August 2015 Favorites


My favorite this month are quite minimal compared to most other months here on Miranda Loves, I must have to say. This month I've just focused on the basics and thought that I should share them with you:

1. First Aid Beauty - Ultra Repair Cream
This is my go-to hand cream as you can see from the tube it's almost done. I keep this on a constant supply in my purse and in my home. It is lightweight but super hydrating. It keeps my uber dry and scaley legs at bay and in the colder months, its the only thing that works on my eczema prone knuckles. You must try this! There's no added scents or parabens - LOVE LOVE LOVE!

2. Smashbox - Pore Minimizing Primer
For those of you who like the Benefit Porefessional Primer, you'll love this. I have always loved this 100% more only b/c it has a less greasy/wet like texture. This one quickly dries to a powder consistency and effectively covers my enlarged pores on my cheeks near my nose and keeps my oily nose at bay - better than the Too Faced Primed and Poreless. LOVE! :) And, this one - a little goes a long way, seriously.

3. Sephora - Bright Future Gel serum Concealer (No. 11)
Let's just say I replaced both my Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer and Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer with this ;) LOVE!

4. Inglot - Cream Blush - 82
Perfect dusty rose colored blush :) gives you that flushed look..

5. MAC Shadow - Coquette --> I use it for my brows
This is my go-to brow filler product. It's grey toned, not red at all, so it looks super natural on my brows.

6. Marcelle - Curling and lengthening mascara
I have thin and short lashes so finding a good mascara for me, that will help me make my curl last as well as lengthen them is a process. This has been quite the amazing mascara for my short lashes. The only thing i'd have to say is .. be careful of the bristles. They are quite hard and spikey. I accidentally poked myself in the eye once. super ouch.

7. Sephora - Pro Airbrush Foundation Brush
This brush is in its old packaging as I bought it many years ago - however, the quality of the brush and the application of it is spot on. I use this to buff on any liquid foundation I have and the soft bristles gives me a light and airbrushed finish.

8. Sephora - Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush
The brush I have is the old packaging - I bought it about I want to say 7-8 years ago? It's been my holy grail concealer brush since and I haven't found anything to replace it. It's perfect to blend out any liquid concealers you have.

9. MAC - small stipple brush
This brush is perfect for cream blush. Before this brush, I was always skeptical of using my fingers to apply the blush because it'd be too uneven or blotchy. However, with this brush now, it distributes the perfect amount each time. One dab, into the blush and I'm able to blend it out perfectly and continue to build color if required.

10. Make Up Forever - Metal Palette
amazing value for $16! It holds all of my Makeup Geek and MAC eyeshadows/blushes.




Look at how much my palette holds! :) LOVE! now that I have everything consolidated in one palette, its much easier for me to use my shadows!

What have been some of your favorites this month? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time - XO, M.



Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation Review


For those of you who checked out my Makeup Monday post ft. Make Up Forever Products, you'd see that as promised, my review of the new Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation has arrived :)

On Sephora, the claims for the product are as follows:
What it does:
Developed specifically for the film and TV industry's most advanced technology, Ultra HD Liquid Foundation creates a naturally flawless complexion—on and off camera. Completely invisible under the latest, super-focused 4k lens, this revolutionary foundation features uniquely-coated pigments that provide medium-to-buildable coverage with an even lighter weight, second-skin texture that looks just like skin. This lighter weight formula delivers the very same flawless results as before when applied with a flat foundation brush in a tap and stretch motion (see How to Use tab).

Long lasting with a natural-looking finish, Ultra HD Liquid Foundation is formulated with hyaluronic spheres to ensure comfortable wear on all skin types. Now available in an expanded range of 40 shades to match all skintones, it’s the perfect everyday foundation for a flawless complexion—and an unretouched life. With this shade range, you might find a better match to your skintone than before. 

Please bare in mind that I had never used the original formulation before so my review is strictly on this specific foundation.

PRO's:
- Loved the formulation - ultra light weight and had a very natural skin like finish. Seriously, I didn't look too matte, or dewy - it just looked like my skin but better.
- Buildable coverage
- Big color range so compared to many other companies, the likelihood of you being able to find a shade that matches you is higher. My exact shade, which matches me perfectly is 123 = Y365 Desert.
- Photographs beautifully
- Weightless on your skin, doesn't feel cakey or heavy especially at the end of the day.
- Didn't break me out.

CON's:
There's really only one -  My friend and i both decided to try this foundation out together. She had oily skin, and I had combo skin (oily t-zone). She had a horrible time making it last through the day as she got oily fairly quickly (before noon) and she likes the fuller coverage, last all day matte coverage. On me, I found that my nose got oily midday which kind of bugged me a bit - I had to powder it. To battle this, I used it with the mattifying MUFE primer sample I got at Sephora only on my nose, and that helped significantly.

For those of you girls who have:
- drier to normal skin, you'd love this.
- combo skin - you will like it.
- oily skin who loves full coverage - make sure you prime your face with a mattifying or oil free primer first.

Sephora actually has a very informative "how to use" section regarding this product.
Suggested Usage:
Choose your primer to create the perfect canvas for smoother, more even and longer-lasting foundation. 
-Select the Step 1: Skin Equalizer that matches your skin concern. 
-Normal skin: Apply to hydrate the entire complexion 
-Oily skin: Apply so you mattify only the areas where shine develops quickly. (Use a very small amount that's the size of a grain of rice.) 
-Dry skin: Apply on the entire complexion 
-Enlarged pores: Apply by smoothing onto enlarged pores and fine lines. 
-Apply two pumps of Ultra HD Liquid Foundation in thin layers, starting in the center of the face and stretching outward. 
-Buildable coverage: For best results, apply with a flat foundation brush or sponge 
-Flat foundation brush (Artisan Brush #108): Tap to build coverage where needed and then stretch outward for a smoothing effect. 
-This lighter formula delivers the very same flawless results as before when applied with a flat foundation brush in a tap and stretch motion. (You will likely need to stretch less than you did before.) 
-Using a Sponge, press and roll to build coverage where needed. 
-Light Coverage: Use a buffing brush (Artisan Brush #122), apply in a circular motion.

I personally used a buffing brush as I enjoy a lighter airbrush finish that is natural looking.

Overall, I do enjoy this foundation - I really learned to appreciate it after I found the correct primer to match it to prevent the oily nose situation. It didn't melt off my face or fade at the end of the day. It stayed put and really, there's nothing more that I would personally ask or look for in a foundation. I found this, in terms of coverage, quite comparable to Giorgio Armani - luminous silk foundation - so if you like the look of that, and the coverage, I think you really should give this foundation a go!


Until next time, XO - M. 

Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation and Cut Crease Look


With the release of the new Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation and the amount of media and positive reviews surrounding this product, it made me immediately go to Sephora and purchase this product. Its claims are that it is invisible, comfortable and natural looking designed for 4k technology which is the next generation of digital devices that display images with unbelievable detail, stunning clarity and heightened color. It's said to be completely invisible under the latest, ultra-magnified resolution to look completely natural on camera and to the naked eye - I will be doing a full product review this Wednesday, so if you want to see my thoughts on it, make sure you come back Wednesday :)

Moving on to the look I've created for today's post... I of course, had to include the new foundation I got and in turn I was inspired to create a look involving my MUFE products, for products that I didn't have that were MUFE, I included them in a separate photo for reference - I hope you like it!


Products Used Are:
MAKE UP FOREVER
1. Lift Concealer - Color: 3
2. Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation - Color: 123
3. Smoothing Primer (love this stuff, haven't invested in it yet but I want to! this one and the mattifying one!)
4. Artist Shadow - Left to Right: M534 (Oat - Matte), M646 (Latte - Matte) and M608 (Red Brown - Matte)
5. Graphic Liner
6. Lip Liner - 2C Rosewood
7. Rouge Artist Intense: 4 Matte Antique Pink
8. HD Microfinish Powder 
9. Mascara - Aqua Smoky Lash

Directions:
My main focus would be to explain how I created the cut crease look as all other products used are pretty self explanatory:

I took the lightest color of the palette, M534 (oat) and applied it all through my eyelid up to my brow bone. Next, I took a crease blender brush and applied M646 (latte) throughout the crease as a transition color. Finally I took a pencil brush and slowly built M608 (Red Brown) through the crease. I say slowly since you do not want any harsh lines when creating a cut crease look. I wanted a softer, more natural cut crease so I built it to my desired color. Afterwards, I took the fluffy blender brush again and made sure to blend everything together. If you feel like you lost some of the M534 (oat) color after all the blending, take a flat shadow brush and re-apply the color to your mobile lid only to pack on some of that lighter shade to help boost the color to make the crease more evident.



I was introduced to this shade by a MUFE Artist at Sephora and I cant stop wearing it! It's a lovely pop of pink but office appropriate! It's a my lips but better shade.. way better :) 


Other products used include:

I hope you enjoyed this look! If you've tried any MUFE products, or the Ultra HD Invisible Cover foundation, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time, XO - M!


Coslys Shampoo and Facial Scrub Review *

 

I was recently contacted with the opportunity to try out some products from Coslys. To be honest, I had received these products a while ago, however I was using other products and wanted to give these an adequate time to use and give you all a proper and honest review.  A little background information regarding the company is attached below:


What enticed me to try this brand out was the fact that the products used are said to be organic and sulfate free. In addition, they use plant-based products and really believe in green products. Coslys is located in France and they recently came to Canada allowing beauty lovers like me the opportunity to try it out!

I was allowed to pick a few products to try out, and set my eyes on:
1. Facial Gentle Scrub ($26) 
Advantages noted on the website: Exfoliates softly on the most delicate skin. The gentle scrub contains fine beads of jojoba in cream foam to delicately remove dead cells and impurities. It is the ideal way to gently exfoliate the most delicate skin types. 

My thoughts: 
This scrub really goes by the title when it says gentle scrub. The beads are really fine, but not microscopic. You can still feel it working on your skin when you are massaging it in. I would say that the bead to cream is about 1 to 5. So if you are an individual who loves exfoliators and look for an intense scrub, you might not like this. When first using this, I didn't experience the "foaming" when lathering the cream in. It felt really mild like it was almost doing nothing. However, when I washed it off, and dried my face, I was left with a very hydrated and soft face. I think this is a perfect scrub for the winter time too as it is very hydrating. I think I found my perfect hydrating scrub. I have a scrub for different reasons, yes I know that's excessive, but I am very intense about my skin regiment. I have a scrub containing salicylic acid for when I feel oily a breakout is coming, a brightening scrub, and now a hydrating one!

2. Keratin Shampoo for Weakened Hair ($19.50)
Advantages noted on the website: Hair will become smoother, softer and more protected.  Combined with organic lily and vegetable Keratin, sulphate-free cleansing base to cleanse and care for hair to make styling easier. It strengthens hair fibres, protecting your hair from heat or hairdryer or hair straighteners.

My thoughts:
Again, this product is very gentle as mentioned above. It gives you a good lather, and doesn't weigh your hair down at all. You know how some shampoos, when used makes it feel like you still have so much product in your hair after you dry your hair? This one doesnt. In fact, it feels like this is removing all the gunk from your hair that has accumulated. I quite enjoyed this product and will probably repurchase in the future for when I want a cleanse of my hair. The only thing i missed about this product that wouldve made it perfect, was to have it have some oompf! I felt like it was so efficient as cleansing my hair that it just went limp afterwards however, beggers cant be choosers and overall I do quite enjoy this product! 

 
Have any of you tried out products from Coslys before? I know that a few of my friends who enjoy organic or have extreme skin sensitivities would really benefit from trying this out.

Until next time, XO - M.

First Aid Beauty Event and meet the Founder & CEO

Hello my lovelies!! 


I wanted to share with you all, that FAB Founder and CEO Lilli Gordon will be making a personal store appearance at Sephora Eaton Centre on Friday, August 28 from 1PM - 4PM to help kick off the FAB Moisture Clinic exclusive events at Sephora US and Canada. 

These events will be taking place on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 in Toronto.

EVENT DETAILS:
Meet FAB Founder & CEO Lilli Gordon
Friday, 8/28 @ 1PM - 4PM

FAB Moisture Clinic
Friday, 8/28 @ 1PM - 6PM
Saturday, 8/29 @ 12PM - 6PM

As you may know, moisture is the holy grail to beautiful, healthy skin and the cornerstone of FAB’s healthy skin regimen. FAB EMT’s (Essential Moisture Technicians) will be on site prescribing hydrating skincare to suit your skin’s unique needs and lifestyle. Consumers will be receiving samples to try out, creating customized skin care regimens with a FAB expert and experiencing  a First Aid Beauty treatment… perhaps given by Lilli Gordon herself!

If you guys are interseted in trying out FAB for the first time, or if you are already a fan of the products and would like to meet the CEO Lilli and get some one on one skin consultations, make sure you stop by the Sephora Eaton Centre location on the days mentioned above!

I am a fan of FAB beauty, my favorite products that you may want to give a go are:
1.  Ultra Repair Lotion - perfect for my hands which are prone to cracking and mild eczema during the winter months. This is absolutely hydrating without feeling greasy or leaving a filmy residue. I always keep a tube of this in my purse especially in the colder months!
2. Facial Radiance Pads - you want glowing skin? This is your baby! It contains the right amount of lactic and glycolic acid to make it safe enough for everyday use (even for those with sensitive skin). It also contains cucumber and indian gooseberry to tone the face, and lemon peel and licorice root to leave the skin glowing and bright.  
3. Skin Rescue Cleanser with Red Clay - Oily babies, have no fear - this will really help you out as the clay helps to reduce oil production, detoxes your skin and helps to unclog the most stubborn pores.

Products I want to try!
1. Skin Rescue Oil Free Mattifying Gel Moisturizer  - I think this will be perfect for my extra oily skin in the summer months!
2. Vitamin Hydrating Mist

P.S. All FAB Products are allergy-tested, free of artificial fragrance, dermatologist recommended and even safe for sensitive skin.  

Hope to see you guys there! I will definitely be checking this out :) 

Until next time, XO - M.


OZ Naturals - Hyaluronic Acid Serum*

First off, I wanted to apologize for the lack of presence here in the blogger world. I have been really busy with a project at work for the past few weeks, I've been working til 11ish at night or even later, and waking up to get into the office early and working weekends. Hopefully this will all end soon and I can resume my regular day to day schedule and get some stress-free time and sleep. 

Anyways, onto the post :) I had the opportunity to try out OZ Naturals Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Serum via BrandBacker. I've been on a kick with products containing Hyaluronic acid lately, just last year, I was scared of trying it because of the word "acid" but in reality, I regret not having tried it out earlier! 

I gave this product a good amount of time 2-3 weeks to see how it would react to my skin. The ingredients itself are pretty good, starting off with organic aloe, witch hazel and botanical hyaluronic acid. These three ingredients work to restore and repair your skin, to rejuvenate it. and then later on, you see the organic jojoba oil, green tea, geranium essential oil and Vit C + Vit E. I love seeing some ingredients that I actually recognize for once. I did some research on the benefits of Kosher Vegetable glycerin, and it is said to be an essential ingredient to assist the skin in retaining moisture. The package states to be 92% Natural and 7% Organic - not bad.

The only thing that I am a bit iffy about is that the bottle states that it expires 2 years from the date of purchase. It makes me wonder, how this is controlled.  I mean, as a consumer, I wouldn't know how long this has been in the warehouse before shipping, I think it makes more sense to put an actual date of expiry. That is my only "con" about this product. 

Also, they offer a 30 day money back guarantee. if you are not happy, you will receive a refund on your entire purchase but based on the reviews on Amazon, the majority of them has given this product a 4.5/5. I really do like this product and I think you should all try it out. It soaks into the skin really quickly and a little goes a long way. I would definitely repurchase this product afterwards :)



Until next time, XO - M.

Makeup Monday - Annabelle and Marcelle Fall 2015 Looks *


For those of you who have hit the drugstores, are probably aware of the new lines of cosmetics coming out slowly for the fall season. Today I'm bringing you a look from the new fall 2015 Marcelle and Annabelle line. I will be creating more in the upcoming weeks but today, I thought i'd stick to a simple neutral look and paired it with the three lip colors for a fun pop of color, perfect for the summer months still. 

Pictured here is the Annabelle Smokey Nudes Eyeshadow palette. I used the three colors, in the middle of the bottom row, Each color is very pigmented and I'm honestly very impressed of the quality being a drugstore brand. The palette retails for approx $12.95.

Above is the Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick in Vivid Coral, Rouge En Folie and Nude Pink. The lipsticks are enriched with avocado oil and Vit E + C and restores hydration while smoothing out fine lines. My favorite color is Vivid Coral. it is a perfect bright pink pop of color for summer! The one that I like the least is Nude Pink, only because I find that it settles a bit in the lips, so if you have drier lips, you will be able to see the lines. Each lipstick retails for $11.95

The blush is Pink Mademoiselle and retails for $15.95

My 3 absolute favorite products is the:
1. Annabelle Eyeink Liquid Eyeliner Duo - one side is ultra thin, and the other side is fine which allows you to create the perfect cat eye! Retails for $10.95
2. Annabelle Stay Sharp Long Wearing Brow Liner - Retails for $9.95. This is a self-sharpening brow pencil which is long wearing and a perfect taupe shade which is perfect for my brunette hair. I will forever be purchasing this as opposed to the more expensive brow products in Sephora or department stores. 
3. Marcelle Xtension plus Curl Mascara - If you are looking for long lashes with volume and curl then this is it. This beats Benefit They're Real and my old favorite, Maybelline Lash Sensational. This gave me ultra long, curled and plush lashes without having to curl my lashes in the first place. The only thing to be careful for is the wand, it is very hard and a bit spikey so just be careful. This retails for $12.95. 

So without further adieu, please find below the look I created using the three different lip colors! which one is your favorite?

 Neutral Pink lipstick

 Vivid Coral (is more of a hot pink)

Rouge En Folie
I'm still not used to wearing red lipstick so I'm quite tense in this pic!

Until next time, 
XO - M. 

August 2015 Ipsy Bag


So I'm quite disappointed in this month's Ipsy Glam Bag. I cannot count the times Ipsy has sent me something from the brand Hikari and BWC. I'm tired of trying them, I want more variety. The products in itself are pretty good, the lipgloss is pigmented and the eyeliner is black. However, the Doll 10 cream blush doesn't have much longevity. It was already faded by noon and I applied my makeup at 7am. Finally, the makeup bag itself, was quite cheap. I unfortunately, will be cancelling my subscription probably after next month. We'll see.... 

swatches of the products from left to right:
Hikari gloss, Eye liner & Doll 10 Blush

Until nxt time, XO - M.


Worth the Splurge? - August Guest Post

Clarisonic Mia 2

Hi everyone! It's Sam from Gemstone Beauty taking over today. You've probably seen me around, doing some nail art posts with Miranda, but this time, I bring you something different. But first, I'd like to take this chance to say Thank You to my lovely host. As always, it's a pleasure to be here.


This month's Canadian Beauty Blogger guest post theme is Worth The Splurge. I hummed and hawed, going back and forth on a couple items, but I kept going back to one item: my Clarisonic.

Our skin is a very fickle organ. At times dry, other times oily, breaking out, or all three plus more, all at once! A routine skincare regime is extremely important. At the very top of that regime is washing. But did you know that you're not actually removing everything off your skin when you use your hands & facecloth?

The Clarisonic cleanses the skin 6 times better than washing with your hands alone. There are different Clarisonics with different price points, starting at $139CAD +. Before I get into the details, here's a little information about the one I have, the Clarisonic Mia 2.

What it is:
A travel-friendly, professional-quality skincare brush with two speeds.

What it is formulated to do:
It's time to think beyond the washcloth and elevate cleansing to a sonic level. Clarisonic's patented sonic technology gently removes the impurities traditional cleaning methods leave behind, cleansing six times better than your hands alone. In just 60 seconds, its sonic action removes impurities from pores so that creams, serums, and moisturizers are more effective. And with regular daily use you'll notice a reduction in dry patches, oily areas, and blemishes.

Here are some of the features this revolutionary skincare tool delivers:
- 2 speeds for added cleansing customization
- Pulsing T-Timer for 60-second cleanse
- Improved user interface indicating speed and charge functions
- 2 year warranty 


Clarisonic Mia 2
Clarisonic Mia 2


I actually received mine as a Christmas gift from my boyfriend when he overheard me talking with someone about wanting a Clarisonic. Good on him for picking that up!

When I first got it, I didn't expect it to revolutionize my skincare routine the way it did. It came with the delicate (or was it sensitive?) brush head which is a great brush head to use for beginners. When you're not used to a deep clean, it's best to ease into it, specially if you have sensitive skin.

The Clarisonic Mia 2 has two speeds, low and high and has a 90 second timer. The device pulsates to indicate when it's time to switch areas, as follows:
  • 30 seconds for forheard
  • Pulse
  • 30 seconds for nose and chin
  • Pulse
  • 15 seconds for 1 cheek and half jaw
  • Pulse
  • 15 seconds for the other cheek and other side of jaw
The Clarisonic Mia 2 is also waterproof. That means you can do it in the shower and not worry about getting it wet.

While many Clarisonic options come with a cleanser (they often have kits around the holidays), you can use any cleanser that you'd like. As long as it's not an exfoliator. The tiny beads can actually damage the Clarisonic, so DO NOT USE with the device. If you feel the need to exfoliate, replace your morning or evening Clarisonic session with your exfoliator.

Clarisonic Mia 2
Radiance and Normal brush heads


The brush head needs to be replaced every 3 months (just think of all that dirt, oil and dead skin it's removing). The brush heads are available in "sensitive", "delicate", "normal" and "deep pore". They also have a "radiance" brush head and others that go with different devices, such as "body" and "pedi".  The first 4 retail for approximately $30 each, or $46 for a two pack.

After my first time using the Mia 2, I was hooked. My skin never felt so clean. The great thing, it wasn't that weird, tight, shinny kind of clean. It was a natural feeling of clean.

Then I applied my skin care products and noticed that they actually absorbed into my skin instead of just partially absorbing and sitting on top of my skin. At that point, I realized that I wasn't getting the full benefits of my skincare products and was probably spending more money on 1) more expensive products because the "cheaper" products weren't working 2) more products because I'd go through products quicker since I'd apply more than what was needed.

Clarisonic Mia 2
The choice is yours: Use Clarisonic branded cleansers and serums, or use your favourites

After two weeks, I started breaking out and wondering WTF!? Turns our this is a purge, that's actually very normal to happen. Your skin isn't used to such a good clean, and now that the Clarisonic is bringing the dirt and oil up from deep within the layers of your skin, a purge takes effect. While mine wasn't as bad as some I've seen online, it last about 10 days and was a little annoying.

But after that, it's been bliss. I tend to use my Clarisonic about 4 days a week and haven't had any break outs since that purge. I've also noticed that my skin looks more radiant and my pores have started to shrink. I'm now using the "normal" brush head, but I might go to the "deep pore" brush next to shrink the pores to the max and go back to the "normal" to keep everything up.

So, would I say that this is Worth the Splurge? Abso-freakin'-lutely!