MY GO TO MAKEUP BRUSHES

Good Morning babes!

Since I have been creating more IGTV videos on Instagram, (you can follow me here) I have been getting a lot of questions on what makeup brushes I use and which brands I would recommend. 

I thought it would be a great idea to write a blog post about it and share what brand of brushes I use and how I use each one. Although, when purchasing a brush for a specific job (for example, blush brush to apply blush) there is no rule that you "have" to use that brush for blush. If you can be creative and think outside of the box, you can use a "blush" brush for many different makeup applications. You can definitely save a lot of money if you buy brushes that you know you can use for other applications.

Sephora Collection Contouring Brush Kit

I love this brush kit from Sephora. The quality of the brushes are amazing and I haven't experienced any shedding with these either which is a major plus. I use this kit on a daily basis.

From Left to Right:

- The first one is for applying bronzer

- The second one is for applying highlight (MY FAVE)

- The third one is for contouring

- The fourth one is for applying blush

Sigma Beauty Brushes

Left Brush /  Middle Brush  /  Right Brush

Sigma Beauty was one of the first brands of brushes I had ever bought when I started thinking about makeup brushes. I had watched several YouTube videos with beauty guru's using this brand and raving about the quality of the brushes. They definitely were right. The quality is outstanding for the price and I have had the same brushes for seven years. 

From Left to Right:

- The first brush is for applying powder/cream eyeshadow

- The second one is for applying colour in the crease of the eye. It's also great for blending out harsh edges. 

- The third one is for applying bronzer. I typically use this brush the most for bronzer and have shown how I used it in my IGTV video's on Instagram. 

Miscellaneous Brushes

It Cosmetics  /  Real Techniques  /  MAC Brush  /  Beautyblender 

I use these brushes and Beautyblender for different reasons and that is why I put them all under "miscellaneous." 

Top to Bottom:

- The It Cosmetics double ended foundation brush

I use the bigger brush side for applying foundation (I use it when I haven't cleaned my Beautyblender in a while) and the smaller end I use to apply concealer or I will use it to add a setting powder under the eyes.

- The Real Techniques Blush Brush

I do use this to apply blush but because the brush is so big, I also love to use it to add powder all over the face or for an all around bronze with my bronzer powder.

- MAC Brush

I like to use this brush for applying a powder eyeliner on the top and bottom lash line and I like to use it to define the outer corner when creating a smokey eye and bringing that colour into the crease as well.

- Beautyblender

Not only is the Beautyblender great for applying foundation and under eye concealer but it's also great for applying cream bronzers, blushes and highlighters as well as powdering and setting the under eyes, T-Zone, chin area and much more.

I also got a question on Instagram on which cleaner I use to clean my Beautyblender. I use the Liquid Blendercleanser and found it works the best. I did used to use baby shampoo before I purchased the actual cleanser but I found it wasn't cleaning it properly and it still had makeup left on the sponge. 

SEPHORA SPRING BONUS EVENT

Hey Loves,

It's that time of year!! SEPHORA'S SPRING BONUS EVENT!
It starts today April 20th- April 23rd for all beauty insider members.

If you follow me on Instagram, I mentioned that I would be creating this Sephora haul for all of you and what products I love and use that I would recommend you all looking into and the products I have in my shopping cart.

This is a great sale to take advantage and stock up on items at a discounted price.
VIB MEMBERS 15% OFF SITE WIDE
&
BEAUTY INSIDER MEMBERS 10% OFF SITE WIDE


MY MAKEUP RECOMMENDATIONS

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
IT Cosmetics CC + Cream Foundation
Fresh Sugar Lip Tint Tulip
Flawless Fusion Ultra Long Wear Concealer
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol. III Palette
Light's Camera Flashes Mascara


SKIN CARE RECOMMENDATIONS

Foreo Luna Mini 2
Tatcha Cleansing Oil
Olehenriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream
Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense SPF 30
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream 


WHAT IS IN MY SHOPPING CART

I have been wanting this primer for some time.
It's 100% Cruelty Free and it's gives a healthy pretty glow before your foundation.

Becca First Light Priming Filter 

Tarte Cosmetics is one of my favourite beauty lines.  

They just released these H20 Lip Glosses and they are 

enriched with Vitamin C and Algae and Marine Plant Extract

Tarte H20 Lip Gloss

When it comes to skin care, I am all about using natural and skin benefiting ingredients on my skin. I can always trust Drunk Elephant with my skin care and this Vitamin C eye cream has been on my radar. 

Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream 

RESTOCKING THESE ITEMS

You know I love this mascara and it never lets me down. No clumps or flakes and gives amazing volume! 

It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara 

My holy grail foundation and one that I cannot live without!

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Foundation SPF 50

This Lippe Balm has saved my lips all 

winter long and always keeps my lips hydrated, especially when wearing bold lip colours. 

This balm is a must! 

Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm

Happy Shopping!!

What are you all going to get?

ULTA'S 21 DAYS OF AMAZING BEAUTY DEALS

Every year, Ulta has this amazing 21 Days of Beauty sale which consists of great deals certain brands that are up to 50% off. Each day a few new items go on sale for that day only. So if there is something you see that you need or want, you better place that item in your cart and press checkout because the next day it will be back up to regular price. 

This is a great time to stock up on products that you have been wanting to try or even to stock up your current beauty collection of products you already use so that you are good to go without worrying to purchase it later at regular price. The items above are some that are already on markdown.

Here are a few other beauty favourites to keep an eye out for when they go live in the upcoming days:

March 28th: Love this Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner.

March 29th: Benefit Roller Lash Super Curling Mascara.

March 31st: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil (This is one of my favourite products to fill in my brows) and the Mario Badescu products.

April 5th- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (This stuff works amazing, No creases ever!)

April 6th- Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer.

April 7th: MAC Prep + Prime Fix + (You all know I love this product and I wrote a whole review on it on my blog) You can read all about it here. 

MAC PREP + PRIME FIX +

Hey Everyone!

I want to share a beauty product that I fell in love with all over again. Before I tell you why this product is a "new fave" in my beauty routine, I have have used this product on and off throughout the years until I recently discovered why it had to be back in my life again.

Over the last two years, I have really sat down and examined my skin on exactly what skin type I really have and purchase products based on my skin's needs and what I want out of my skin. I love hydrated skin (I mean, who doesn't?) and dewy skin is my absolute favourite on myself and on others. I can't stand a complete makeup look with a matte finish with no luminosity to it. Please don't get me wrong, I love the look on other people and it can look absolutely beautiful but on myself I just don't like it.

{FYI... I have normal to combination skin}

Which now brings me to MAC Prep + Prime Fix + 

I know this isn't a new product on the market but did you know there are a lot of skin benefiting ingredients in it? It's not just your average "finishing spray" but you can use this anytime of day whether you have makeup on or not as a "skin refresher."  I am really careful on what I put on my skin and I find myself reading the ingredients on all products before deciding whether I want to purchase it or not. 

If you are someone that has oily skin and doesn't like a luminous/dewy finish then you may not want to use this as a "finishing spray" but instead, spritz your face a few times before putting your foundation or primer on. This will allow you to get the skin benefiting ingredients on first before adding your makeup.

If you are like me and you love a dewy makeup look, this will deliver just that. Trust me when I say it won't look greasy because it wont but your face will have a natural glow to it. You know sometimes when your finished putting your makeup on and your face looks a little powdery? Well, spritz a few sprays of this on your face and it will be gone for good!

I like to use it two ways! Once my makeup is finished I hold the bottle about 12" away from my face {while keeping my eyes and mouth closed} I spritz this all over my face and my neck. Open your eyes as soon as your done and let it dry. This wont take long..

The other way I like to use this is before my makeup and throughout the day for a quick refresher and to wake myself up a little bit. It's nice to do it at work to give some freshness back into your skin and I love to use it after working out as well until I can get home to wash my face.

The smell of this Fix + is very mild but refreshing and quite nice.

Here are the skin benefiting ingredients:

- Cucumber Extract (Soothing, hydrating and depuffing)
- Chamomilla Extraxt (Great for calming the skin)
- Camellia Leaf Extract (Green Tea Extract)

- Caffeine 

- Arginine (Helps improve circulation)

There are new Mac Prep + Prime Fix + scents also. I haven't tried them yet but the rose sounds appealing and it's very hydrating.

Coconut, Rose & Lavender

WAYS TO USE COCONUT OIL IN YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE

Over the years, I have been using coconut oil for a lot of my go to beauty routines. I never thought that I would be resorting to one product that would meet a lot of needs in just one jar. It's 100% natural, free from chemicals, it's antibacterial and loaded with vitamins.

1. Hair Mask

It all started when the health of my hair was at it's worse. I was so desperate that I was trying every deep conditioner there was but it just wasn't cutting it. Coconut oil was my last resort and boy did I wish I had used it sooner. If you have been following me for some time you would know that I had went brunette (always being a blonde) and just couldn't get over the fact that every time I looked into the mirror, I never recognized myself. With that being said, I went back to the hair salon and had blonde put back in and that's when my hair went for the worst. My hair was super dry and my hair was breaking like you wouldn't believe. That's when I started to use coconut oil in my hair on a weekly basis for two months and my hair was 70% better than it was when I had first started. Now it's been five years and my hair is back blonde and healthy again. Amen!

{Apply it to dry or damp hair, put your hair in a top knot and go to bed or put your hair in this satin beanie so that the heat from your head will help the oil to penetrate better into your hair follicles. This will also help to keep your pillow case oil free}.

Now that my hair is healthier, I still like to do a hair mask once or twice a week...

2. Make-up Remover

I use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup (specifically mascara) almost every night whenever I am not using a different type of makeup remover. It is extremely gentle on the eyes and the mascara just melts off your lashes. Don't worry if you can't get all the oil off when you are done, rumour has it that coconut oil helps with lash growth.

{Apply a small amount to each eye. With your eyes closed, gently swipe downward and work the oil into the lash line while swiping it out to the tips of your lashes. Cleanse face when finished}

3. Face Mask
Using coconut oil as a face mask is one of my favourite things to do in my beauty routine at least once a week. Coconut oil is more hydrating than most moisturizers on the market and not to mention, it has a natural antibacterial and anti fungal benefits to it which will help with breakouts.

{After cleansing and toning your face, apply a thin layer all over your face, including around the eyes and lips. Leave it and go to bed. If you are not one to go to bed with a mask on your face then leave it on as long as you can before rinsing it off}.

4. Nails/Hands
Another favourite way to use coconut oil is using it on my hands, nails and cuticles. When my hands are at it's driest, especially during the winter months, I treat my hands in coconut oil and put silk gloves on afterwards for better absorption. I wear these gloves to bed or when I am lounging around the house and don't want to transfer the oils onto furniture and clothing.

DRUNK ELEPHANT REVIEW

Hey lovelies,

For the past few weeks, I have been using a couple of different products and wanted to share my thoughts and opinions with all of you. 

Now that fall and winter is just around the corner, I wanted to find a moisturizer and a lip balm that was going to be hydrating enough to with stand the dry weather and something that has skin benefiting ingredients. I did my research and I ended up choosing the Drunk Elephant LALA Retro Whipped Cream and the Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm. 

I had heard so many great things about Drunk Elephant that I wanted to venture out and try some of their products to see for myself what the amazing "fuss" was all about. 

So, after using these two products for about two weeks now I can finally understand why so many people are in love with this line. Not only is this line completely vegan, it is also cruelty free and are jam packed with some amazing rare African oils that has huge skin benefiting properties.

I also truly love that Drunk Elephant is a brand supporter for IEF (International Elephant Foundation). How amazing is that?

This whipped cream is absolutely what I was looking for. It it extremely hydrating (does not leave your skin greasy at all) leaving your face feeling like silk. I can't even describe to you how great it feels on your skin. You will just have to try it for yourself..

I like the air sealed packaging and the fact that no bacterial will ever form. You simply press down on the top (looks like a button) and the cream comes out from the sealed tight hole on top.

What you want to know:

- It is formulated without any Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates

- Fragrance free

- Silicone free

What skin type can use this?

All skin types. Yes, even oily skin

 What it's doing for your skin:

- Hydrating

- Helps with loss of firmness and elasticity

- Targets fine lines and wrinkles

- Improving skins brightness

What's in it?

- A blend of six rare African oils

- Plantain extract 

- Antioxidant rich fermented green tea

This Lippe Balm is probably the best and beneficial hydrating lip product that I have ever used. I have tried many different brands in the past and they only made my lips feel even more dry than they were prior. The Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm is none addicting and doesn't promote dryness. This means, your lips aren't relying on the product all the time. I use it once in the morning and before bed or use it only when your lips are dry and when they aren't, you don't have to use it. 

 What you want to know:

- It is formulated without any Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates

- Fragrance free

- Silicone free

- Non-toxic

- Free from other harmful ingredients that can cause other health problems.

What's in it?

- A blend of Avacado, Mongongo, Cranberry and Marula oil. 

- Shea Butter

- Sea Fern Algae

Benefits:

- Hydrating

- Restores collagen 

- Plumpness

This post was not sponsored. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

HOW TO GET GLOWING SKIN IN JUST MINUTES

Hey lovelies,

I wanted to share a quick beauty post on how to get an "All- Over Glow" within minutes. Glowing skin isn't just for the summer months, it's really nice to have glowing skin all year round as long as it looks natural. This quick and easy beauty routine will literally take you just 5 minutes to do.
5 products= 5 minutes

Step 1: Start with applying this tinted moisturizer all over your face. This tinted moisturizer is actually unisex, so even your man can use this as well. This product evens out your skin while leaving a natural glow finish.

Step 2: Apply the Posie Tint Stain to your cheeks and lips.

Step 3: Apply this bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks, along your hair line and a little dusting on your nose.

Step 4: Apply this highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose and above your cupids bow (above the lips).

Step 5: Apply this cream illuminating eyeshadow all over each lid and even bringing it up to your brow bone. This gives the perfect amount of natural sheen to your lids and with your favourite mascara, your eyes will just pop.

Product Details:

BAREMINERALS EYE BRIGHTNER WELL RESTED REVIEW

Hello lovelies,

So, each and everyday I struggle with under eye circles and discolouration no matter how much sleep I get and water I drink. Some days are worse than others but the problem is always there. Luckily, I don't have "dark" circles but I do have a slight pink/purple discolouration that is sometimes hard to cover up. 

I am currently using the Bareminerals Bareskin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer in the shade "fair" for under my eyes and I love this concealer so much. It brightens the under eyes and gives the perfect full coverage but throughout the day it does tend to wear off and I can start to see my discolouration coming through again.

I am not really one for wearing powder to set my makeup as I find it can sometimes look cakey or even accentuate my dry areas so I just go without and suck it up, until I started using the Bareminerals SPF 20 Eye Brightener Concealer (powder) in Well- Rested.

Let me just say, this powder has been a serious life changer!

How I put it on:

I put on my Bareskin serum concealer and then I take the smallest amount of the brightening powder on this brush and lightly sweep the brush from the inner corner of the eye all the way to the outer corner.

Tip: I really like to add more of the brightening powder to the inner corner of the eye to brighten up the shadow area that most of us have. It makes a world of a difference.

On those real tough day's, I will use this as my all over eye shadow combined with having it under my eyes as well. I kid you not, this combination gives your eyes the perfect amount of natural brightness that people will literally think you have had 15 hours of sleep. 

I know this product has been out for a while and I really can't tell you why I haven't tried this sooner. I mean, I have seen countless YouTube reviews on this in the past and totally ignored the fact that this could have been my holy grail product. Well, I finally caved and tried it and this product will be a keeper for sure!

If you use and love this product you can totally relate and agree with me that this brightening powder really does what it says it's suppose to do. This "off white" illuminating powder gives the perfect finish while leaving your under eyes bright, smooth and "well- rested" looking all day long. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, xo!!

MY QUICK 5 MINUTE BEAUTY ROUTINE

Like most of us girls, our mornings can be really busy, we over slept and didn't have time to do a full makeup look like we would like to or, it is just one of those days when we feel like wearing minimal makeup but of course we still want to look put together.

We are all in the same boat which brings me to my Quick 5 Minute Beauty Routine. I thought I would share what products I use and when I say it only takes me 5 mintues to do, I really mean it.

Product Details:
1. Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturizer
2. BareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation *Bare Linen*
3. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush *Luminous Flush*
4. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
5. BareMinerals Prime Time Brightening Eyelid Primer
6. Urban Decay Eyeshadow *Polyester Bride*
7. Lancome Mascara
8. YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick *Pink in Paris*


I was once and still can be one of those girls that like to take my time putting on my makeup but lets get real here, I would have to give myself plenty of time before hand and sometimes that is just not happening in my books lol. I guess you can say, I have learned some quick tricks and certain beauty products that can speed up the process.


1. Applying a quick moisturizer is always key to any makeup look. I like to use the Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisurizer as its light weight but still giving you enough moisture.

2. I really love the BareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation because it is so easy and quick to apply and not to mention it is buildable.

3. This Hourglass Ambient Lighting blush is absolutely beautiful and I actually use this blush for any makeup look. It gives you a gorgeous flush to the cheeks with a bit of highlight {2 in 1 is always the way to go}.

4. The Charlotte Tilbury Bronzer/Glow is another quick way to add some bronze and glow to the skin as it is a duo set which makes life much easier {less packaging is key}.

5. BareMinerals Prime Time Brightening Eyelid Primer is very simply and quick to apply and you definitely want to keep that eye makeup in place.

6. When doing quick eye makeup looks, I always tend to use the Urban Decay Eyeshadow in the colour "Polyester Bride." It gives enough colour and it also gives a nice natural sheen to the lids.

7. I always resort to the Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara for any makeup look.

8. I finish everything off with YSL Volupte Shine Lipstick in "Pink in Paris."


Thank you so much for stopping by, xo!!

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TWO FOUNDATIONS | TARTE FOUNDATION | BAREMINERALS FOUNDATION

When it comes to foundations, we all know it's really hard to find one that matches your skin tone perfectly and that is a keeper in the makeup bag for months and years on end. We all strive to find a foundation that gives you the finish you are looking for, doesn't break you out, scent free, not too drying nor too oily, long lasting, the perfect amount of coverage and having an SPF would be a bonus am I right?

That is why I wanted to do a beauty post for all of you and give you a little review on each of these foundations and why I still love them so much that I won't change my foundation routine.

TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15

My shade is "Light Sand"

I have been using Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Foundation for over two and a half years now and there is a big reason why. Hence the name "Amazonian Clay" this foundation was designed for all skin types, not just for oily skin. Whether you have dry, oily or combination skin, this foundation adjusts to your skin type which makes it long wearing up to 12 hours. It helps to reduce the appearance of pores, discolouration and gives an overall all smooth full coverage. It is buildable, so if you are not always wanting a full coverage look, you definitely have the option and it is super blendable which gives a natural look.

I tend to wear this foundation a little more during the summer months, depending on what I am doing. I find that because it does have clay in the formulation, it tends to soak up any excess oil that accumulates throughout the day without breaking me out. If I am going to the gym, I will also wear this foundation as well. During the winter months, I do wear this foundation quite a bit because I love the overall finish it gives my skin, especially when my face is a little more red due to the cooler Canadian temperatures, it gives me that extra coverage.

It is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates
- Oil


BAREMINERALS bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation SPF 20 
"Readers Choice Award Winner for Allure Magazine"
My Shade is "Bare Linen"

I have been using bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation SPF 20 for over a year and a half and has been my go to foundation in my current beauty routine. This foundation has a lighter {thinner} consistency than the Tarte foundation which makes it buildable if needed. It gives a beautiful "glowy" natural finish to the skin which makes it look like you are not even wearing any foundation {it is seriously a-m-a-z-i-n-g and I am not over exaggerating here}, it's legit. It gives the skin a brighter overall finish without having to add any extra highlight with a cream or powder highlighting product.

There really isn't a specific season that I like to wear this foundation the most, as it works amazing all year round. It is formulated for all skin types but if your skin is a little dryer, I would definitely recommend this foundation. It adds moisture to the skin and gives a dewy overall look which is great for dry skin. I love to wear this foundation in the winter due to the fact that my skin is on the dryer side and gives me the right amount of moisture along with my daily moisturizer. When it comes to spring and summer, I always tend to grab for the bareMinerals as it is a lighter consistency and especially when I want a lighter natural coverage.

It is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Oil
- Silicone
- Fragrance


Thank you so much for stopping by, xo!!

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TOP 10 LONG WEARING LIPSTICKS

Ok girls. Now a days, we want a lipstick/ lipgloss that has long staying power, that we don't have to keep re-applying throughout the day and also having no worries about applying a lip product more than once or twice a day. Right?
 

I have rounded up 10 long wearing lipsticks that you will want to have and keep in your bag at all times, whether its a bold colour or a nude lip.
 

M·A·C  Pro- Longwear Lip Crème

It's a creamy/ moisturizing formula that has a soft sheen.
 

Buy it here

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

Highly pigmented lipstick with long lasting power

Buy it here

Yves Saint Laurent Lipstain

It's opaque like a lipstick, shiny like a lipgloss and has lasting power like a lipstain

Buy it here

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

Hence the name "lip tar" this gives long staying power without stickiness

Buy it here

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Has a smooth consistency with staying power

Buy it here

Benefit Cosmetics Poisietint Lip Stain

Kiss proof and smudge proof lip/cheek stain

Buy it here

Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Lip Gloss

Intense long lasting staying power with high gloss

Buy it here

 Too Faced Melted Liquefied Long Wear Lipstick

The shine of a gloss and lasting power of a stain and pigmented of a lipstick all in one

Buy it here

Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain

Delivers intense colour without stickiness

Buy it here

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick

Long wearing lipstick with shine

Buy it here

 To remove long wearing shades:

Apply Vaseline or baby oil to the lips, letting it sit for just a few minutes. This will slowly breakdown the "stain" formula, making it much easier to remove rather than continuously rubbing your lips raw.

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