December 2013: Ipsy Bag

I finally received my Ipsy Bag in the mail yesterday. All the products are centered around the celebration theme. Everything came in a black patent leather bag, which is quite nice and chic. 

I kind of liked this months bag for the most part except one product i.e. the bombshell stick. 

Pop Beauty Eye Shadow Trio in Naturally Bare: I am glad that I got this neutral trio instead of the smokey one. I am not a huge fan of the giant floral design on the compact. Actually, I find the Pop Beauty packaging quite gaudy in general and this trio isn't any exception. All three colors are shimmery and have decent pigmentation. However, the darkest shade is disappointing because it took several swipes to build up the swatch. Since I have it so I'll use it but these days even drugstore eye shadows have raised their bar so I have no desire to repurchase or to try other versions of this line.However, it is a full sized trio so I am glad I got to try it. 

NYX Lipstick in B52: I love NYX lip products and own several lipstick shades from this line. I always wanted to get this shade so I am glad I got it in this bag. It is a beautiful deep mauve shade that is very smooth and creamy. 

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush: This has to be the worst product out of all this month. It goes on very unevenly and feels somewhat crumbly. It is packed with lots of gold glitter and the color blends into nothing leaving specks of glitter all over the place. Usually, I try to utilize everything I have but this is something that will go straight in the trash. 

Nicka K New York Nail Polish: This has to be one of the most beautiful nail polish bottle I own that deserves to sit on the vanity. The polish itself is a gorgeous deep red shade but has very strong pungent smell like those of cheap polishes. Also, unfortunately it doesn't have a name on it. Nonetheless, I am glad I got it because I absolutely love the bottle and the coppery bronze lid. 

Demeter Snow Roll On Perfume Oil: Firstly, I am really happy that it is an actual usable roll on tube rather than the tiny sample. Secondly, I really like the soft scent. I know it may sound odd but the scent makes me feel somewhat nostalgic, it takes me a few years back but I don't clearly remember when and where? I have been continuously sniffing it so that I can recall something and calm down my curiosity but it is not helping :(. 

Overall, I really liked this bag for the size and variety of products. The only thing that is not even worth trying is the Be a Bombshell stick, other than that, I feel everything else is usable. 

Are you a subscriber? What did you get this month?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

NOTD: Deep Berry & Sparkly Rose Gold

This past week, we finally got the first snow of the season in Toronto and to celebrate that I pulled out my deep dark nail polishes. I love using glitters along with dark colors as they not only add a dimension to the look but also accentuates the dark tones. 

I absolutely love this berry and rose gold combination, and as always I used the colored polish under the glitter to tie up everything together. Also, it aids in the glitter removal later. 

The colors that I used are Maybelline Express Finish in Berry Fancy (2 coats) and Julep Nail Color in Jane (1coat). I really liked this line of Maybelline polishes but unfortunately, it has been discontinued. However, you can use any dark berry color. The Julep nail polish is a full coverage rose gold glitter which goes on opaque in just one coat. However, unfortunately Julep glitter polishes get somewhat goopy in the tube after a while. 

The Julep polish is on sale in a set for $14.99 right now along with three other glitter polishes. So, if you are interested then I would highly recommend you to pick it up now. 

How do you spice up your regular manicure?

Thank you for taking to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Purminerals Bare It All Collection + Benefit Hoola Bronzer Dupe

 A few weeks ago I was browsing through the makeup section of Shoppers Drug Mart and came across this Purminerals Bare It All kit. I always pass by Purminerals but never actually thought of trying it but this kit seemed to be a perfect option to get an idea of a couple of their makeup items. However, I didn't buy it instantly because  it retails for around $36+taxes and the packaging felt somewhat cheap. But when I came home I kept thinking about it so I went to the Purminerals website and was completely shocked to find the same kit for just $25. Thus, I picked it up with another skincare kit that I'll review after trying it for a couple of days. 

One great thing that I noticed about Purminerals website is that they constantly have promotions going on so you will never have to pay the listed price. In addition, this brand is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada and Ulta in United States, but due to the price difference I would recommend Canadian beauties to shop online.

The Bare It All kit includes a black felt tip eyeliner, shea butter lipstick, contour/highlight powder duo and mineral blush. 

Pure Black Precision Eyeliner: This is an average felt tip black eyeliner. The tip is easy to maneuver and the color is nice and deep but not very long lasting.

Contour/Highlighter Powder Duo in Uncover: First of all, the packaging is sleek but very cheap and plasticy type that is prone to breakage. There is a full round mirror and no wastage of space for extra applicators. The highlighter is a very finely milled beautiful pinkish champagne shade that provides the most gorgeous glow without any shimmer. The contour shade is a true soft brown shade, which is actually not that pigmented but very very close to Benefit Hoola bronzer (I'll post a new comparison picture soon as I lost the original one). Overall, I really like this product except the plastic lid. 

Mineral Blush in Peep Show: I own a lot of blushes but this has to be the most stunning pink blush in my collection. I fell in love with it the moment I used it for the first time. It does not have any shimmer but a beautiful glowy sheen to it which gives a healthy flush to the cheeks. However, I do not like the lid part as it a blank plastic piece that doesn't have a smooth finish or a mirror. Nonetheless, I would definitely like to try some more colors from this line. 

Shea Butter Lipstick in Au Naturel : This is a browny mauve lipstick. It isn't the most pigmented or intense lipstick but is quite moisturizing and feels somewhat like a balm.  However, it doesn't even last for an hour straight. Also, just like other products the lid is very cheaply made. 

Overall, I absolutely love the contour/highlight duo and the mineral blush, but don't really care about the eyeliner and the lipstick. So, if Purminerals comes out with another similar kit I would buy it for just those two products. 

Have you tried Purminerals? What are some of your favorite products from the line?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

November 2013: Ipsy Bag

I received my Ipsy Bag today in the mail and this month's theme is Glam it Up so there are a fair amount of shiny and bronzy products. I felt that this bag was more summer appropriate than fall, especially  because of the bronzer and the orange lip balm. Also, this month there are six samples instead of usual five, but I found the outer bag to be overly gaudy and tacky looking. 

Tresemme Tres Two Spray: I have heard a lot of things about this spray and always wanted to try it so I am really excited that I received it this month. 

Nailtini Lacquer in Champagne: I love this brand of nail polish, it is nicely pigmented and doesn't get streaky. Also, I am glad that I received this bronzey shade instead of the silver one. 

Star Looks Gem Pencil in Topaz

Star Looks Gem Pencil in Topaz: A month or two ago, Ipsy sent the black version of this pencil and I didn't like it at all. This time they sent  the color topaz, which is a sparkly silver shade and is kind of too much for me. Even though it is super creamy and soft but it doesn't last at all. 

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched: Pixi is a high end drugstore brand which can be found at Target. I was really excited about this product but it is way too light for my skin tone. However, it can be used as a subtle highlight because of the pink undertones. 

Em Pillow Plush Balm in Creamsicle; Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Hot Damn

Em Pillow Plush Lip Balm in Creamsicle: I think this is the extra sixth sample this month. I found this balm to be very similar to L'Oreal Hip Studio balms minus the tackiness. It has a very pleasant sweet candy smell but this particular color is way too sheer to show up on my dark pigmented lips. It is a good product but I would never ever spend $15 for a lip balm. Also, I am a hygiene freak so I do not like to repeatedly stick my finger in the product. 

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Hot Damn: I am a huge fan of lip crayons and jumbo lip pencils so I really like this product. The color appears corally red in the picture but is actually a pink based red with tiny sparkles. Also, it leaves a stain behind thus increasing its lasting power. 

I really liked some products from this month's bag so it was a hit for me. Usually, the bags with nail polish and lip products are my favorite and this month Ipsy had both. 

Have you received your Ipsy bag? Did you like it or not?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!