Inspired by the breathtaking sunset, Elizabeth Arden introduces the new Sunset Bronze Limited Edition Color Summer 2016 Collection. "This summer is all about a bold bronzed glow and this universal collection is comprised of colors that compliment and accentuate all skin tones", says Rebecca Restrepo, Elizabeth Arden Global Makeup Artist.

Limited Edition Sunset Bronze Prismatic Bronzing Powder ($48)
This silky bronzing powder, diffused with golden shimmer gives the skin a reflective, sun-kissed glow. It is formulated with skin-perfecting ingredients that help minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It also comes complete with a half-moon brush for easy on-the-go application.

This bronzer contains silica and mica minerals, spherical silica and nylon which help to diffuse imperfections on the skin, Vitamin E and Argan Oil.


Limited Edition Sunset Bronze Prismatic Eye Shadow Palette ($50)
This palette contains 5 shadows that range from natural to dramatic. They have a shimmer finish that gives the lids a multidimensional effect.



Limited Edition Sunset Bronze Prismatic Lip Gloss ($25)
The trio of conditioning lip glosses dazzles with a high-shine and nourishing formula. It is packed with lustrous pigments and multidimensional pearls .Each gloss is enriched with ultra hydrating Aloe Vera and Vitamins A,C and E to soothe and protect lips.

This formula is light-weight, non-sticky (super important) and smells great.

Shades: Midnight Kiss (Soft Pink), Moonlight Kiss (Lavender) and Sunset Kiss (Champagne).

These can be perfect worn alone, or over some lipstick, especially in the center of your lips to give you a more 3 dimensional effect and poutier lips.


Limited Edition Sunset Bronze Prismatic Hilighter ($34.50)
This creamy stick hilighter comes in a twist-up container which provides you with convenience and efficiency. It is a beautiful champagne color that when applied to the cheekbones casts a glow when the light hits you. It dries to a powder finish. You can use this on your brow bone, cupid's bow too.




Elizabeth Arden Grand Entrance Mascara ($32)
This triple effect mascara comes with a precision brush technology that is specifically designed to instantly deliver an 80% increase in lash length and volume and a 162% increase in curl for luxe, lush lashes that are sure to make a grand entrance wherever you go.

It is glossy, long-wear and water-resistant therefore it won't flake, smudge or dry out.

Key ingredients: 
- Lash Building Complex, a vitamin fortified peptide complex that locks onto lashes like a magnet for volume and lift.
- Olive Esters - an emollient-rich extract that coats and separates individual lashes, helping to condition, treat and protect lashes for clump and flake free definition.
- Rice Bran Esters - a vitamin B complex and essential fatty acid-rich extract that helps to condition lashes for an overall healthier and plumper appearance.
- Carnauba Esters - A moisturizing extract that helps to support the appearance of longer lashes.

Shades: Stunning Black and Stunning Brown

Application Tips: Rotate the brush so that the curve is "cradling" your lashes when applying and make sure you wiggle side to side when brushing through the lash for maximum effect.



Elizabeth Arden Flawless Start Instant Perfecting Primer ($45)
This primer contains anti-aging properties that diminishes the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles while giving you a moisturized and radiant glow. In fact, after 2 weeks of use 3 out of 4 women reported their skin looking up to 5 years younger and 86% felt that their skin looked retouched.



Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Nectarine Blossom
For those of you who are a fan of fragrances or of Elizabeth Arden products, will remember the infamous Green Tea fragrance that was in a light green bottle. Available in March 2016, is the Green Tea Nectarine Blossom Collection which features an EDT Spray in 50ml and 100ml and Honey Drops Body Cream.

Top Notes: peach and apricot, fresh bergamot and exotic fruits adorn the purity of green tea vapors.
Middle Notes: Juicy nectarine drizzled over a bright floral bouquet for an irresistible signature that brings blushing femininity to green tea.
Base Notes: Soft musk wraps the wearer in lasting comfort.

This EDT is perfect for Spring and Summer. It's light, fresh and crisp. For those of you who love a fruity fragrance which isn't too sweet, will absolutely love this.


Below is a look I created entirely from the Elizabeth Arden Sunset Bronze Collection - I opted, in true Miranda Style, to go for a neutral purple and rose gold/champagne eye with a winged lined. I also used Midnight Kiss as the lipgloss. I did'n't use any blush but just opted for a heavier dusting of bronzer. I am addicted to this bronzer by the way! It's SO GOOD.


Prices range from $27 to $56 approximately and can be purchased at Hudson's Bay and select Shoppers Drug Mart and select London Drugs.

I really encourage you to go and check out the Elizabeth Arden collection near you ASAP. They really have stepped up their game this collection and I'm loving everything :)

Until next time, XO - M.

For those of you who have never met Dave Lackie, you are really and truly missing out. He is a beauty editor, and City Line expert and is generous and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. I met Dave about 2 years ago on Twitter during one of his giveaways that he was hosting for some Illamasqua goodies. From then, we stayed in contact and have been seeing him at least once a year, at the fabulous events that he hosts quite frequently. Oh right, if you don't follow him on Twitter - you must! He's always hosting contests and giveaways and they are open internationally.

I was lucky enough to attend one of his City Line Tapings this past Friday (February 26th) which will go live on City TV, Friday March 4th. The audience was filled with his Twitter Followers and Beauty Bloggers and we were live tweeting the entire segment via #citylinebeauty. It was the first time something like this has happened and it was SO MUCH FUN!

At the taping, I met up some of my fellow Canadian Beauty Blogger friends and was ready for lots of ooo-ing and ah-ing. Nothing but BIG SMILES were on our faces. In addition to the beauty segment that was taped, there was also a Fashion Friday segment too. So make sure you check in on the 4th to see what's new in the world of beauty and upcoming styles for Prom and great finds from Winners.

A few months ago, I had the chance to try out a new hair care line that I had never heard about before - it was a brand called Hask. Then, I tried out the Argan Oil line and while it was great, the Argan Oil was too rich for my thin hair, and ended up weighing it down a tad. I had to use it only 2 days a week or so as it was too much for daily use. Anyways! This time, I have the chance to try out the Coconut Oil line, and I was rather excited to see if I had even better luck with this one as I have had previous luck with trying out hair products ft. coconut oils or coconut water.

The set I received, came with the Shampoo, Conditioner, Deep Conditioner and Shine Hair Oil. The line is said to moisturize and revitalize and is meant for all hair types and comes in an intoxicating coconut scent.

The site explains Monoi Coconut Oil as being made from soaking petals of Tahitian gardenias in coconut oil. It is quick absorbing and leaves your hair soft, silky and shiny - sounds divine doesn't it?

I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying this Coconut Oil line so much more than the Argan Oil line. This one leaves my hair clean, hydrated and weightless. It didn't feel overly moisturized by the Oil component that I previously had with the Argan Oil series.


I use the Shampoo and Conditioner either every day or every other day (depending on whether my hair needs a good cleaning) and I apply the Nourishing Deep Conditioner once a week to make sure my ends stay protected and nourished as I use a straightener almost every day. On the days I use the Deep Conditioner, I do not use the Conditioner - it'll be too much if both are used!

The Monoi Coconut Oil Shine Treatment can be used either on dry or damp hair. This is to be used only on the tips, avoid the roots.

I really do love this product and have incorporated it into my hair care routine. It works and lives up to the claims. It also doesn't smell artificial - the coconut doesn't smell overwhelming or waxy - it really is lovely, I find myself actually sniffing my hair throughout the day - hahaha :) don't judge me!

You can find out more about HASK on their social media platforms - @haskhair #haskhair or through their website www.haskbeauty.com

I would like to thank you, current reader, for taking the time out to read my first post on what I think will be the launch of my "Real Talk" series. For those of you who have been following my blog since it was created, will know that I originally created a beauty and lifestyle blog, and slowly in time it started to focus more towards the beauty side of things. However, due to recent events that have occurred, I decided to forego my previously scheduled beauty post that was to go live today, and to replace it with this last minute post, focusing more on a bigger issue we all may have, or will face at some point in our lives - bullying / cyber-bullying. I'm doing this mainly because I wanted to get something that has been bothering me off my chest, and to hopefully have some of you take something beneficial away from this.

It has recently come to my attention, that I was tagged in a comment on a picture posted by MAC Cosmetics on Instagram - the picture featured a photo taken during New York Fashion Week of a beautiful African American model's lips. While the focus was on the beautiful lip color featured, somehow this post quickly became controversial and caught the attention of the world wide web because of the amount of people who had commented on this picture and over how divided the comments were. There was the good, the bad, and the down right ugly and disgraceful.

As a result of the attention this picture generated, it made its way through the internet via various different articles that were published. I want to stress that I do not share the views of the comment that I was tagged in. I see the beauty in everyone, and this is why I chose to follow my dreams as a beauty blogger. I want to instill a sense of confidence and beauty in people, and help them feel their absolute best - whether that beauty is internal or external, it doesn't matter. No matter how beautiful you are, if you have an ugly heart, you are an ugly person. And so with a heavy heart I have to say that I unfortunately, have no control over other people's actions or words. This post is not meant to throw anyone under the bus, it is to serve as a gentle reminder that while what was said was not meant to be hurtful, it ultimately did hurt alot of people. You never know the ripple effect your one action can cause. So please, I do not want anymore hateful comments towards that person, to myself or even to anyone else in that picture. It's not healthy.

I am not the type of person who was raised on the principal of "an eye for an eye". Retaliation, and revenge is no way to live, and hate is a nasty thing that can down right consume you. The purpose of this post is to talk about cyber bullying, and the real effects it can have on the people that you see who own that specific social media account, or to that person who is sitting behind their computer screens. Words hurt, regardless of it being verbally said to you, or written somewhere on the internet. Trust me, I know. I still remember what the mean girls in my high school used to say to me when I was bullied in middle school. I'm not being petty when I say that I remember what they have said. I say that I remember, because it teaches me to be stronger.

I have seen some famous YouTubers recently take to their channels to address this topic of Cyber Bullying, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you on it as well. While thinking of this topic, I actually came across a very useful website - Prevnet (no this is not a sponsored post). The first sentence on their site is powerful "The Internet has no delete button. Bullying online lasts forever".

I am not saying that I am completely innocent when it comes to this topic, I think that in our daily lives, it is very easy to blur the lines, and to accidentally make a joke that may have gone too far, and/or to poke fun of something that is actually not funny at all. However, you must learn to be mindful of your actions. To learn that there are consequences far greater than what you had imagined. That your one comment, or joke, can cause a ripple effect that could ultimately negatively impact you and/or the people around you.

The simplest way to stop this, is to learn to take a step back and walk away. This is what I mean by not retaliating. It is okay for you to defend what you believe in - but when that spurs into something hateful and victimizing, it is not okay. The only thing you can do then is to stand your ground, to say what needs to be said to clear the air and get your point across, and to remove yourself from the situation and be a better person. Do not argue with someone over the internet, it's just like in any relationship, don't argue over e-mail or text messaging/IM. If you want to sort out an issue, talk it out - face to face. Clearly, this isn't possible on the internet, and if you know that you are being trolled - you can only control what happens to you, which is to remove yourself from the situation.



So next time before you decide to post something - think twice about it. Is it worth the amount of pain it'll bring you should it come to bite you in the future? If you really have to think long and hard about it, it's probably best that you shouldn't hit that "enter/submit" button.

Sorry for this long-winded post, I promise to return to the regular scheduling and beauty/lifestyle topics next week.

Until next time, XO - M.

Annabelle Cosmetics is helping us get ready for Spring with these lip lacquers in vibrant and glossy shades. With these, Annabelle states that you get the benefits of 3 products in 1: the saturated color of a lipstick, the lustrous finish of a gloss and the long lasting color of a stain - what are my thoughts on these? Keep reading and I'll let you know.

These retail for $9.95 and are available for purchase at Annabelle.com and in stores as of January 2016.

So here are my thoughts - The lacquers come in a light, non-sticky formula which I greatly appreciate. I long for a gloss that doesn't become sticky or have your hair get stuck on it if it catches on your gloss - I HATE THAT. They also have a really light fruity scent that isn't overwhelming. As for the three claims above, I agree with the highly saturated color with the glossy finish, however I do not 100% agree with the staining property. The lightest color - Adore Simply, does not stain your lips. The most effective one would have to be the darker shades - Love Fiercely and Hypnotize Deeply, but even still the staining is very light. Do not expect an all day tint on your lips after the gloss is gone.

Overall, at $9.95 a pop, I do believe they are worth it as something similar would run you at least double the price at a department store. I give these products a 8.5/10 (only because of the lack of staining/tint that should have lasted), I thoroughly enjoyed everything else.

Keep in mind that these lacquers do have a pearl sheen to them - so if you are a lover of a one-dimension, one toned lipgloss, you might not be a fan of these. The pearl finish does give you a beautiful pout to the lips :) The least evident of the pearl finish can be found in the darker shades, the lighter shades are pretty evident, especially on the lightest shade - Adore Simply.

Here are some pictures of the lip products swatched on my lips - my favorite shade would have to be Love Fiercely and Hypnotize Deeply - they are both so ultra pigmented and was perfect for me during Valentines Day :)

Shoppers Drug Mart, a leading drugstore in Canada that sells both mass and prestige cosmetics and skincare products, has expanded its beauty section by bringing in the Joe Fresh Beauty collection. For those of you who know, Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws had merged, and with that you have probably seen some PC brand stuff at Shoppers as well. Now you do not have to go to the Superstore to find Joe Fresh Products :)

The launch of Joe Fresh Beauty at SDM, has brought a new lineup which includes face, cheeks, eyes and lips products in addition to the current line. Joe Fresh Beauty is now available at 850 SDM and Pharmaprix stores across Canada with prices ranging from only $8 to $18. NOTHING is over $18 apparently! How amazing is that?! Beauty on a budget!

I was recently invited to preview the new products that have been released, and I thought that I would re-cap the evening with you. I was only there for about half an hour, as I had another event before hand, and also it was the day before my big 3-0 birthday, so I had dinner plans after - but from what I saw, I'm really excited for some of the products (which I will list below).