concealer roundup

Under eye circles were never an issue for me until a few years back. I guess those late nights and lack of sleep during my university years has finally caught up. Fast forward to 2015 and I now have a roundup of concealers ready to be reviewed. I prefer a medium to heavy coverage concealer that glides on creamy and lasts without creasing.

Left to Right: Bobbi Brown, MAC, Bare Minerals, Clinique, Nars, Urban Decay

First up is the one that I'm sure you have all heard of - the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. This one really does have a smooth and creamy texture and is the one I reach for most often. I have repurchased this countless of times and will continue to do so. Without a setting powder this will crease, so I highly recommend pairing this with something like the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder.
rating: 9.5/10

The Urban Decay Naked Concealer has the same coverage as Nars but is less creamy and more light weight. It also creases less than the Nars concealer which I like (especially when I forget to use setting powder)! The colour selection is limited but if you are lucky enough to match perfectly with one, I think you'll enjoy this product quite a bit!
rating: 8.5/10

I picked up the Clinque Line Smoothing Concealer on a whim and am happy to have added this to my growing collection. Being one of the most affordable concealers in my rotation, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this concealer didn't dry nor crease after a long day. However, it has the same disadvantage as the UD one - lack of colour selection.
rating: 7.5/10

Next up is the Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener which is one of the sheerest under eye products that I own. It really does brighten and illuminate the under eye area, however, I pair this with a heavier concealer as I feel it's more on the sheer side as opposed to medium coverage.
rating: 7/10

MAC Select Cover Up Concealer needs a corrector underneath to do any justice. It's super watery but covers well enough for those days that you just need a touch of concealer. I tend to use this more in the summer as I find it applies more on the sheer side than heavy. I would probably reach for this more if it had an applicator and not just a squeeze tube.
rating: 6/10

Finally, the corrector of all correctors - Bobbi Brown Corrector. I adore this product and cannot believe I have ever lived without it. When the struggle is real, Bobbi Brown is here. Literally an instant and noticeable difference. When used with my creamy concealers I look super refreshed. A little goes a long way. No complaints about this product! Love, love, love!
rating: 10/10

Fresh Beauty: Sugar Lip Party

I have always loved the understated packaging of Fresh Beauty. Thanks to their skincare line, they have gained a huge following worldwide. Last year, I picked up a few products from their soy line which unfortunately, made my skin dry and caused break outs. Skincare aside, I have also heard amazing things about their lip line so when the sephora sale came up,  I couldn't resist picking up one of their many lip sets. It also didn't help that their holiday packaging is the cutest ever!
I love this little gift set which includes 4 mini tinted lip balms and 1 sugar lip scrub because it gives me the chance to sample multiple products without breaking the bank. This mini set retails for $45 cdn while their normal sized lip balms retail for $26 cdn each.

The Breakdown:
4 x sugar lip balms in the colours ruby, cherry, berry and fig
1 x sugar lip polish

Top to Bottom: Ruby, Cherry, Berry, Fig

What can I say - I absolutely love the formula of these balms! They're so moisturizing and keeps my lips hydrated all day long. They are surprisingly long lasting too! I do prefer some tints over others though. For example, the ruby tint has been my go to since I picked up this set, while fig is a bit to shimmery for my preference. These balms are also scented according to their names which some people may like. Personally, I prefer my lip products to have no scent.

I feel like I'll be using these a lot in the upcoming months as my lips tend to become super dry during the winter. I'm happy that I gave this brand a second chance! It has given me hope that my lips will be able to survive another cold, Canadian winter without dryness or cracking.

Bourjois: Healthy Mix Serum Foundation | Review

 Bourjois was created in a Parisian apartment by Joseph-Albert Ponsin in 1863 and by the 20th century was acquired by the same owners as Chanel.
I have known about this brand for awhile now, thanks to my obsession of watching my two favourite UK youtube makeup gurus (estee lalonde and viviannadoesmakeup)! This foundation has always been highly recommended by makeup fanatics across the ocean, however, it was virtually impossible to locate in Canada - until now. Select shoppers drug marts have started to carry this brand. Although this is sold at drug stores, the price tag is a tad higher than other brands like L'oreal and Revlon. The Healthy Mix Serum Foundation was priced at $29 cdn.

The Healthy Mix Serum Foundation
Claims to glide smoothly onto skin giving it a natural finish with no mask effect. It also states that it will boost skin radiance for up to 16 hours.
The jar is made of glass and has a pump which is always a plus. The consistency is gel based and glides on wonderfully. It has a fairly strong floral scent which I quite like. The only con is that the colour option is extremely limited as it includes only six different shades. I picked up number 53 light beige and it seems to match me well.
I have had issues in the past with gel formulas making my combination skin look super greasy/oily. I found that using my sigma flat kabuki brush gave me a more medium coverage than when I tried it with a beauty blender. Using the beauty blender with a gel formula will give you a more sheer coverage.

before (L), after makeup (R)

The Verdict:
Based on my past experiences with gel products, I admittedly was a bit worried trying this out as I absolutely dislike that greasy/oily feel on my face. I was hoping to find a lighter weight foundation to use on a daily basis that would give me a hydrated, healthy glow and was happy that I found just that with this product. It evened out my skin tone and covered up my blemishes well. After wearing this for 5 hours, I did have to retouch my t-zone with powder, however, my normally dry areas remained super hydrated with no visible signs of dryness.

I will definitely be using this as my new go to "no makeup" makeup foundation. Add a touch of concealer, mascara and fresh lip balm and I'll be ready to head out the door!

Holiday Gift Guide

There are times where I swear Sephora has a magnetic field that pulls me in whenever I get too close! It doesn't help that this month Sephora had their VIB(rouge) sale. This year the VIB rouge sale was held between Nov 6th-9th while VIB members had their sale this past weekend. Each sale had a 20% coupon code, the only difference was that the rouge members had "first access" (sale began the weekend before the VIB members). Please check back later this week to see what I picked up during the rouge sale event!

Sephora generally holds two sales per calendar year and if you're like me, you wait for the 20% discount to restock on old products, purchase a few new products and pick up some cute gifts for the upcoming holiday season. As the holidays approach, sephora does a great job introducing limited edition sets and affordable packaged gifts ready to be wrapped up for friends and loved ones. 

If you have a makeup lover on your list this year or need an affordable stocking stuffer, keep reading!

1. Lolita Lip Duo by Kat Vond D ($23.50 cdn) 

This set includes two coveted mini liquid lipsticks in the colours Lolita I and Lolita II. The full size lipsticks are hard to come by in Canada currently. The consistency is creamy, matte and long lasting. Lolita I is a dusty mauve colour suitable for all skin types, while Lolita II is a bit on the burnt orange spectrum. 

Lolita II (left), Lolita I (right)

2. Glow On the Go by Becca ($24.00 cdn)

A travel friendly version of the popular Opal highlighter by becca. This set is absolutely amazing because it has both the liquid and pressed form. Illuminate all skin types with this perfecting duo. A little goes a long way! 

3. Melted French Kisses by Too Faced ($32.00 cdn)

An adorably packaged limited edition set with four liquid lipsticks in the colours Chihuahua, Berry, Metallic Peony and Metallic Macaron. A Parisian inspired set with a variety of velvety long lasting lip colours that range from nudes to reds. I absolutely adore Metallic Peony. 

Holiday packages are great because they usually include a variety of mini colours or items from one brand that you may not necessarily want to splurge on their full sized equivalent. The products in these three gifts are not only highly raved and talked about, but are also long lasting and amazing quality. A prefect introduction to brands or a filler for those christmas stockings!