Five Eye Brushes I use A Lot!

August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 littlebeautyloves5 Comments

I own quite a lot of brushes. I’m sure that is a statement that a lot of us can agree to! LOL!

I’m sure we’ve all gone through so many brushes, ones that we bought thinking they would be perfect only to end up switching them for something else. It took me a long time to build the collection I have and although I’m happy with them I’m always trying new ones to see how they might make my makeup application better or easier.

I decided for this post to pull out five eye brushes that I enjoy using and share them. I have a few posts on brushes in my collection that I’ve reviewed and you can read them here and here. I still use all those brushes but since my collection is large I figured why not share more!

Here are five eye brushes that I use a lot!

Quo Eye Shadow Smudger Brush

This is the first smudger style brush that I ever bought and I’ve purchased more smudger brushes ever since! I think Shoppers was having a sale on Quo brushes at the time so it was the perfect opportunity to grab one and see how I liked this style brush. I love using this to apply shadow to my lower and upper lash line because it gives a nice smokey effect.

The bristles on this brush are short and dense which helps keep everything close to the lash line but the brush itself is really soft. I like that I can get really close to my lash line to frame my eyes. I also like that the ends are rounded so that I can move the brush around the curve of my eyes.

Sephora Pro Featherweight Crease Brush

I use this brush a lot for my crease because I find that it’s soft but not so fluffy so it keeps product from blending out too much around my eyes. It keeps the look precise but still creates a seemless blend. I own a lot of blending brushes but I really like this one when I want to take time to blend out my eyeshadow.

What I love about this brush is that after so much use it continues to hold it’s shape. I love the domed tip which makes it really comfortable to use in the crease. I’m a bit bummed that this is no longer at Sephora and if I knew it was going to be discontinued I might have bought another one.

Artdeco Blending Brush

I featured this brush before on the blog in the post focusing on the brushes in my One Look, One Week Review Series. I mentioned that this brush is quite versatile and it continues to be a well loved and highly used brush. Recently, I’ve been using it a lot for cream shadows I have (ie. the Nudestix shadows) to blend out any rough edges. The brush is dense so it really blends out cream perfectly.

What I love about this brush is that one side is wide, while the other side is flat.

This allows me to use this to lightly blend out shadow in my crease using the flat side or to sweep shadow on my lid using the wider side. It’s even been used as a liner smudger and to blend shadow on my lower lid. It does everything I want a brush to do. Whenever I travel I take this brush with me because I can use it in a variety of ways. I plan on purchasing more of these types of brushes.

Inglot Large Eyeshadow Brush, 28 PO (I think?)

This brush has a special place in my heart because it was one of the first professional style brushes that I ever purchased and it’s held up all these years. I don’t think at the time Inglot had put the brush numbers on their brushes so I’m guessing it’s the 28PO based on their description online. I purchased this brush to help clean around the edges of my eyeshadow because it’s a super big and dense brush.

If ever my eyeshahow is starting to blend out a little too far on my eye and I want to blend out the colours I’ll take this brush to help clean it all up. The brush is also perfect as a shadow brush because it’s so big that I can definitly use it as a one sweep brush and be done with eyeshadow. I don’t use this too often because it is so big, but whenever I need a brush like this I’m also so happy I have it.

Luxie 111 Mini Flat Angled Brush

I received this brush in my November BoxyCharm as part of a four-pack brush set. I use all the brushes in that set but this one is one that I use most out of all of them and I use it specifically to apply eyeshadow to my lower lashes.

Because the brush is angled, it fits perfectly under my lower lashes and applies shadow really close to my lower lash. By being able to apply a thin shadow under my lashes I keep my shadow looking sleek. I really enjoy this brush. I don’t think I would have thought to purchase this on my own, but after receiving it and trying it out, it has really improved my eyeshadow application.

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These are some of my favourite eye shadow brushes. I plan to share more of my favourite brushes for my eyes and face on the blog since I have so many that I really like and I’m curious to know what are some of your favourite brushes too!

Let me know what brushes you use a lot for your eye shadow application.

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, July 2019

August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 littlebeautyloves5 Comments

Happy Saturday! I feel like I rarely post on the weekends but I finally got around to taking some photos so I figured why not! Also, happy Civic Long weekend to those who have Monday off! I love long weekends in the summer!

It had been a gorgeous July! The days were hot and beautiful and I enjoyed it so much. I’m really excited for August and enjoying more of this summer especially since there are a few things that happen around the city that I enjoy – Food Festivals, here I come! I didn’t use up too many products this month but I’ve also been changing up my skincare and makeup routine for the summer which meant that a lot of my usual products are on a break.

Now on to 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

Victoria Secret Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel. VS have some nice smelling shower gels and I really like them. The scent Cabana Breeze has an ocean/vacation scent and whenever I used it I would be taken back to my trip to Jamaica. They lather up quite a bit which makes taking a shower feel like a standing bath. I also love using them in my bubble bath because they do make so much thick bubbles! I would definitely repurchase these shower gels over and over again.

L’Occitane Almond Shower Gel. I used to be into this shower gel but after a while, I got bored with it. I really like super sudsy shower gels and this isn’t like that, or at least it stopped being that way after a while. It just doesn’t get super foamy. It’s weird but I almost feel like the formula started getting old and it wasn’t as nice as it was for the first couple of months I had this. I still enjoyed it for prepping my legs before shaving, but as a shower gel on its own, it lost its lustre for me. If you want to read my original review of this product you can here. I don’t think I’d repurchase this product.

NeoStrata Glycolic Renewal Smoothing Lotion. I included this product with a short review in a haul I had back in March 2018. You can read it here. Although I really enjoyed this product it’s been over a year that I’ve had it so I’m sure it’s time I just toss it out since I don’t think it’s as effective as it once was. I used this about half-way. I’m not sure I’d repurchase this.

Haircare

Head & Shoulders Conditioner in Smooth & Silky. Every few months I add another Head & Shoulders product into my empties. If there is one product that I repurchase over and over again it’s this. I really enjoy how well it cleans my hair.

Makeup

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil. This product got old before I used it up but it’s because I haven’t been using pencil liners for quite a while now. Lately, I’ve been using either eye shadow or my Nudestix Crayons to create a smokey liner on my eyes rather than a sharp line or wing. This guy is ok, it is a deep intense black and I like that it’s a twist up liner. I used this a lot in my waterline which is another reason I am throwing it out since I want to get into the habit of using new items for delicate areas such as my eyes. I won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon.

Cover FX PowerPlay Foundation (sample). I love picking up sample foundations to test out before I commit to a new foundation. I got about four applications from this foundation and I really liked how it looked. It feels really light on my face but provides a good amount of coverage. I would purchase a full-size of this.

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Like I mentioned above, I didn’t use up too many items for this month but I did clear out some things that were old or weren’t getting a lot of use in my collection of stuff.

What have you used up for July?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Review, Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother (discontinued)

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 littlebeautyloves4 Comments

I love Shiseido products so I was very excited to receive their Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother through Influenster. I thought it was a primer to wear under the skin at first and was excited about the “smoothing” part of it, but it’s actually a product you wear to help cover shine.

Although this item is discontinued, I’m going to share a review since this is part of my Project Pan Monthly for April.

What It Is

Skin-blurring filter for smooth, picture-perfect skin. I liken it to blotting paper but in liquid form.

Price

$29.00 CAD (20 mL) This is pricey for such a tiny little product. You don’t need much so at least it lasts long.

Application

The Smart Filtering Primer is very liquid so it spreads easily over the skin. I’ve tried it both over makeup and under makeup. Since it’s designed to reduce shine it does dry out my skin which partly why I don’t use it too often.

When I’ve worn it under makeup I found that it helps to smooth my skin, especially on my cheeks or forehead. It’s not the best on my nose which is the driest part of my face because I find it accentuated the dryness and made my foundation crack.

I know when I first received this I used it a lot in the summer to help keep my skin dry during the hot months. I am traveling at the end of this month so I’ll be taking this with me to help reduce sweat and shine on my face.

Over the last month, I’ve been wearing this over my makeup to help blend everything together and reduce some of the shine on my dewy foundations. I put a little drop onto my finger tips and then pat it over my cheeks and forehead.

This really isn’t for my dry skin but I have it so I will use it. I think if I had normal-oily skin I would enjoy this more.

My Thoughts

I don’t absolutely hate this, it just wasn’t made for me and my skin type. I’m using it for my Project Pan and trying it in the areas of my skin that do have more shine. I’ve also been applying it over my makeup to make it more matte. All in all, I think this is mostly just going to be best used in the summer.

Have you ever tried this product or something like it? What are your thoughts? Any ideas on how I might enjoy a product like this more? Let me know!

Lots of Love,
Dal

Morphe X Jaclyn Hill: Palette Collection Review Series

March 19, 2019March 18, 2019 littlebeautyloves4 Comments

Ever since this palette was announced by Jaclyn Hill and Morphe and I saw the shades I really wanted it. Once Morphe started selling their products on Sephora Canada I purchased the palette and I’ve been happy with it so far. Since this is part of my Project Pan Monthly for March it made sense that I put up a review for it.

What It Is

A palette with 35 dreamy shades, created in collaboration with YouTuber Jaclyn Hill. Mattes, shimmers, satins, foils, and glitters are all pressed to perfection—just the way Jaclyn wanted. (Sephora.ca)

Price

$49.99 CAD (56.2g – $1.12/g). I bought mine during the Sephora VIB sale and saved myself 20%.

Packaging

This is a large palette so it just barely fits into my makeup case. It’s 9″ x 6.5″ in size, it is thin though which I like. I’ve had my palette for a while now so it’s starting to get dirty but I do like white with silver lettering, it’s very Jaclyn Hill aesthetic. I don’t mind that there isn’t a mirror in this one only because I think it would make the palette feel heavy. I like the layout of the shades because I can easily see looks with this palette before I start putting them together.

Colour

This has mostly has brown shades with a few pops of blues and greens. For me, it’s a palette that I’m very comfortable wearing because I can easily pick out shades that work well together without having to think too much about it.

I feel like a few colours are similar (ex. Enlight & Beam, Silk Cream & M.F.E.o., and Soda Pop & Abyss), but for the most part a lot of the shades are different tones of each other which I think is actually great.

One of the biggest critiques I have of this palette is that both Enlight & Beam are shimmer shades, I really wish one of them was matte. I also wish that they replace Soda Pop with a different colour, since it looks similar to Abyss on me. No matter weather it’s the lightest shades, the shimmers or the various mattes, these are all bold and pigmented colours.

Application & Wear

First off, I’ve never tried Morphe shadows, but if all the formula is similar to this one than I can see why people enjoy the brand. They look really great on, even the shades above that look like they’ll be patchy based on my finger swatches (Enchanted, Jacz, Pukey, Mocha) blend out nicely on the eyes. The shimmers are super creamy and look good on the lid without me needing to use a primer or Fix+. The mattes are great builder shades and the darker shades add so much depth to a look without needing to use a lot.

For a lot of my day to day looks I find I’ll swipe Enlight or Beam all over the lid and then take Silk Cream into my cream, blend it all out and be on my way with a nice strong wing. When I want a deeper look, I love have so many warm tones to choose from, there are cool tone browns, or red-brown shades, or neutral browns that help me create so many varying looks. I didn’t know that different brown options would become so important to me! LOL!

I also like having a few colour options, which for me are easier to incorporate. I created such a beautiful pink look using this palette. I’ve worn purple shades, blue shades and my favourite, green shades, in the lower lid when I was looking for pops of colour.

These wear so well too! I have no issues with these shades lasting all day on me and I like wearing them because I know they will last.

My Looks

The first look is taken from my Pink Makeup Look Post where I used the shades Faint & Sissy on my lids along with some shades from my Too Faced Peach Palette.

In the look below, I used Silk Cream in the crease just to have something for the brighter shades to blend in with. I then used Jadas on the outer half of my lid and blended into the inner half of my lid to give it a more ombre effect. For the lid I used Pool Party, and to help keep the look bright and lessen the intensity of the colours I added Obsessed into the inner corner of my eye and blended it gently on the lids.

On the lower lash, I took my NYX Jumbo Pencil in French Fries into the waterline just to add a little bit of bronze to help balance out all the teal.

My Thoughts

If I could edit down the palette, I might remove some shades that I think are really similar, but overall I love the colours and love how they blend. For a palette with different shades of brown, I think that they can all help create different looks and I like that I can easily pick out shades from this palette to put together without much hesitation. I’m impressed with the formula and pigmentation so I would recommend it.

Have you tried the Jaclyn Hill or any Morphe palettes? I would love to know your thoughts!

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: January 2019

January 4, 2019January 8, 2019 littlebeautyloves8 Comments

Alrighty, 2019 Project Pan here I come!

Last year I attempted to use up 18 items for 2018. You can read my round-up of that Project Pan here.

This year I wanted to do something different. Instead of picking products to use through-out the year, each month I will choose 4 items to use through-out the month! This way I’ll rotate through my makeup items and use up more stuff. It should keep things interesting.

During that time I’ll keep track of how often I used it and at the end of each month I’ll share an update on my progress.

The 4 products will be 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 a mascara, liner, skin care, body care, fragrance, etc.)

My January Items

This month I’ve chosen:

Eyeshadow Palette – Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (reviewed here)
Lip Item – Nudestix Lip and Cheek Balm in Pulse
Face Item – Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Paaarty
Random Item – Benefit They’re Real Mascara in Black

I think together these make an easy look that is nice for the colder weather. I’m already enjoying using the Too Faced Palette again, it’s been such a long time that I’ve used the Original Chocolate Bar!

I’ll share an update in a month’s time and share my February Project Pan. I’ll also try to review the items mentioned above that don’t have reviews and fulfill my Blog Goal of getting more reviews up on the blog.

Are you doing a Project Pan this year? What Items have you choosen for it? What do you think about doing a monthly project pan?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, December 2018

January 3, 2019December 31, 2018 littlebeautyloves17 Comments

Well what do you know! It’s 2019! My December empties include not only items that I used up but I’ve also included some items here that I actually haven’t used all year and I figured why not just toss them out! No use keeping something that I’m not using or enjoying.

If you read my post on my 2019 goals, you’ll know that I’m on a no-buy for this year. I still will mention below whether I would repurchase an item or not, but it’s more to just note whether I enjoyed the item enough that I would repurchase it, not that I actually will this year.

Skincare

Ole Henrikson The Clean Truth Foaming Cleanser and The Truth Serum. I dedicated a full review to both these products in my post Ole Henrikson Skincare Review. I would definitely repurchase the Truth Serum, but I find I have foaming cleansers I like better than the The Clean Truth Foaming Cleanser so I won’t be repurchasing that.

CoverFX Custom Enhancer Drops in Radiance. I love this little mini. The radiance drops are great for me because they help my skin glow under makeup. The full size of this is pretty expense so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Face Mask. I think this is the second or third mask I’ve used up. I really enjoy it because it is super hydrating. I would repurchase this.

Neutrogena’s All-in-One Make-Up Wipes. This has made it into my empties stash again. I love using these wipes to remove any left over makeup after I wash my face. Currently, I’m working through other makeup wipes so I won’t be repurchasing these.

Body and Hair Care

Yves Rocher’s Jardin du Monde Soft Shower Cream. Another item that has made it into my empties again! I love the Cotton Flower from India scent. I think I might still have some other body washes from Yves Rocher that I’m making my way through.

Professional Sebastian Shaper Plus Extra Hold Hairspray. This came in my November 2017 Topbox and then it was in my favourites from the boxes post a few months later. I really like this hairspray but the nozzle stopped working and I can feel a lot of product in it. I’m pretty disappointed with that so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Makeup

Covergirl BB Cream Tinted Moisturizer. I shared a review of this when I shared a post on the BB Creams I have here. I love wearing this with my foundation to help sheer it out or on it’s own. I don’t use it too often anymore so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Tarte Rainforest Of the Sea Foundation. I shared a review of this in my One Look, One Week of Reviews. I like this formula and the shade matches my skin tone. I have so many foundations to get through that I’m not going to repurchase.

Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer. This is probably one of my favourite concealers from the drugstore. Whenever they go on sale I’ll pick up two of these. The formula lasts a long time on me and it blends so well under my eyes providing a good amount of coverage without looking too heavy. I have a back-up of this in my collection.

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base. I received this little sample with a MAC purchase I made at the beginning of the year. I realize that when it comes to primer, I much prefer ones that are hydrating or provide a glow rather than a pore filling one like this one. It’s not bad and I used it a few times, but I think I’ll just toss it since I haven’t used it in the last 6 months.

Benefit Air Patrol Eye Primer. I received this in my Topbox and shared it in a Favourites post in September 2016. I have been using this on and off and I do like the formula but since I usually just wear concealer as a base for eye-shadow I don’t use eye primer as often. When I do use eye primer it’s usually my Urban Decay Primer Potion or the Too Faced Glitter Primer. This is almost empty anyway (and I’ve owned it for two years now) so I’m going to toss it!

Eyeko Fat Eye Stick. This isn’t terrible but I don’t wear it. I usually just reach for a standard eye pencil so I might as well just toss this as well.

Peony Shadow Trio and Elf Blush and Bronzer duo. More products I’m going to just trash my collection since I haven’t been using them at all. The eye shadow trio are just not colours I’m ever tempted to wear and the Elf Blush/Bronzer is too glittery for my liking.

Tarte Cosmetics Mineral Bronzer Park Avenue Princess. I got this a lonnngggg time ago when I used to subscribe to Ipsy. This has gotten some really good use and although I have just a little bit of product left I decided I would just remove it from my collection because I have so many bronzers right now.

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Well that is everything I used up in December or decided to throw out for the end of 2018!

What items are in your empties for December?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, October 2018

November 2, 2018November 1, 2018 littlebeautyloves7 Comments

How has your October been!? Mine was super fun! My very good friend was married in the middle of the month and since I was her bridesmaid I helped her prep for the big day! The wedding was beautiful. We even performed a song at the reception together. One thing you may not know about me is that I like singing and a few years ago myself and two of my friends started a little band and played a show for our family and friends. So it was like a little reunion at the wedding.

I also celebrated Halloween by watching scary movies and tv shows all month long and celebrated Halloween parties at two of my company’s offices. The first party I dressed up as a unicorn and the second party I went as a flapper!

Anyways, now November is here and Christmas is edging ever more closely!

Here’s what I used up for October;

Skincare

Fresh Soy Cleanser. This is a gentle everyday cleanser that was great at removing all my makeup, including my eye makeup. I used this day and night (in between other cleansers like the Ole Henrikson which I reviewed a few days ago). I have another deluxe sample size of this before I need to repurchase it. Plus, I have so many cleansers that I’ve been using and testing so I won’t be purchasing any new cleansers for some time.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser Cloths. I wasn’t the biggest fan of these facial cleanser cloths. I felt like the cloth would tug at my face whenever I tried to remove any eye makeup like mascara or eyeliner so I ended up just using these as morning cleanser wipes before I applied makeup to my face. I will not be repurchasing them.

Grande Lash MD. If you’d like a full review of this product read here and here. This is pricey so it’s really hard justifying having to get one every 3 months BUT it does work on me. Right now I have the Lash Enhancer from Shiseido open so I won’t be repurchasing it so soon, but I think it might be something I add to my Christmas list.

Bella Aura Skincare Night Cellular Renewal and Instant Lifting Eye Contour. I received these two items my Topbox subscription. This formula is very runny, but it absorbs into the skin like a dream and left me super hydrated. It has a very perfumed scent which I don’t mind, but I know that might turn off some who are sensitive to scent or don’t like fragrance in their skincare. I really do enjoy this brand it’s just that I have quite a few skincare items that I have not opened so I don’t imagine purchasing this anytime soon.

Youth to the People Superfood Firm and Brighten Serum. I received this deluxe sample in a Sephora Favourites bundle and I was super excited for it because it’s designed to target fine lines and wrinkles and uneven skin tone. The sample size lasted about 3 weeks but I didn’t really notice anything special happening with my skin so I will not repurchase this product.

Body Care

Jo Malone London Red Roses Bath Oil. I received this as a Christmas gift last year and I’ve been ever so cautious with how much I use so I could stretch this out as long as possible. I love Jo Malone and own a few fragrances and body items from this brand. This oil made me feel so fancy whenever I used it, but it also was super effective. I would put a few drops into my bath and it had this lovely scent of wild roses. It was also very hydrating without feeling greasy. This is going back on my Christmas list!

Yves Rocher Organic Oats Hand Cream. For Fall and Winter, I live on hand cream. I keep ones at home, in my purse, in my car and at the office. I constantly need some. Yves Rocher has some really good hand cream and this one is pretty good except that the scent turned bad so I couldn’t use it anymore because it smelled gross. I have other hand creams that I need to use so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Gold Bond Ultimate Moisturizing Aloe Hand and Body Cream. SOOOOO I’m not kidding when I say I live on cream in the colder months. This is nothing fancy but it’s good! It hydrates my skin and doesn’t have a strong scent. The best part is I can probably get a large bottle for about $8.00! I’m purchasing this again!

So that’s what I used up in October. Nothing really wowed me that I’m running to repurchase but I’m glad a lot of these items have been used up!

What is in your empties stash for October?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Kat Von D 10 Year Anniversary Palette: Palette Collection Review Series

May 31, 2018May 30, 2018 littlebeautyloves13 Comments

I may not wear them all the time, but I’m drawn to colourful eyeshadows. When I saw Kat Von D’s new 10 Year Anniversary Palette in the Just Arrived section of Sephora I just knew I wanted it for my collection! I’ve been playing with this for the last few weeks and I wanted to share my thoughts. I know this is a limited edition palette but it’s currently still available on Sephora.com.

What it is

16 bold, blendable shades in honour of the brand’s 10th Anniversary. In honour of this milestone, Kat hand-picked a special selection of shades inspired by and named after 16 of her muses—people of all backgrounds, ages, genders, and skin tones—representing the many faces of Kat Von D Beauty. (Sephora.com)

Price

$62.00 CAD (0.96 oz/27.2 g). Compared to the Sinner and Saint holiday palette, which I reviewed back in November (you can read it here) this palette is $20 less for the same amount of product. This breaks down to $2.28/gram.

Packaging

This is my favourite packaging so far from Kat Von D Beauty. The palette is compact with a beautifully hand-drawn image on the front. I love the gold colour of the package. I do wish the colour name was on the front but you can see them on the back. It also has a nice large mirror on the inside.

Colour

Each of the colours is beautiful and bright. I enjoy the addition of neutral and everyday shades that can be used to build up the colour eyeshadows in the palette or worn on their own. I think this is probably the best colour arrangement for me and I would probably use this solely if I was to travel because I would have everything I need in one palette. Compared to the Sinner and Saint Palette, I think these ones are much richer. When swatching, lala and carolyn are not as pigmented, but they do apply better on the eyes.

Application & Wear

I wore two different looks in the photos below but each one was super easy to put together. There is little fallout for the mattes and the colour payoff is fantastic! Not all the colours swatch as well, but on the eyes, I thought it looked really nice (which is really what matters). I was worried that a lot of the colours were similar to the Sinner and Saint Palette but after I compared the two I did find they were different, with no two shades being alike. Not to say there aren’t reds, blues, oranges and purples in both palettes but I think the ones in the Anniversary palette are a much more vibrant, and better laid out in the palette. I find I can make more cohesive looks with this palette without thinking too hard about it.

One thing I noticed is that when I first used the metallic shades I had a lot of fallout and I mean half the shadow was on my face! To remedy this I tried using Mac Fix+ which did help but I found they were best applied with my Too Faced Glitter Glue underneath. That’s something I didn’t experience as much in the Sinner and Saint Palette.

I wore these for evenings out and each time they latest and looked very good after a few hours. I did wear primer which I know helped with longevity.

My Looks

The Breakdown

Pros

good pigmentation
compact packaging
good colour arrangement

Cons

pricey
metallic shadows need a glitter glue

My Thoughts

I am so happy to have this palette in my collection. If you wanted a palette that could be a go-to for everything, this might be it! From everyday shades to fun and colourful ones, for me, this is a perfect palette for me to take on vacation.

I also picked up the Tattoo liner in the anniversary packaging because I thought it was super cute. I’ve reviewed this liner before which you can read here but I really love it and use it all the time.

Let me know if you’ve purchased this palette and your thoughts!

Lots of love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, January 2018

January 31, 2018January 30, 2018 littlebeautyloves6 Comments

The first month of 2018 is done! Woot! Usually I feel like the months go by quickly but this time around it has felt like a good pace. The last few weeks have been spent hanging out with friends on a weekly basis which is great, my weekends have been filled with coffee dates! I’m also really excited because Feb. 1 is my birthday so I have a fun-filled week/weekend planned for that too! I’m really looking forward to February!

Skincare

MUJI Foam Face Wash for Sensitive Skin. I did a mini-review of this as part of my Summer Night Time Routine. I really enjoyed this cleanser but the more I used it the more I felt like it would irritate around my eyes, contrary to my original review. I don’t have sensitive eyes but it wasn’t very pleasant. I still enjoyed it for the rest of my face. I will not be repurchasing this.

Buff Her House of Exfoliation Vanilla Almond Crumbles. I shared this in my November 2017 Favourites from the Boxes. I loved mixing this in with my cleansers. I used a bit more than half the jar but unfortunately, it doesn’t smell as good anymore so I’m just going to toss it.

Olay Prox Exfoliating Cleanser. This came with my Olay Facial Cleansing Brush as a deluxe sample. I’ve included a link here if you wanted to know what I’m talking about. I used this cleanser a few times before moving on to other ones. I actually prefer to use the Olay Brush with my foam cleansers. This product is not empty but it’s been expired for about 6 months when I found it in my bathroom so I’ve decided to toss it. I won’t be repurchasing this.

Vichy Mineral 89 Sample. I loved the consistency of this serum. It’s gel-like (very similar to Benefit’s Instant Come Back serum) and it was super hydrating. I got about 3 uses out of this sample. I’ve been making a point to go through a lot of my samples and deluxe size items so I have a lot of other serums to get through before I can decide if I want to invest in a full size.

Inglot Milk & Tonic Makeup Remover Wipes. I shared this in an Haul I did back in September. I thought this was OK. It works fine if you don’t wear too much makeup but I was hoping that it would be better for eye makeup and mascara removal. It wasn’t. I won’t be repurchasing this.

Makeup

Benefit Gimme Brow. I prefer this tiny sample because it lasts me about 3 months, the perfect amount of time before the product dries up! I already have a new sample open for use (in the newer Benefit packaging).

Benefit They’re Real Tinted Primer. I shared a review of this item way back on the blog here. I noted that I really liked it but it wouldn’t be something I would go out and buy. Well, this particular tube was a gift BUT I enjoyed this so much I did end up repurchasing it! It’sperfect for when I am doing a minimalistic look!

Beauty Blender. It was time to throw this one out. I have replaced it with the Beauty Blender Pro (the black one) which I’m curious about how much different it works compared to the pink one.

Body Care

Coppertone Clearly Sheer Sunscreen. There isn’t a sunscreen that I enjoy using more than this one. I was introduced to this through Beauty Blogger Network when they sent this to me to try but since then I’ve been repurchasing it on my own. I’ve gone into detail on my thoughts here.

A Girl’s Gotta Spa Energizing Citrus Body Lotion. I enjoyed this product so much! It’s great for my dry skin and I really loved the scent. You can read my review here. I will be repurchasing this.

HairCare

L’Oreal Ever Fresh Balancing System Sample. I was curious about this hair wash system that I requested a sample from the L’Oreal website when it was available online (I’ve signed up for SampleSource.ca which notifies you whenever a brand is giving out samples – just a great way to test out new products). A hairstylist friend of mine once suggested I use my exfoliating body wash to really deep clean my scalp and this totally reminds me of that. The first step is to use a micro-exfoliant to scrub your scalp then follow it with the shampoo and conditioner. I thought this was great. I probably would repurchase just the exfoliating scrub because I love my own shampoos.

Alterra Caviar CC Cream 10 in 1. I got this as a deluxe sample from Sephora. I really love this brand and I did enjoy this cream until I compared it to my Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10 BB Cream, you can see my review on the blog. These products actually claim to do the same thing except Pantene is way cheaper! I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing it.

These were all the items I was able to use up for the month! What items have you used up?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Favourites from the Boxes, January 2018

January 29, 2018January 22, 2018 littlebeautyloves9 Comments

I wanted to share some items from my subscription boxes that I have been enjoying lately. It’s always fun to discover some great items!

Luxie Brushes 221T and 227T
Received in BoxyCharm November 2017

I enjoy the quad of brushes received but these two are my favourites of the bunch. The Blender Brush (227T) is great because it’s fluffy and flat so it’s great for blending in the crease. The style is similar to the Sigma E25/MAC 217 although it’s a lot fluffier. I like that I can use it as a shader brush or a blending brush.

I really enjoy the flat definer brush (221T) for applying shadow to my upper and lower lash line. It’s very flat so it creates a precise line.

The best part about both these brushes is that the handles are small. This makes them easier for me to hold and travel with. I really love them and use them all the time!

bareMinerals Translucent Powder Duo
Received in BoxyCharm July 2017

I enjoy using the matte side for those rare occasions that I set my undereye but I’ve included this duo in my favourites because of the glow side.

This gives just a hint of luminosity with fine glitter that my skin looks dewy when I apply it all over. Another thing I will do if I don’t apply this all over my face is to swipe it on the tops of my cheeks before I add highlighter just to give it that extra oomph.

Benefit Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer in No.1
Received in Topbox July 2017

This gives decent coverage under the eyes and I enjoy mixing it with other concealers. I also love putting this on my lid before primer to cancel out the darkness and veins around my eyes and give me a base for my eyeshadows.

It’s creamy and blends nicely around the eyes. I had originally likened it to the Becca under eye concealer but this one is not as sticky or shiny. I actually like this formula way better in comparison. My only drawback is that this is in a jar but I understand that this type of formula would not work in a tube.

There you have it! Items I have been testing, using and loving from my boxes. If you get subscription boxes, what items have been standing out to you?

Have you tried any of the items I’ve listed above? What are your thoughts?

Lots of Love,
Dal

littlebeautyloves

I like Makeup and I blog about it!

Tag: beauty review

Five Eye Brushes I use A Lot!

Quo Eye Shadow Smudger Brush

Sephora Pro Featherweight Crease Brush

Artdeco Blending Brush

Inglot Large Eyeshadow Brush, 28 PO (I think?)

Luxie 111 Mini Flat Angled Brush

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Favourites from the Boxes, January 2018