edition product made exclusively for FabFitFun. These buffers have a built-in body wash and are infused with extracts of yuzu, edelweiss and vetiver root. I like the idea of a body wash infused buffer. I can see this being very handy to travel with.

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I haven’t tried this yet but I hope that it lathers up well. I like that the sponge looks like a flower and feels like it could be very soft. I wasn’t able to smell it but looking at reviews a lot of people seem to enjoy it!

Yumi Kim Wunderlust Makeup Travel Case ($65.35CAD)

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I was most excited about this item in the starter box. It’s a travel makeup/toiletries bag that has three internal zippered sections to keep everything contained and a hook to hang on a doorknob or hook.

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I have a few different travel bags that I enjoy using but I really how this is all compact while still being able to carry a lot of items in one place. I like the compartments to keep everything organized. Two of the compartments are deeper so that I can put in bottles and larger items, and a smaller zipped compartment for little tools or items that would normally get lost in the large compartment. I can’t wait to use this for an overnight stay. I wonder if it will completely replace the 2-3 separate bags I carry now.

Thoughts

Overall, for a free box that came with the purchase of the Winter Box, there are a lot of good products in here that I’m happy to try out. What I love about this box is that it had a variety of different items that I will use.

Total Value: $197.18 CAD ($150.88 USD)

Are you subscribed to FabFitFun? What do you think of this subscription box and service?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, December 2019

littlebeautyloves4 Comments

December is always a fun month for me. Everyone is in the holiday spirit and I get to enjoy time off from work to spend with my family & friends.

I wanted to start the new year fresh so this month I not only used up a lot of products but I also went through what I have and did a declutter. Any opened item that I had not been using over the last year or smelled like it was getting old was tossed out. I no longer have the desire to build a huge makeup collection or hold on to items that aren’t doing anything for me. While I love trying new things if those items no longer bring me joy months afterwards what is the point of keeping them. By having a no buy this year I really felt like I was using up what I had and paying attention to every item I keep in my stash. Anyways, it’s so refreshing to start the new year with more space! I’m debating if I do a no-buy or low-buy for 2020.

On to what I used up!

Skincare and Makeup

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Consonant Come Clean Makeup Wipes. These were really good makeup wipes. They do a great job of gently removing makeup around my eyes and face. The cloth is very sturdy and soft too. I’m reducing my use of makeup wipes and moving towards more re-useable options (makeup eraser and reusable cotton pads) but I still have a few packages of this left so I will use them. I like to keep makeup wipes on hand for extremely lazy days or travelling but I’m not going to be using them as often as I have been in the past so after I finish up the other packets I have I will refrain from repurchasing this unless I’m going somewhere.

Delectable Everything Balm. I used this whenever my hands or cuticles felt really dry, over my lips, on my face, on my hair. It really is a good balm for anywhere on the body.  I enjoyed the cupcake scent that wasn’t too sweet or overpowering. I currently have a balm that is very similar to this from Dr. Lipp so I won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon.

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Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment. I did not enjoy this at all. I have pretty resilient skin but this was very harsh and made it feel itchy. The moment I put it on I felt I strange sensation on my face. I’m not sure if maybe I might have some aversion to an ingredient but this, unfortunately, was a pass for me. Lucky it was only a sample size so I got to test it out but I won’t be purchasing this.

They’re Real Mascara (Sample Size). This will always be one of my favourite mascaras. Sample size or full, I use this up so easily. It separates and coats each lash with a deep black colour and helps fan out my lashes for a fuller look. I would definitely repurchase this. I actually have one as back up!

Haircare & Body Care

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Batiste Dry Shampoo in Beautiful Brown. While I don’t use dry shampoo too often because my hair is dry naturally I still enjoy it every once in a while if I need to make my style last one or two more days. I enjoy the Batiste brand because I enjoy the scent and feel like it doesn’t weigh my hair down or make it feel extra greasy after a day. This particular one had a brown tint which I really didn’t care for. I actually just like the original so I won’t be repurchasing this particular one.

Hadaka Butterful Marula Butter Cream. I started using this towards the end of summer in rotation with other body creams I have and fell in love with it. It has a citrus scent which I enjoyed and the texture was very light and creamy. It absorbed into the skin so nicely. I would repurchase this.

Decluttered Items

I wanted to share in pictures some of the products I decluttered from my collection. I won’t go into each product in detail but a lot of these items are not empty, they just either smell old now or I know I haven’t been using over the past year.

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A lot of these are are all mascaras, eyeliners and lipsticks. There are a few body care items here too.

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All are items that shouldn’t have been in my stash for more than 3-6 months after being opened but a lot has been with me for 2-3 years!

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It was about time to just toss them out. This was good because it was just taking up room in my makeup box and making it harder to find the stuff I actually do enjoy.

So these are my empties for December! Clearly, including the items I decluttered here makes me feel pretty good about what I’ve used up or tossed out. All in all, having a no-buy for 2019 really helped keep my stash manageable and helped ensure I focus on using what I have.

What items have you used up for December?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Favourite Products of 2019

littlebeautyloves9 Comments

This year there were a lot of products that I enjoyed and I’m going to share a few of them here. For 2019, I was on a no-buy and that allowed me to really use up a lot of products that I have in my collection and figure out what I enjoyed. I also had a monthly Project Pan so that I could focus on using up some products in my stash too. I did a lot of decluttering and had lots of empty products. Overall, I was able to reduce the amount of makeup and skincare I had which really felt so good. It’s interesting because a year or two ago, I was obsessed with collecting and buying new beauty items and wanted to grow my collection. I think I started to find last year that I wasn’t as excited with new makeup as I was with re-discovering what I had.

Jacklyn Hill x Morphe Eyeshadow Palette

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I did a full review of this product which you can find here and I also featured this in my Project Pan for March which you can read the round-up of here. I even used it for my pretty pink makeup look. What I love about this palette is that I can open it up and create so many easy day looks, some elegant or smokey evening looks and some fun colourful looks. The shades work well all year long because you have some nice neutrals, pinks, oranges, blues, greens and even a purple.

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The formula is also pretty good. I was creating a blue eye shadow look with my Alyssa Edwards x Anastasia Palette and I couldn’t get the blue in that palette to work so I ended up creating the looking using mostly the Jacklyn Hill palette because that blue was so much easier to work with! I don’t get bored with this palette either. I loved this in 2019!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Volume 4

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I could go on and on about how I love how this palette looks on my skin so if you are curious about my thoughts on this take a look at my reviews here and here It’s so finely milled that it really takes on a second-skin effect rather than looking like powder on the face. I was hesitant at first to purchase the palette because it is very pricey and the only way I justified getting this was during the Sephora VIB Sale. This is one of the only palettes where I wear all the different pans of products. The face powder, highlight, bronzer and blushes all work so well together and work well on me. Plus, I’ve been using this almost daily for the past two months and I don’t see a dent in the pans! It’s really not cakey or powdery.

Garnier Skin Active BB Cream 5 in 1 Miracle Skin Perfecter

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I really love BB Creams. I am not really picky about what I use as long as it’s light in texture and is moisturizer. This one from Garnier works so well. You can read my review of this here. The texture feels whipped so it’s very light and airy on the skin. It helps even out my skin tone without being super heavy. It’s moisturizing too. Since receiving this in the summer I’ve worn it almost every day. I wore this a lot for work because it gave me enough coverage without looking overdone. I also enjoyed it on days that I was just running some errands because it helped me look awake without it being too much makeup that would feel like it clogged my pores. It was just a solid product that really was versatile for me this year.

Physicians Formula Super BB Instaready Bronzer

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Lastly, I wore this bronzer so much this year and it’s almost completely used up! This started off in my Project Pan in 2018 when I had chosen 18 products to use throughout the whole year. I broke it, put it back together and then continued to use it. You can see a review of this here. I found that I was reaching for this bronzer time and time again. This shade is light so it works with my skin tone and my love of more natural-looking makeup. I also like that it’s cool-toned so it didn’t look orange against my skin and also doubled as a contour.

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I love the formula because it’s finely milled and doesn’t have a lot of fall-out so I don’t have to worry if I go a bit heavy-handed with this. It is super easy to build up to my desired look. I originally was trying to use this up so I could move on to other bronzers but I think I might just repurchase this one instead because I know it works perfectly on me. Why change something that isn’t broken, right?

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All in all, these are some of the products I was loving in 2019. I did have other products I liked but I didn’t want this post to be too long so I focused on items I know I couldn’t go without in my collection and that I genuinely used all the time.

What are some of your favourite products that got a lot of love in 2019?

Lots of Love,
Dal

PS. Wishing you a happy new year!

Project Pan Monthly: November Roundup & December Items

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I got good use out of my Project Pan items in November. I picked products that were very common for me to apply every day and that made it pretty easy to be consistent with using them often. I used my items about 27/30 days in November.

In case you didn’t know, this is my Project Pan objective;

Project Pan Monthly

Each month I choose 4 items to use, sharing reviews of those products if they aren’t already on the blog. At the end of the month, I’ll share an update of how well I did and then list the items for the next month. The products are chosen from these categories;

  • One Eyeshadow Palette
  • One Lip Item (lipstick, lip balm, gloss, etc.)
  • One Face Item (foundation, highlighter, blush, bronzer)
  • One Random Item (can be another item from the categories above, or be something else like mascara, liner, skincare, body care, fragrance, etc.)

November Round-Up

I used the Dose of Colors Baked Browns eyeshadow palette every day that I wore makeup in the month of November. The palette has a lot of fallout so when you look at the pans themselves it appears as if a lot was used, but it’s mostly because the shadows were very soft. I enjoyed putting a few looks together with the palette but I did get pretty tired of it by the end of the month only because it doesn’t have the greatest variety.

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Now, one thing I really enjoyed using in November is my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Vol.4. This is a fantastic face palette that has everything I need in one place with a great mirror. I had two options for face powder and blush so I didn’t get tired of it and the finely milled powder sat wonderfully on my face. The shades work well with my complexion too so it was easy to constantly want to reach for this.

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My Urban Decay Lipstick and CoverFX Custom Enhancer Drops did not get as much use this month. I think for both I used them in the first week and then stopped. I might have used the lipstick one or two times after that but definitely not the drops. I think the CoverFX Custom Enhancer Drops is starting to really get old so the formula is a lot thicker than it used to be and isn’t blending well on my face. So I think I will toss it out. The Urban Decay Lipstick is still good and I’ll likely wear it from time to time in December when I do a festive makeup look.

My December Items

  • One Eyeshadow Palette  – Anastasia Beverly Hills x Alyssa Edwards Palette
  • One Lip Item – Weir’s Lane Lavender Lip Balm
  • One Face Item – Laura Gellar Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator
  • One Random Item – NudebyNature Perfecting Primer

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I am so EXCITED to be switching to a colourful palette this month and using the Alyssa Edwards Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills! I’ve already started using Headliner, Inspire, Unicorn Tribe, The Supreme, H.O.E and Beast from the palette. I’ll need to come up with a few looks to put up for the Holidays on my Instagram!

This month I also chose to include a lip balm, well because of Winter and dry skin!

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Lastly, I decided to include the Laura Gellar Illuminator because the pan swirl and shade is so beautiful that I had to use it! The Primer is in there so that I can use it with the palette and since I’ve been enjoying adding primer around my nose to keep my makeup from coming off in that area. Plus the primer smells like lemons and I love it!

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How is your progress been for Project Pan this month? What are you hoping to use up for December?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, November 2019

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The November weather was so mild and beautiful. It’s not every year that I actually get to enjoy the Fall season before it starts snowing and it gets really cold. It’s finally caught up with us though, winter came in pretty heavy over the weekend and now it is here. I did a lot of Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping because there were a lot of good deals. Did you do any Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping?

Here’s what I used up;

*Note: I’m on a no-buy this year. If I mention repurchasing an item, it just means that I really liked it and would buy again, just not in 2019.

Skincare

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Shiseido Sports BB Cream. I used this a lot while I was in Jamaica back in April and then again in summer here. I love that this has a high SPF which is fantastic on days I know I’m spending the majority of it outdoors. The colour wasn’t the best match for me but otherwise, I liked this! I like that it’s designed for water and sports. I am currently using the IT Cosmetics CC Cream that has SPF as well so I won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon.

Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer. I received this to test out and I really enjoyed it for my skin. Since it’s hydrating I found myself reaching out for it frequently even though I’ve never been someone who would remember to use toner. I would probably repurchase this.

Laneige Water Bank Hydro Essence. I got this sample with an order that I’ve been using under my moisturizer. I enjoy Laneige products because they are so light and gel-like while still being hydrating. I would repurchase this.

Face Mask

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#primer mask. I thought it was a great concept to have a mask that was a primer to use before applying makeup. This left my skin feeling smooth and prepped. Although I’m not sure if I’d repurchase this exact item, I’m sure I’ll pick up more masks like it.

Wander Beauty Gold Eye Mask. I broke my no-buy to purchase a pack of these during the Sephora VIB sale. I love this mask for hydrating the skin underneath my eyes. I enjoy using this to prep that area before I know I’m going out so that I look refreshed. I would repurchase this.

Makeup

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Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer. This was a real concealer because it was really lightweight. I would repurchase this except that I have a few other concealers in my stash that I need to use up.

Benefit High Brow. I received this in a brow set from Benefit. I didn’t really use this or like it very much. It always just made under my brows look very dry. I decided I would just toss this out since I’m not using it. I would not repurchase this.

Tarte Big Ego Mascara. This came in my BoxyCharm and at first, I was pretty excited to try this out because I like a few mascaras from Tarte. This one was a bit dry and didn’t add anything to my lashes. I would not repurchase this.

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So these are my empties for November! I feel like I did a good job of using up a lot of items. I notice a difference in my stash now that I haven’t been purchasing any new items in my stash.

What items have you used up for November?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Dose Of Colors Bake Browns Eyeshadow: Palette Collection Review Series

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There are times when I appreciate a simple 5 pan palette especially when all the colours are meant to work together and it’s easy to just put together a couple of looks. That’s what I like about the Dose of Colors Baked Browns Eyeshadow palette. I find it convenient to just throw 2-3 shades together on my lids and be done with it. I don’t mull over the palette thinking about what would look good together and what I feel like wearing that day. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy coming up with fun looks but sometimes, especially when I’m heading to work, I just want something easy.

What It Is

A selection of warm-toned matte shadows, Baked Browns Eyeshadow Palette creates everything from neutral everyday eye looks to deep, dark smoky effects. (beautybay.com)

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Price

$48.70 CAD (8.5g – $5.73/g) This is a pricey eyeshadow palette in terms of dollar per gram. I think it’s the second priciest I own after the Estee Lauder Color Envy Sculpting Eyeshadow, see it here.

I received this in my October Boxycharm where I paid $33.00 CAD for the whole box and received other items along with the palette. I wouldn’t purchase this on it’s own. I got the cost from Beautybay.com (which has Canadian pricing and ships to Canada for those who might be interested in getting this)

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Packaging

I love the rose chrome colour of the palette itself. I like the sleek style of it too. It’s not very big being only 2″ X 5″ so I can easily store it away. The packaging feels like high-quality plastic. Even though I don’t use it too much I do like that it has a mirror. Inside the shades are laid out from lightest to darkest which is appealing to me.

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This comes with a double sided brush. One end is a small blending brush and the other end is a pencil brush. I’ve used this brush quite a bit to apply colour to my lower lash line with the blending end and used the pencil side to apply a smoky line to my upper lash line. It adds value to this product for me.

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Colour

I was really happy to receive the baked Browns in my Boxycharm because I knew I’d get good use out of it. These shades are ones that I have been using every day for my project pan. The colours all work together.

I love the warm tone of this palette and how it looks on my eyes. My favourite shades are Outdoorsy and Cherry Wood.

Now, if you like variety in your palettes, this one is definitely not for you. However, if you like a smooth, blendable formula and this 5 pan style, you will enjoy this. It does come in other shades including mauves, berries, etc.

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Application & Wear

One thing I’ll address right away here is that these shades are very dusty. They create so much fall out in the pan. After using this for a month I’ve noticed that a lot of excess product is wasted out of the pans and it looks like I’ve used this more than I actually have.

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Since it produces A LOT of fallout I have to be careful with how much product I put on my brush, especially if I’m doing my eyes after I apply foundation. I usually go for a simple look day-to-day but if I’m going for something deeper or smokier I need to apply this first and then foundation so I’m able to clean it up.

The upside of this is that they blend so effortlessly on the eyes. I can pull a look together very quickly because this is so easy to blend. I enjoy how easily I can put a look together with this.

My Looks

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This first look is one that I wear most days for work. I applied Tealight all over the lid and then applied Deserted in my crease and deepened it just slightly with outdoorsy. For liner I used Rock Bottom. I used deserted in my lower lash line.

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For this look above I put Deserted all over the lid and then used Cherry Wood in the crease. I then took some of Rock Bottom and blended it into the outer edge of my lash line. I used Rock Bottom in my lower lash line and blending it out with deserted.

The Breakdown

Pros

  • sturdy palette
  • easy to blend

Cons

  • not much colour variety
  • lots of fallout
  • price

My Thoughts

Overall, I really love this palette! The colours are ones I enjoy wearing and I like the formula and blend ability. I would recommend this palette except that the price is a bit high.

Have you tried this palette or any others from Dose of Colors?

Lots of Love,
Dal

New Light Coverage Bases in My Stash

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Recently, I have been using BB Creams a lot more than a foundation. I feel like full-coverage foundation never looked good on me because it always felt like it sat on top of my skin and highlighted a lot of the drier areas. BB Creams and Light-Coverage Foundations were more natural-looking on my face.

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Here are two that I’ve been using frequently over the last couple months. (I also picked up a mini size of the It Cosmetics CC Cream which was a recommendation by Cat at MyLipAddiction.com 🙂 I’ll test that one out when I get it and let you know what I think!)

Garnier Skin Active BB Cream 5 in 1 Miracle Skin Perfecter (Normal to Dry Skin)

I received this in the summer at the Chick Advisory Cinq a Sept event. It made it into my Monthly Project Pan for September as well. At first I was mixing this with my foundation to thin it out but then I thought the coverage was good enough on it’s own so I started applying it without mixing it into anything else. This combines skincare and coverage.

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This claims to renew, brighten, even, hydrate for 24H and protect the skin. I like that it has a whipped texture which makes the formula feel light and is easy to smooth out onto my skin. It feels more like a moisturizer. I usually apply a less moisturizer when I’m wearing this because it’s pretty hydrating on its own. This has caffeine, antioxidant vitamin C and tinted mineral pigments in the formula.

The colour isn’t the best match on me but because it’s a thin and light consistency you hardly notice the difference. It blends in effortlessly so I find that it will even out my skin tone while letting my natural skin show through so it’s not as noticeable that the shade is not a 100% match.

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Overall I really enjoy the texture, tone and hydrating feel of this BB Cream. I would recommend this!

NYX Cosmetics Bare with Me Tinted Skin Veil 

I received the tinted veil as part of a ChickAdvisor campaign where I had the chance to try it and then post a review. Unlike the Garnier BB Cream, the texture of the skin veil is a lot closer to a foundation than it is a moisturizer.

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This claims to be a smooth and weightless formula with light, breathable coverage and has a seamless, satiny finish. The formula is light and smooth and really does just give a veil of coverage. I just found that it didn’t blend out as easily with my fingers and required a brush to really get it to smooth out.

When I’m wearing the skin veil I make do my full moisturizing routine because it doesn’t have any moisturizers like a BB Cream would. If you like light coverage foundation, this would definitely be for you!

What I like about this product is that the shade itself is a great match for my skin tone. I generally don’t have to worry about it being a perfect match because it is just a thin layer of coverage but I do like that it really mimics my skin. It’s also really easy to layer and blend other makeup on top of it. I find that because this base is more satin-like, any concealer, blush, powder tends to sit on it real nicely.

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I would recommend this product too! It’s nice to switch out from a BB Cream every once in a while and use a formula that is more like foundation without the high coverage.

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Those are the new bases I have in my stash that are light coverage. If you are curious of other BB Creams I’ve tried in the past you can take a look at my reviews here.

What do you think of the above products? Do you like items like BB Cream or would you tend toward a veil? Or do you enjoy medium or high-coverage bases instead?  I’d love to know your thoughts!

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: October Roundup & November Items

littlebeautyloves2 Comments

This month I wanted to get this post out earlier than I did last month so that I could share with you what I plan on focusing on in my makeup stash! Then I totally got lazy for a week and here we are… late again… haha!

Looking at the before and after of some of my liquid items from October it really feels like I didn’t make much progress although I used my items 28/31 days. While I usually don’t wear makeup on the weekend I did find myself out and about a lot more in October so I did wear some makeup and used my Project Pan items. Let’s jump into my progress!

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But before we do that….

In case you didn’t know, this is my Project Pan objective;

Project Pan Monthly

Each month I choose 4 items to use, sharing reviews of those products if they aren’t already on the blog. At the end of the month, I’ll share an update of how well I did and then list the items for the next month. The products are chosen from these categories;

  • One Eyeshadow Palette
  • One Lip Item (lipstick, lip balm, gloss, etc.)
  • One Face Item (foundation, highlighter, blush, bronzer)
  • One Random Item (can be another item from the categories above, or be something else like mascara, liner, skincare, body care, fragrance, etc.)

October Round-Up

One thing I love about focusing on specific items in my collection is that I can judge how much I actually like them. When I bought my Smashbox Minimalist Cover Shot Palette I was sure I would use this a lot, however, I realize after having this in my Project Pan I realize I don’t love the colours in this palette. One side is neutral, the other is cool. I leaned towards using neutral brown tones because the grey tones were not appealing to me.

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My Guerlain lip balm remained in my purse and I continued to use it frequently throughout the month. I like this lip balm and I think that I am going to go back and purchase more shades. It’s the only lip item I’ve enjoyed in this whole Project Pan series. Granted the before and after doesn’t show much has been used up believe me when I say that I used this quite a lot.

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At the beginning of October, I used the Becca Backlight Primer pretty often but after about a week I stopped using it and then that was that. It was just another step in my morning routine that I was too lazy to do.

I used my Maybelline Concealer every time I wore makeup, however, you wouldn’t guess based on the photo above that it was ever used. I do want to just use this up so I am avoiding using my other concealers for now that I finish this up. Maybe it’ll make it onto an empties post in a few months!

My November Items

For this month I chose;

  • One Eyeshadow Palette  – Dose of Colors Eyeshadow Palette in Baked Browns
  • One Lip Item – Urban Decay Lipstick In Sheer Liar
  • One Face Item – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Volume 4 (reviewed here)
  • One Random Item – CoverFX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight (reviewed here)

I love how I chose items will all chrome packaging! It’s so aesthetically pleasing.

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I’m really excited about the items I’ve picked for this month. I’m enjoying the eyeshadow so far – lookout for a review coming soon! I’m also very much in love with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette so I’m excited to use it. Now is also the best time to try to use up the CoverFX drops. I’ve had this mini bottle for such a long time now and it was in last year’s Project Pan so I’m really hoping I use up more of it.

 

How is your progress been for Project Pan this month? What are you hoping to use up for November?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, October 2019

littlebeautyloves7 Comments

It has been a beautiful fall season so far! Toronto weather has been mild and the leaves are changing colours! It’s looking gorgeous out there! October was a relaxing month for me. We had Canadian Thanksgiving at the beginning of the month which was a nice time spent with family. I also did Halloween Haunt at Canada’s Wonderland which is when they turn the amusement park into a scary playground at night with lots of haunted mazes, I loved it! Now it’s slowly easing into colder weather and we might have our first snowfall this week. I know some places in Canada have already experienced that. I’m really looking forward to it!

Now on to what I used up in October!

*Note: I’m on a no-buy this year. If I mention repurchasing an item, it just means that I really liked it and would buy again, just not in 2019.

Skincare & Makeup

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Ko Gen Do Makeup Wipe. I received this in my BoxyCharm and it was one of my favourite makeup wipes. The cloth itself was thick and the makeup removing solution worked extremely well at removing makeup. I’m having a hard time finding these from Canadian retailers so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to repurchase this. I will if I can find it!

Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother. I did a full review of this product which you can read here. This is like a blotting sheet but in liquid form. As someone who has dry skin, it didn’t work for me. I held on to it for the summer but I think it’s time I just removed it from my stash. I think the product is discontinued but I would not repurchase this anyways.

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Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara. I received this from Influenster a while back and spent the last 2 months focusing on using it up. This is a pretty good mascara. I loved how rich the colour was and how it fanned out my lashes. I have so many mascaras I like more than this one though so I won’t be repurchasing it.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizer (sample size). I absolutely love this line from Neutrogena, it has hyaluronic acid which keeps my skin moisturized. I love the consistency of the formula, where it feels like a light cool gel rather than a heavy cream. I would definitely repurchase this.

Hair, Body, Misc.

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Dove Derma+Care Scalp Conditioner. This hydrated my hair way more than I thought it would. I used it after the Dove Anti-Dandruff shampoo and together these worked so well. I think it might give my Head & Shoulders’ shampoo and conditioner a run for it’s money! Plus the Dove conditioner smells so good! I would repurchase this.

Yves Rocher Monoi Lagoon Moisturizing Perfume Body Mist. This has such a tropical flower scent that I enjoy so much in the summer. It’s sweet but not super heavy so I can easily wear this all day without it giving me a headache. I used this about half-way through but I think it was getting really old because it was getting clumpy and gross on the inside. I decided it was best I just throw it out. I have a lot of perfumes and body mists to get through so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Marvis Jasmine Mint Toothpaste. I used up another one of my Marvis tubes of toothpaste. The Jasmine mint tasted like soap! yuck! I think there might be a few more uses in this tube but I’m not going to bother using it. I would not repurchase this particular flavour.

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That’s all I was able to use up in October! I have a couple of items that were near finishing I thought would make it on to this month but alas will probably show up in November. I feel like I’m making good progress through my skincare and body items but it’s taking so long to use up any makeup! Even with my no-buy and project pan!

What items have you used up for October?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Unboxing BoxyCharm, October 2019

littlebeautyloves10 Comments

Price: $21.00 USD (+$5.00 shipping to Canada)
Number of items: 4-5 full-size items

Boxycharm is a monthly subscription box of full-size makeup, skincare and beauty tools. The theme for this month is “after dark”.

After subscribing to BoxyCharm for 2 years, I’ve decided to cancel after this month. I did enjoy this monthly box and would highly recommend it but I just am looking to try a different subscription service. It’s a bit of a bummer now that BoxyCharm is now offereing customization but I’ve been curious about trying FabFitFun and I don’t want to have two subscriptions at the same (especially since they are coming from the US and I have to take into account any shipping and conversion rates).

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Anyways! On to the last box!

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Dose of Colours Eyeshadow Palette
MSRP: $32.00 US

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These palettes are raved about on youtube so I am very happy to see this in my Boxycharm! I think the idea of a smaller 5 pan pallette with colours that are meant to work together to create easy go-to looks.

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I like that I received the Bakes Browns version since that will likely be one I’d wear quite a lot! It is a good palette to take on the go and I do think I’d use the two-side brush it comes with since one side is fluffy and the other is flat which are brushes that I tend to use the most anyways.

Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm
MSRP: $32.00 US

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This is a priming skin balm that creates a glow. You apply this as the last step to your skincare routine. I really like receiving skincare items to try out. I think the packaging is really pretty however when it comes to the cream I wish it was in a tube style container. Anyways, I’ll give this a try and let you know what I think!

Iconic London Lip Plumping Gloss in Nearly Nude
MSRP: $26.00 US

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This is a non-sticky, plumping gloss that is high shine. The formula is infused with a biomimetic peptide, which helps support natural collagen. I didn’t have a chance to swatch this on my lips but I really like the smell and shade of this lip gloss. I think it’ll look really beautiful with a dark lip liner. It does have high shine but is not super sticky. The only thing I wasn’t too much of a fan of is the doe-foot style applicator. It’s scooped which is supposed to hug the lips but I thought it was very bendable, so I’d be nervouse it might break. Fingers crossed it doesn’t!

Skin&Co Truffle Therapy Radiant Dew Mist
MSRP: $35.00 US

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This is a hydrating mist to soothe, protect and illuminate the skin. It’s enriched with antioxidants and botanicals. The mist encourages a radiant complexion while re-balancing the skin’s PH level, tightening pores, and setting makeup. Nothing like a good skincare mist! I am very excited to give this a try!

Chella Slanted Tip Tweezers
MSRP: $20.00 US

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I always enjoy getting a new tool! I tried these tweezers the other day and they were great. The circle grip makes it really easy to hold the tweezers comfortably and they are really good at pulling unwanted hairs.

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I can never have enough tweezers. It can be hard to find good ones so whenever there is one I like I try to not lose it. Which can be hard to do! Having extras around is always good.

My Thoughts

For my last BoxyCharm this had a lot of really good staple items for me. As much as I love makeup, I am most happy for the skincare balm and the face mist as well as the tweezers!

Total Value: $145.00 US ($190.35)

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What did you get in your box and what are your thoughts?

Lots of Love,
Dal