Although I really love blush I never had a variety of shades in my collection. I was getting tired of using the same two blushes (MAC’s Fleur Power Blush and Benefit’s Daisy Blush) so when Tarte Cosmetics put this holiday palette on sale I instantly picked it up.

Even if this limited edition holiday palette is no longer available, I know it won’t be long before Tarte releases another similar palette. Since this is the same Amazonian Clay formula as their full-size blushes, I figured it would also be a good way for me to review my thoughts on Tarte blushes as a whole.

What it is

A ten-pan cheek palette (8 blushes and 2 highlighters) in a mix of warm and cool tones. This includes the Amazonian clay formula which the brand claims to increase longevity.

Price

This was originally $57.00 CAD, but I got it on sale for Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) for $19.58 CAD. When it comes to Tarte, I definitely suggest waiting until items go on sale because the discount is worth it. This has 0.84 oz of product. The pan diameter seems to be about the same as the deluxe size blush.

Packaging

I love the Moroccan style theme that was part of the 2017 Holiday collection from Tarte. The pattern is so pretty. This is a circular palette that is about 4.5″ diameter, just slightly larger than the Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow palettes. It is a nice plastic packaging in reflective gold.

There is a plastic sheet that separates the two sides of the palette. I like this packaging because when I open it up I can see all the different colours laid out in front of me.

Colour

I’m not crazy about blush colours being too wild so I like the variety of shades in this palette. There are bright corals and pinks but there are also subtle nudes and peaches as well.

I really love the highlight colour whimsical as an inner corner highlight for the eyes.

My favourite shade to wear is fortunate because the orange shade looks really pretty with any peach colour I wear on my eyes. I also like dainty because it comes out very natural on my cheeks. Even though some shades look really similar in the pan, they look different on the cheeks.

Application & Wear

You really need to be careful with the application of these blushes because the pigmentation is very strong and it can be patchy if you don’t build them up slowly, especially with the brighter or darker shades. This happens to me with colours like endless. I use a very light hand with this palette and a really fluffy brush because I’d rather put a little and add more. Lighter shades like angelic are a bit more forgiving. When blended out well, these look so pretty on the cheeks. As they warm up against the skin, they seem to melt it so beautifully. It’s a very dry formula that can look powdery on the cheeks if you don’t take the time to blend it in. I like the way this applies on the cheeks though and I can see why so many people rave about the Tarte blushes.

This wears very well on me, even better than my MAC blushes. I’ll notice at the end of a workday that this is still going strong.

The Breakdown

The Pros

• natural looking shades
• long lasting

The Cons

• can be patchy if don’t build up slowly

My Thoughts

I’m happy that I have this palette because it gives me a variety of shades to choose from that work with the majority of looks I like to wear. It’s even better that I got this palette for such a good deal.

I was asking myself if I would get more blushes from Tarte now that I’ve tested out the formula. I don’t know I will. I’ve honestly got more blushes than I possibly need now and the formula on the cheeks didn’t completely blow me away that I would rush out to get more blushes.

Have you tried any Tarte blush products? What do you think of them?

Lots of love,
Dal

It has been a long time coming but I finally cut my hair short! I’ve had long hair for so many years and as someone who is super low maintenance, I never went to a hairdresser in that time so my hair just got longer and more damaged.

I wanted to get my hair cut by someone who was good and @hairbysafiyaa (that’s her Instagram handle, you should see her work) was highly recommended to me. She does my sister’s hair as well as other people I know so I made the 1.5-hour drive to St. Catherines to get it done!

My hair was just above my lower back and a medium brown colour that I had boxed dyed multiple times. I decided to cut it to just below my shoulders and got a few sun-kissed highlights in it, I love it so much!

I wanted to ensure I kept my hair feeling and looking hydrated and smooth after my haircut and timing was perfect when I was offered the opportunity to try Shu Uemura Art of Hair! I was sent the Silk Bloom Restorative Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment as well as other items.

Shu Uemura is a famous Japanese make-up artist who has been breaking the boundaries of beauty for over 50 years! His company was built on the basis of his philosophy that “beautiful make-up starts with beautiful skin.” They use naturally gentle ingredients, use the most advanced science in beauty, and encourage artistry and visual expression. This is also expressed in their Art of Haircare line.

In a Favourites From the Boxes post in November 2017, I said that the Shu Uemura Essence Absolute oil was the best item I had received from Topbox and I still believe that. Whether I air dry or heat style my hair it just leaves it shiny and hydrated, it’s also a good heat protectant. So, I’ve had a positive experience with these hair items and wanted to try more!Let’s start with shampoo. If you probably guessed, I love using anything that hydrates but deep cleans my scalp. I wash my hair only twice a week so I love when a shampoo rinses clean and doesn’t leave a residue. Before I got my hair cut, I started using the Shu Uemura Art of Hair products to help bring some life back to my hair so my cut would look extra good.The Silk Bloom Restorative Shampoo purifies the hair but also has enriched argan oil to restore the hair fibres while adding body. The formula is creamy and it has a slight lather. I really felt like this cleaned my hair and it felt very moisturized after I rinsed it out. I also really enjoy the smell of the shampoo. It doesn’t have a sweet smell like you would expect with argan oils, it’s more natural.The next step was to apply some of the Silk Bloom Restorative Conditioner. The conditioner also has argan oil to restore damaged hair. I could feel the moisturizing properties on my hands right away, it felt like I just put on hand cream. This is super moisturizing.Every other wash, I would apply the Silk Bloom Restorative Treatment after rinsing my hair of conditioner. If you have dry, damaged hair like I do, this product is amazing! It leaves my hair so soft and I swear it makes even my boxed hair colour look good.The formula is super thick and I like to massage a little handful into my hair and leave it on for 5-10 minutes while I shower. I’ve even used the residue from my hands and rubbed it on my legs and this acts as an in shower moisturizer! This product is amazing because it deeply nourishes my hair. I feel like it has reduced frizz in my hair. I’m hooked on this!

After I cut my hair, I wore it natural to work and so many people were complimenting me on it! My hair feels soft to the touch and really strong. I have been consistently using these products and I feel like it’s made a difference in how my hair looks and feels.Another item that I’ve been loving is the Straight Forward Time Saving Blow Dry Oil Spray! Oh my goodness, how I enjoy this whenever I want to blow dry my hair. This spray evenly coats my hair and makes styling it a breeze. I apply this in sections to my towel dry hair and then blow dry it. The oil protects against the heat of my styling tools. Since my hair is shorter it takes less time to style regardless but I think the oil helps leaves it shiny and I do think it helps shave some extra time. It smells like chamomile which I really enjoy.

 

I’ve really been enjoying my hair lately. One, being that it’s shorter and two, I feel like the products I’m using now are going to help protect it and keep it from damage. Overall, I think these have been really good for my hair!

Giveaway!

I wanted to share something from Shu Uemura with you! I received the Wonder-Worker Air Dry/Blow Dry Protector. This cream is perfect for on-the-go styling leaving hair treated and protected with an effortless look. If you’d like to win this item here’s what you need to do;

1. Follow my Blog 🙂
2. Like and comment on this post and leave your Instagram account so I can DM you if you win.

Open to Canadian Residents only (sorry if you’re not in Canada, I will have another giveaway soon). Contest Closing on Wednesday, April 25th, winner announced on Friday, April 27th.

What haircare items have you been enjoying lately? Have you tried anything from Shu Uemura?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Disclosure: PR Post. The items above were generously sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

I’m super excited to share this review of a cool new way I’ve been cleaning and drying my brushes. A few weeks ago, I was offered the ability to test out the Brush Bar and Brush Board*. As someone who enjoys cleaning their makeup brushes, I jumped at the opportunity!

So what is the Brush Bar?

A brush drying tool with 10 prongs to secure your brushes upside-down while they dry to prevent water from entering the barrel and dissolving the glue.

And what is the Brush Board?

A two-sided brush exfoliator made of firm material to maximize your brush cleaning. There are 6 different textures to scrub around the bristles. In the photos below, I’ve included the little description card that explains what each compartment does.

I was also sent the Brush Bubbly which is a gentle makeup cleanser to use with the Brush Board.

I love the way the Brush Bar and Board were packaged inside of velour carrying cases. It makes it great for storage and is a really nice touch.

What did I think?

The Brush Board is firm so I was able to hold it while I cleaned my brushes. My cleaning technique was to put a little dollop of the Brush Bubbly on the board with a little bit of water and then lathered up each brush. I like the gentleness of this makeup cleanser. Alternately, you can use baby shampoo.

Since the edges of the board are high, the soapy water is contained in each section which made it perfect for lathering up each brush without having to keep my facet running.

I really like that this board is a firm material. I have other brush exfoliators that are silicone but this one feels really sturdy and I can feel the cones and waves working deeply into each brush.

After I lathered all my brushes with soap, I went back and used the various textures on both sides to deep clean and then rinse each of them. In the end, I used the cone side to brush out the bristles from any remaining water. The cone texture is recommended at the end because it helps the brushes dry quickly.

Following that, I put each brush upside down in the prongs for drying on the Brush Bar. The design of these prongs allows for you to hold 2 small, 6 medium and 2 large size brushes.

When the Brush Bar is not in use, you can fold the prongs onto the inside of the board which helps prevent them from getting damaged while storing. Both the Brush Bar and the Brush Board have a sleek design that doesn’t take too much space in my cabinets. I would probably get another board for myself so that I can dry more brushes at one time.

The Bar itself has a nice weight so that it will hold the brushes securely while they dry. As long as the brushes are hanging off a flat, straight surface you don’t need to worry about them falling. The prongs easily open to insert my brushes and the rubber tip help grip the barrels.

My bathroom gets a lot of traffic, so I moved the bar to my kitchen counter where I was able to hang these from an unused corner to dry. You can hang these off a counter, desk, shelf, chair, or any other flat surface. If you have a bathtub, you could also hang it on the inside edge, that way when the water drips it goes directly down the drain.

Before trying this product, I used to tie each brush onto my towel hanger in my bathroom which worked, but this is a lot more convenient because I can hang my brushes in a dry place out of the way. I also love that each brush is separated so it dries quicker.

My Thoughts

The Brush Bar and the Brush Board have made cleaning more fun and easy for me!

The Brush Bar is great for quickly drying my brushes upside down without taking up too much space on my counter and is easy to store. This holds the brushes securely and out of the way. If you use makeup brushes all the time and regularly clean them, then this is definitely worth the investment.

I was pretty surprised at how much I’d like the Brush Board. Since I have a few other brands of brush exfoliators, I didn’t expect to be as wowed by this as I am. I think the 6 different scrubbers are perfect for all the different ways you might want to deep clean your brushes and the sturdiness of the board itself makes cleaning so much easier. The board is really easy to hold in one hand while sweeping the brushes with the other. I actually would recommend this over the Sigma one that I had reviewed a few years back, you can see that review here.

The Brush Bubbly is maybe the only product I could do without only because you can purchase your own cleanser from the drug store, but it still worked really well.

For more information and to order, go to getbrushbar.com They are based out of the US and ship internationally!

You can use coupon code BEAUTYLOVES15 for 15% off your first purchase! This is a non-affiliate code, but a sweet offer from The Brush Bar Company to all of you!

Let me know what you think of these items. How do you like cleaning your makeup brushes?

Lots of Love,
Dal

 

*Items mentioned have been sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest and my own.