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

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 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

Unboxing BoxyCharm, May 2019

May 20, 2019May 19, 2019 littlebeautyloves4 Comments

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

First off, Happy Victoria Day to my fellow Canadians!

Boxycharm is a monthly subscription box of full-size makeup, skincare and beauty tools. The theme for this month is “Make Waves”. I am getting so excited with this summer themed boxes, I can’t wait for the weather to get warmer! It has still been pretty cold and rainy in Toronto! Come on SUMMER!!!

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Glamglow GentleBubble Cleanser
MSRP: $28.00 US

I was super excited when I saw this was in my BoxyCharm. This gel cleanser is made for all skin types and is vegan. It has oat amino acids, apple extract, vitamin E and green tea extract. I think the packaging is really fun and I love that it’s a large size tube! I’m pretty impressed! I love GlamGlow masks so I’m really excited to give this a try.

Alamar Colorette Blushe Trio
MSRP: $22.00 US

This is a pretty blush trio and if it’s anything like the Alamar eyeshadow powder it is probably a good formula. This is described as highly pigmented & completely vegan formula to deliver a sun-kissed flush.

I think the colours are really pretty, I’m most excited for Paraiso since I love pink but Scorcher could be a fun golden summer shade for me too. I got the fair-light palette which is perfect for me. BoxyCharm was also including the medium/tan and dark/rich palette in other variations of this box.

Ciate London Eye Lustre Creme Eyeshadow
MSRP: $22.00 US

This is a pretty cream eye shadow. I saw a review of this and it looks to be a lot sheerer than it is in the package. I actually prefer to try something sheerer since I have more glittery shadows for when I really want to wear a dramatic eye look. I think it’ll look really pretty over my lids and I look forward to wearing it every day.

Dose of Colors
MSRP: $18.00 US

I’ve never tried anything from Dose of Colors but I’ve been curious to especially since a lot of YouTubers I follow have collaborated with this brand. This is a liquid matte lipstick with long-wearing colour. Reading the description, this applies liquid but dries down to a comfortable matte finish. The colour is pretty bright for my liking but I would try the formula and who knows, it might become my summer colour!

Mellow Brow Definer
MSRP: $18.00 US

I’m happy to get a new eyebrow product. I’m always open to trying new ones and I like ones similar to the Mellow style which are thicker pencil-like eyebrow applicators. This one is great because it has a triangular tip and a spooly on the other end.

My Thoughts

This is such a great box! I like all the items in it and am really excited to start using. I’m most excited for the Brow Definer and the Glamglow cleanser.

Total Value: $108 US ($147 CAD)

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What is in your box?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, April 2019

May 9, 2019May 8, 2019 littlebeautyloves8 Comments

Soooo….. This is being posted later than I usually upload my empties but I was away at the end of April and I’ve been in vacation mode even after I got back! haha!

April was such a fun month for me. Earlier in the month, I travelled to Quebec to my favourite spa for a super relaxing weekend and at the end of the month, I took a trip to Jamaica for an unplugged week in the beautiful sun! If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen photos and stories of my time there. April was all about shifting the focus onto myself and just hitting reset. I have more fun planned for May so I’m just excited to have this year rolling!

What are your personal highlights from April?

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.

Body Care

Bath & Body Works Forever Sunshine Shower Gel. I love summer scents from Bath & Body Works so this one is definitely a favourite of mine. These body washes lather up so nicely and are great for cleansing the skin. I am on a no-buy BUT I think I’m going to need body wash soon which is perfect timing for me to get new B&BW shower gels in summer scents!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50. I used this up on my trip to Jamaica and let me say that it is amazing! I wish it came in a large tube because it really is all I need for the summer. The gel formula blends into my skin quickly and left me hydrated without that greasy feel that I usually experience with sunscreen. It also has a pleasant scent which I greatly enjoy. I think I have another half-full bottle of this that I can use up. I currently have enough sunscreens for this year that I won’t need to purchase a new one but I would repurchase this and totally recommend it if you have dry skin like me.

Aveda Hand Relief Moisturizing Creme. This is a good hand cream, especially if you like them a little bit thicker like I do. It’s a sample size tube so I can easily carry it with me in the winter months to apply on the go. I used this a lot during the last few months and I was impressed by how long this lasted. I have a lot of hand creams so I won’t be repurchasing this.

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum. This is a really hydrating serum. Sometimes, I would apply just this product and skip moisturizer because it’s that good. It has a concentration of the Vichy Thermal Spa Water and hyaluronic acid which is perfect for my dry skin. I would repurchase this.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Again, I’ve used up another one of these cleansers. It’s one of my favourite every-day cleansers that is so gentle on my skin but super effective at clearing it of makeup and impurities. I think I have another one to use up but right now I have other cleansers that I’m enjoying and need to use up before I open another one. I would definitely repurchase this.

L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Cleansing Scrub. I always keep a daily cleanser and scrub available for use on my vanity because I love to alternate between to two so that I can ensure every few days I give my skin a deep skin but also give it a break by using products without exfoliators. This one from L’Oreal is great because it has large granules and glycolic acid. I would repurchase this.

Haircare

Novex Bamboo Sprout Leave-In Conditioner. I got this in my November 2016 Topbox which is a pretty long time to be holding on to a product. I got four uses out of this product because I was really trying to use it up. I thought it was alright, it doesn’t leave my hair has silky soft and hydrated as other Leave In Conditioners I’ve tried so I won’t be purchasing this.

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray. Thanks to BoxyCharm and Ipsy, I’ve been able to build a nice little collection of Briogeo products and I’m not mad at that. I love their products! What I really love about a leave-in spray verse a cream like the Novex one is that I can use this AFTER I get out of the shower. What I do is apply this to my hair when it’s damp and then style it. Even when I don’t style my hair I like applying this because it really rehydrates my hair. I would repurchase this.

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs Daisy. If you want my thoughts on this you can read my review here. I still have a full-size of this so I won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon, but I always love having a fresh scent like this around.

Gucci Gucci Premier. I love these little samples because then I get to test out a scent and they are so perfect for travelling. I brought this and my sample of Daisy above to my trip to Jamaica and they were perfect sizes for a one-week trip. This scent is sweet but still has a very fresh element. It has top notes of orange blossom (I love this scent) and Bergamot. I had never tried it before but I really love the smell so I would definitely repurchase.

~~~

Compared to last month, I used up more items which I’m really happy with. It’s mostly due to me taking a lot of the items above on vacation so I ended up only using those items whereas at home I’m always using different things! haha!

What items have you used up for April?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Unboxing BoxyCharm, April 2019

April 18, 2019April 17, 2019 littlebeautyloves11 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 “Peace, Love & Boxy”. The theme is very in-line with Coachella and summer festivals.

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

PUR Cosmetics Complexion Authority Festival Palette
MSRP: $36.00 US

This is a limited edition 12 pan pressed pigment palette. It’s full of really pretty colours and although I would totally use this myself because I like the PUR formula I’m going to save this to gift to someone else. I’ve included a photo from the PUR website of all the shades in the palette.

The palette is cruelty-free and is infused with skin-loving ingredients such as ginseng, green tea and vitamin B.

Luxie The Summer Daze 3 pc Brush Set
MSRP: $28.00 US

I love the packaging these brushes came in and I also like how the barrel is a bright pink that fades into a gold. From top to bottom in my photo above, the 512 small contouring brush is to sculpt and define your cheekbones (I actually thought this might work well as a blush brush), the 245 small shader brush to brush on shadow, and the 209 large shader brush to pat on and blend out an eye look. I always enjoy receiving new brushes!

Artist Couture Diamond Glow Powder in Purple Dream
MSRP: $27.00 US

This is an all-natural, vegan and cruelty-free powder. When I read the shade name I was worried it was actually going to be purple but it’s a pretty peach with a slight purple shift.

I didn’t want to open this because loose powder can be messy but you can see through the packaging the peachy-purple glow.

Appeal Cosmetics Holographic Lip Gloss
MSRP: $21.00 US

I’m not the biggest fan of glitter lip gloss so I wasn’t the most excited to receive this. I will pass this along to a friend that I think will like it. This gloss works well on its own or on top of another lipstick.

Bodyography Eye Pencil in Bali Bronze
MSRP: $14.00 US

I am soooo happy I received this in my box. The formula is really creamy and glides on seamlessly. I love the shade and think it will look really nice for the summer when I want to wear something that is less intense. This can be worn as liner or smudge to create a smokey eye look.

My Thoughts

All in all, this is a really good box. A few of the items will be saved as gifts for friends and family which is great because I love having items at the ready for gifts. I am excited to use the eye pencil and the brush set.

Total Value: $126.00 US ($168.28 CAD)

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What is in your box?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Project Pan Monthly: April 2019 & March Update

April 4, 2019April 3, 2019 littlebeautyloves11 Comments

I found it really easy to use up a lot of my Project Pan items in March. I think it’s mostly because I picked products that I really enjoy using. In total, I used the items in my Project Pan 22/31 days.

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

Project Pan Monthly

Each month I chose 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 a mascara, liner, skin care, body care, fragrance, etc.)

March Progress

Jacklyn Hill x Morphe Palette (reviewed here). I really enjoyed wearing this palette because I had a lot of colours to choose from. I would use a matte skin colour from my Tarte Palette over my eyes but everything else I used only this palette. I’ve highlighted the colours I used most often in the photo below. I have little dents in those pans which I’m pretty excited about!

Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Watermelon. I kept this in my coat pocket to encourage myself to wear this more often. I think I used it about 10 days out of the month which is pretty good for me. I like the bright colour and thought it really complimented a lot of the eye looks I created in March. I don’t think I made too much of a dent in this.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh Makeup (reviewed here). I got through about 1/3rd of this foundation which isn’t bad. This is a staple item that I used everytime I wore makeup so it was easy to use up a decent amount this month. It’s a foundation that I like but am not completely in love with, so I’m happy that I’ve been using it up. I kind of want to use it up and clear it from my stash!

Ciate London Bamboo Bronzer (reviewed here). Now this is a product I made some progress with! I actually hit pan! woohoo! I wore this every single time I put on makeup so I feel like it was really easy to get good use out of it. Plus, bronzer is a product I use all over my face, down my neck and chest so it’s not hard to use it up.

My April Items

This month I’ve chosen;

One Eyeshadow Palette – Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Palette (reviewed here)
One Lip Item – Bite Beauty Lip Pencil in 020 Beige Nude
One Face Item – Ciate London Bamboo Bronzer (reviewed here)
One Random Item – Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother

I figured I would keep my Ciate Bronzer in the Project Pan for April in hopes I can use up more of the product and maybe completely use it up.

I also wanted to try using up a lip liner this month and see if I’m more consistant with that compared to lipstick. So far, I feel like it’s something I’m reaching for when I apply makeup. Here’s hoping I get to a point where I need to sharpen the Bite lip liner a few times.

The Shiseido Ibuki Smoother is an interesting product because it’s more like a primer you put on after your makeup. I hardly use this product so I’m hoping I can use it up during this project pan month.

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

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

Unboxing BoxyCharm, May 2019

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Bye Bye Empties, April 2019

Body Care

Haircare

Fragrance

Unboxing BoxyCharm, April 2019

PRICES ARE IN USD, CONVERTED TO CAD AT THE END

Project Pan Monthly: April 2019 & March Update

Project Pan Monthly

March Progress

My April Items