New Light Coverage Bases in My Stash

November 18, 2019November 16, 2019 littlebeautyloves5 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

November 11, 2019November 10, 2019 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!

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.

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.

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.

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

November 5, 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

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.

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.

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

Project Pan Monthly: September Roundup & October Items

October 16, 2019October 15, 2019 littlebeautyloves2 Comments

So I totally wrote up this post last week and then just forgot to come back and actually post it! haha! Anyways…!!! We are on to a new month and another set of products for my Project Pan Monthly! I have been enjoying wearing a lighter foundation and keeping my makeup very minimal. By using products that were lighter coverage I used the items in my Project Pan for September 26/31 days! Since I’m not wearing a heavy foundation or a lot of eye shadow I was wearing a lot of my project pan items on the weekend as well. I’m excited about the items I chose for October. You can see them below!

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

Project Pan Monthly

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.)

September Round-Up

I enjoyed using my Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes palette! I created so many simple looks with it. I would put one of the lighter shades over my lids (peach meringue or peaches and cream) then take the mid-tone shades (just peachy or fresh-picked) and apply that into my crease. I then took any of the shades in the last column and applied them into my lash line to make a quick smoky liner. It was so easy but with these types of colours, it just makes the look a little more fun!

To ensure I got good use of my Guerlain Lip Balm I put it in my purse so I would apply it whenever my lips needed a little hydration. With the weather all over the place, my lips have started to feel dry. Having the lip balm with me all the time just meant that I never forgot to wear it and I was using it all the time. I absolutely love this balm!

I used my Garnier BB Cream so much in September. I love it because the texture is whipped which made applying this with my fingers super quick. For my everyday look, I would just dot some concealer under my eyes and in areas of my face I needed extra coverage and call it a day on my foundation routine. It was perfect for just apply and go!

I kept my Nest Cocoa Woods Perfume on my beauty counter so every morning when I got ready I would make sure I didn’t forget to apply this. I ended up using about 1/4 of the bottle which I think is pretty good. I’m impressed that it’s lasting so long and really loved the scent!

My October Items

For this month I chose;

One Eyeshadow Palette – Smashbox Cover Shot Minimalist Palette
One Lip Item – Guerlain Hydrating & Plumping Lip Balm
One Face Item – BECCA Backlight Priming Filter Face Primer
One Random Item – Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer

I was tempted to choose my Alyssa Edwards x Anastasia Beverly Hills Palette for the month of October but then I figured I would keep it for December when I might be more tempted to do fun eye shadow looks for holiday time. So instead I picked up my Smashbox Cover Shot Palette in minimalist since the colours are very everyday and well, minimalist. I don’t use this palette too much so I figured why not!

I also figured why not just transfer my Guerlain Lip Balm into October as well since it’s great for my lips and adds a bit of colour. I’m also enjoying this for every day and I think it’ll look great with the eye shadow palette I chose.

I figured that since I’m keeping my foundation simple I could add the BECCA primer for just a touch of glow. I also thought it was about time I used up my Maybelline concealer. I have a few concealers that are open at the same time so I wanted to focus on using up one of them in October.

This time around I figured I’d take a before shot so that I can actually see what a difference a month of use makes on these products. Here’s hoping we can actually see a difference when I take after shots.

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

Lots of Love,
Dal

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

Unboxing BoxyCharm, August 2019

August 26, 2019August 26, 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 “totally”. It feels like a nod to the ’90s for me.

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Becca’s Hydra Mist & Refresher Powder
MSRP: $39.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20195

This powder sets and refreshes makeup. It creates a mist-like sensation on the skin because it’s 50 percent water and glycerin. I’m actually really excited to try this powder because I’m really hoping it’ll work on my dry skin.

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminating Oil
MSRP: $42.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20192

This is a beauty elixir that is formulated to deeply nourish and prime the skin before makeup and to refresh while on-the-go. It has age-defying oils helps to restore skin’s moisture barrier while you a youthful glow. I’m interested in this primer/oil type of product and look forward to testing it out!

Tarte Cosmetics Big Ego Mascara
MSRP: $23.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20196

This is an ultra-black, vegan mascara that lifts your lashes and delivers a fully-loaded flutter for up to 16 hours. I’ve tried multiple mascaras from Tarte including the Tartiest Lash Paint Mascara and the Lights, Camera, Splashes Mascara that I absolutely love them. This had really good reviews on BoxyCharm website so I’ve got high hopes that it’ll give me a lot of volume.

Ace Beute Glimmer Shadow Duo in Cotton Candy and Iced Latte
MSRP: $25.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20194

These are described as high pigmented shadows with a creamy texture. They provide bold colour in one swipe without fallout, creasing or fading. I think the shades are really pretty but I was turned off by the packaging because it just looks like makeup I would get at Claire’s. Either way, it’s the product that counts so I’ll see how they work!

Steve Laurant Lip Liner in Uptown
MSRP: $15.00 US

BoxyCharmAugust20193

This lip liner matches closely to the colour of my lips which will allow me to re-shape, re-size & re-define my pout like it’s described it will do and last up to 7 hours. I really like more natural lip liners so I’m happy to have one that isn’t a red or pink tone. I am actually really excited to give this a try!

My Thoughts

This month’s box has a lot of great items that I’m looking forward to trying especially since the face products are made for dry skin. I’m excited about the lip liner and the mascara as well since they are products I use quite a bit.

Total Value: $144.00 US ($191.86 CAD)

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What did you enjoy from your box?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: July Roundup & August Items

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019 littlebeautyloves2 Comments

I have been keeping my makeup extremely minimal in July since it was a pretty warm month. There were some items in my July Project Pan that I used so much and then there were some items that I hardly touched at all! I think it’s partly because I didn’t anticipate it being as warm so I was really not in the mood to wear a lot of makeup that would melt off. I’ll break it down more in my July Roundup below. All in all, I used my items about 24/31 days.

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

Project Pan Monthly

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.)

July Roundup

Let’s start with the eye makeup items I chose for this month. It was so easy for me to use the three Nudestix products I have in the photo above because they were great as one and done shadows or applying two for a slightly more done up look. The bronze tones were prefect on my slightly tanned skin and went with a lot of my summer outfits.

When it came to the lip item, I used Pulse the most this month. I also used it quite a bit as a blush because it was a nice natural shade on me. As much as I wanted to use the dirty little secret lip liner it just wasn’t something that I was reaching for at all! I think it’s mostly because I was happy with Pulse on it’s own so I always forgot to add lip liner.

Now, as much as I thought the Clinique Powder was going to work perfectly for me in the summer, it just didn’t work on my dry skin. It actually made me feel really dry and itchy and I didn’t like that at all. Even though it was very warm my skin remained super dehydrated so this got immediately tossed to the side in my project pan. I’m tempted to toss this out only because having my skin feel itchy after applying it made me a little nervous about using it.

My August Items

This month I’ve chosen;

One Eyeshadow Palette – Smashbox CoverShot Palette in Ablaze (reviewed here)
One Lip Item – Laritzy Cosmetics Lip Stix in Wafer
One Face Item – Yves Rocher Flawless Skin Foundation
One Random Item – Sephora Blush in Apricot Sheen

I thought I’d stick with a warm palette for August as an ode to summer! I know warm toned orange/red/gold palettes like Ablaze are not as popular as they were two years ago but I still love these colours so I’m sure I’d get good use out of it. (If you want to see the inside of the palette, check out the link here since it seems I totally didn’t upload the photo of the open palette for this post). Same goes for the Sephora blush I’ve included for this month. I bought this blush on sale and I don’t think Sephora carries it anymore but it’s a gorgeous warm blush with little flecks of golden sparkle. It looks really pretty and dewy on and I think with the eye shadow palette it’ll look really good.

For this month’s lip item I decided to include the Laritzy Lip Stix I received in my Topbox. I enjoy the texture of this lip crayon. It’s very smooth and hydrating and the colour is a beautiful nude which will also work with a lot of the looks I want to create using the Ablaze palette. I’ve included my Yves Rocher Foundation since the colour is a bit darker which is working for my complexion now. I mostly use it around my eyes and the centre of my face for a very light amount of coverage.

Here’s hoping I get good use out of these items for August! I have already used these this 3 times since the start of the month so that’s really good so far!

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

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, Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! Exfoliator

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 littlebeautylovesLeave a comment

A few weeks ago I shared a review of the First Aid Beauty cleanser that I have been enjoying as my gentle daily cleanser. You can read it here. I mentioned that every few days or so I also use an exfoliating cleanser for a deep cleanse and today I’m going to be sharing that review. Currently, I’ve been using Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten-Up Exfoliator.

Vasanti Cosmetics reached out to me back in April to try out their Vasanti Brighten-Up Trio and I was very excited to test them out. I had used other items from Vasanti before and I’m always happy to support Canadian brands. I’ve been using the product ever since receiving them two months ago.

What It Is

An exfoliator with micro-crystals. This papaya and aloe enriched exfoliator will remove dead skin, reveal a radiant complexion and fight common skin concerns like dull skin, dark spots, acne scars, wrinkles & more. (vasanticosmetics.com)

Price

$29.00 CAD (70g) I use a very small pea-sized amount of this product so I think it’ll last me a while.

Application

I took this on vacation with me to use with the moisturizer and serum booster (more on them in a little bit). I still used an everyday cleanser but every third evening or so I would use this to wash my face. I lathered a pea-sized amount between my hands and gently massaged this over my face. Since this has micro crystals I always ensured that I was gently applying this. I also found that the more water I used to dilute the product the better it worked on my skin. More water helped to loosen the formula and convert the dense cleanser into a soft and liquid cream which helped glide the crystals over my face.

The texture of the crystals is very fine and sand like but if you aren’t careful I can definitely imagine it irritating the skin because the crystals are very gritty. This is also why I used it every few days rather than every day. I have always loved physical exfoliators but if you don’t then this product is definitely not for you. I also don’t think it would be good for sensitive skin. I don’t have sensitive skin, but I was still very careful with how I applied this product. Since I mostly use physical exfoliating cleansers, it’s how I’ve always been with those types of products.

I mostly focused around my nose since that’s where I find my skin needs the most attention. I would then massage this over my forehead and chin and spread whatever remained over my cheeks. I find that starting from the middle of my face and moving outwards is the best cleansing method for me.

Since this is a physical exfoliant, I always made sure I thoroughly rinsed my skin. Nothing is worse than putting on moisturizer with leftover crystals (ouch!). After rinsing my skin I applied the Boosting Serum and then the Moisturizer.

After a couple weeks, I started to notice a difference in my skin. It wasn’t as dull and looked a lot more clear. My nose area especially was clear. I usually have a hard time reducing the appearance of blackheads on my nose, but this really helped to diminish their appearance. My skin felt really soft and I found that it was much smoother. I hardly break out in the first place but it just felt like my skin was looking a lot more vibrant.

Glow-Boosting Serum and Amplify Moisturizer

While using the Brighten-Up Exfoliator I also made sure that I was testing out the Glow-Boosting Serum and Amplify Moisturizer, all are part of the Brighten-Up line. I think that the combination of the three really made a difference on my skin so I wanted to talk about them as well as they are part of my skin care routine.

Glow-Boosting Serum

The serum is supposed to help give you glowy skin. After cleansing, I would shake the bottle to the oil and serum together and place one or two drops on my hands and massage it over my skin. It has Arbutin which has anti-oxidant and anti-ageing ingredients to help reduce dark spots and shadows. It also has Abyssinian oil to hydrate the skin and aloe vera to soothe the skin. For my dry skin, this serum is a dream because it’s pretty moisturizing. Sometimes I just wear this and it’s enough for me. Serums that I’ve used in the past can be more gel-like so they quickly dry onto my skin but I don’t feel like they do much. This guy, however, leaves me feeling moisturized all day. It’s a pretty thick serum.

Amplify Moisturizer

I really like this as an everyday moisturizer and I use it with both my everyday cleanser as well as the Vasanti Exfoliator. This is infused with aloe, vitamin C, and arbutin from bearberry leaves to keep your skin hydrated and protected. It’s very light-weight too which is why I enjoy this for every day. Even during the day if my skin is feeling extra dry I will apply this to re-hydrate it. Since it’s really thin I don’t feel like I’m wearing a lot of products if I then add my sunscreen over it. It works very well on top of the Glow-Boosting Serum, so I do enjoy wearing these two products together.

My Thoughts

Since I love physical exfoliators I know that I’m probably going to repurchase this product myself when the time comes. I feel like I see a difference in my skin and I like that this has been working really well for me.

Have you tried this product? Do you use physical exfoliators?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: June Roundup & July Items

July 4, 2019July 1, 2019 littlebeautyloves3 Comments

Another month, another monthly project pan to discuss on the blog today! I feel like I was consistent with all my products in June not just with one or two of them as I find I have been the last few months. I even got good use out of my lip product which I’m so happy about. I break down my usage below, but I used my products about 27/30 days!

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

Project Pan Monthly

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.)

June Round-Up

Starting with the eye products I chose for June. In the warmer months, I love keeping my makeup really simple and quick and the Lid Lingerie and Jumbo Eye Pencils from NYX were perfect for that. I would usually just pick one colour and sweep it over the lid, add a black or brown eyeliner, mascara and then be out the door. They lasted really long on me too which is great during a hot day. I rediscovered how much I love these products and got really good use out of them this month.

For June, I opted to use this IBY Contour and Highlight Palette because it had been a while since I used it. I did share this in one of the Favourites from the Boxes Post but since then I stored it in my makeup box and only used it once in a while so it felt really good to bring this palette back out and use it again. You can tell that the pans are still full which is just because this is pretty pigmented and I didn’t need a lot to highlight or contour my face. I also used these as eye shadow which was great for days I wanted a more matte look. I used this every single time I wore makeup in June which is pretty awesome.

You can’t really tell that any of this VS Body spray was used, but I have made it up to where it says “love me” on the packaging. I sprayed 3-4 sprits every morning during June and I think I brought the bottle down about 10-15 mL. Perfumes and body sprays do take a bit longer to use up, but I’ll continue to use this and hopefully re-introduce it another month in my Project Pan this year.

The biggest surprise to me is how often I ended up using the Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL Lip Plumping Gloss! I actually used this everyday, and sometimes a few times a day! You can’t tell because, but I think I got through 1/4 of the product! I had no idea I would enjoy plumping lip gloss as much as I did. I kept this in my purse and used it a lot! I really like it.

My July Items

This month I’ve chosen;

One Eyeshadow Palette – Nudestix Jetsetter Nude(Art)ist Box Eye Crayons (reviewed here)
One Lip Item – Jetsetter Nude(Art)ist Box Lip Crayons & Dirty Little Secret Lip Pencil
One Face Item – Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Makeup Powder
One Random Item – Using the Jetsetter Box as a highlight, eyeliner and blush

This month I wanted to do something a little different. Since my Jetsetter Palette is full of items that I can create a full-face with I figured I would focus on using it. I also wanted to continue my theme of cream makeup since I enjoy wearing that more in the summer months.

I’ve raved about Nudestix before, whether on my Instagram or here on the blog so I figured I would dedicate a month to using their products. Instead of an eyeshadow palette, I’m going to use the above eyesticks to create eye looks with. Plus, as part of my random item, I can use Gilt as a highlighter on my cheeks.

I’m going to attempt to incorporate three lip items this month into my Project Pan Monthly. I found myself using lip liner a lot the last time I included it in a project pan so I’ve got a new one for this month. I can also use the Lip crayons from Nudestix on my cheeks, I hope I can get more use out of them by doing that.

The last item I’m including in my Project Pan is this Powder from Clinique. I think they’ve since updated the packaging, so this is clearly in need of some good usage. Now, I usually keep my dry skin away from powders but with July generally hot and humid I think it’s the perfect time to use this on my face. I wore this the other day I really enjoyed how it looked on my face and how long it lasted.

How is your progress been for Project Pan this month? Have you noticed a difference in your products?

Lots of Love,
Dal

littlebeautyloves

I like Makeup and I blog about it!

Tag: Canadian Blogger

New Light Coverage Bases in My Stash

Project Pan Monthly: October Roundup & November Items

Project Pan Monthly

October Round-Up

My November Items

Bye Bye Empties, October 2019

Skincare & Makeup

Hair, Body, Misc.

Project Pan Monthly: September Roundup & October Items

Project Pan Monthly

September Round-Up

My October Items

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

Unboxing BoxyCharm, August 2019

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Project Pan Monthly: July Roundup & August Items

Project Pan Monthly

July Roundup

My August Items

Bye Bye Empties, July 2019

Skincare

Haircare

Makeup

Review, Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! Exfoliator

Project Pan Monthly: June Roundup & July Items

Project Pan Monthly

June Round-Up

My July Items