Tutorial: New Years Eve Glam with LANCÔME*


For those of you with plans for New Years Eve and want to keep things easy, minimal and quick in the make-up front, then this tutorial would be great for you! 

I wanted to add some sparkle of course to the lids, and pair it with a glossy fuschia lip! The one great thing about this lip lacquer is that even though it may wear off through the night, it is a stain so your lips will still retain the color all night long! 

My favorite part of this look honestly though is the highlighter, can we take a moment to appreciate how truly popping and gorgeous this is? It's buttery smooth and can be worn subtly with a sheer wash or layered to give you even more of that glow! In this look, I layered it twice but as you can see it does not look powdery or cakey at all. I truly just need to own more of these. 

If you're interested in the tutorial and my review, then keep on reading below....



Products Used:
LANCĂ”ME - Blur & Go Stick* ~ If you want to have a smooth and flawless canvas, you need this. It fills in any enlarged pores you have on the face and just makes makeup application effortless. I really hope they do not discontinue this because I will keep purchasing this. 

LANCĂ”ME - Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation (270 Bis W)* ~ I had gotten my friend hooked on this a few years back, and if I was a fan then, I'm still a fan now. This is a great buildable coverage that can help you out if you want a light coverage day to something more full if needed without ever looking cakey and thick. It makes me look airbrushed and I love it - the photos you see above are in NO WAY retouched at all. I wanted you to see how everything performs as is. 

Tarte - Shape Tape Concealer (Light Medium)* ~ a tried and true concealer, will always be my ride or die holy grail. 

LANCĂ”ME - Long Time No Shine Loose Setting Powder* ~ does what it needs to, smoothes out the makeup you applied so that you can continue to layer on other products without anything grabbing to any liquids you put on previously (in this case I used it to set my liquid concealer + foundation). 

Smashbox Cosmetics - The Cali Contour Shape Bronze and Glow Palette ~ I appreciate the all in one slim packaging of this product. Great for travel and on-the-go without having to pack multiple items. This one palette can offer you a contour, highlight (matte and shimmer) and a bronzer with a blush. They are all pigmented, buttery smooth and do not pull orange on me at all. 

LANCÔME - Dual Finish Multi-tasking Illuminating Highlighter (05 Sparkling Peche)* ~ this is a MUST BUY. I want them all! This product is not raved about enough, I swear. In the tutorial you will see it applied in real time, it's GORGEOUS.

LANCĂ”ME - Color Design (Embers)* ~ I have been using their shadows for a LONG time, I still remember I had a satin/shimmer purple finish one that I wore every day when I worked retail and would always get compliments on it, this was about 10 years ago. Embers is a copper matte tone that is pigmented, a little goes a long way as you can see. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty - See-quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow (Gleam Girl)* ~ A great shimmer product that you pat on with a finger. It reflects light in a beautiful way and stays put without flaking off everywhere. 

Fenty Beauty - Flyliner Longwear Liquid Eyeliner ~ tried and true, raved about this alot on my blog!

LANCĂ”ME - Cils Booster XL* ~ a great primer for the lashes that helps the short itty bitty lashes like mine lengthen and thicken.

LANCĂ”ME - Hypnose Volume-A-Porter* ~ Lancome makes some of my favorite mascaras and this one is no different. I like how this brush really seperates my lashes while being able to grab and quote each lash as well and lengthen it. 

KOKO Lashes - KOKO ~ I have used these lashes for years, again, tried and true. I have backups of this!

LANCĂ”ME - Fix It Forget It Setting Spray* ~ A great setting spray that feels comfortable on the face without making it feel tight, or dry. It helps my makeup last all day and also does a great job in making the makeup look cohesive and blended together as one without altering the look.

LANCÔME - L'Absolu Lacquer (378 Be Unique)* ~ beautiful high gloss lip lacquer that leaves behind a stain. This is not sticky which is a bonus and having a stain left behind means I won't have to worry about having to reapply product on my lips to make sure I don't look ghastly.


Have you tried any of these products before? I would love to hear from you! If not, is there anything from this video that wow-ed you or made you want to go grab it!

Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2019!

Until next time, XO - M.

*products were sent to me for review/consideration, all opinions are my own.

Review: The Body Shop Holiday Collection 2018*


The Body Shop is currently having their Holiday Sale which features up to 50% off on select items, so if there was anything you were eyeing, I would suggest checking to see if they are currently on sale right now. I have always wanted to try the Banana series, I have heard such great things about it, and their shampoo, conditioner + mask are all 50% off too but it seems like their shampoo is sold out online! BOO :( 

Review & Swatch: OPI Nutcracker and The Four Realms Collection*


This Holiday Season, OPI has released its limited edition Nutcracker and The Four Realms collection, that features 12 shades and 3 additional glitter top coats.  I have these babies all swatched in this blog post below, and will also let you know how many coats are needed to achieve full opacity! To learn more about these babies, then keep on reading below!

Review and Tutorial: Blue Smokey Eye ft. Brand New Makeup (December 2018)*


Here's another tutorial for my Makeup Monday series featuring more brand new items that were recently added to my collection - mostly it includes Tarte products, Make Up Forever, Charlotte Tilbury and Pat McGrath. If you want to see my thoughts on these items, and whether they are worth the purchase, then keep on reading below!

Product Empties and Review: July - December 2018


In the past 5 months, I am quite proud of the amount of products used up. As usual, I have separated my review in different categories for convenience - facial wipes/puffs, cleansers and moisturizers, body products, haircare, makeup and miscellaneous. 

Holiday 2018 Gift Guide - Home Fragrances*


While my blog focuses on beauty related items, I do know that there are alot of my readers who want to gift items to those in their lives that may not be avid makeup/skincare users. Therefore, this gift guide is dedicated to you!

I am personally a big fan of home fragrances, I used to use candles all the time (before I had my baby), however since then I have transitioned into using diffusers and room sprays. Below I will be introducing you to my favorite brands and products, so if you're interested in learning what they are, then keep on reading below!

Review & Tutorial: Holiday Makeup Look ft. Canadian Drugstore Beauty Items*


I have created a few Holiday posts on my blog already, but none that is strictly dedicated to drugstore products. As such, I decided to do a post now and try out my new ring light my husband got me for christmas and include a short video as well! (for those who are followers already, will know that I do like making minute long videos I can just put onto my Instagram page!) I think that the below look is quite easy to achieve and the glitter lids paired with the red lip (or you can switch it out to a nude one) would be great to add some Holiday sparkle without being too bold!


Below is an overview of all the products used to create the look above and can be found at your drugstore (including the makeup brushes) - If you're interested in seeing my mini review of each products, then just keep on reading below.

Review: OGX x Nicole Guerriero Limited Edition Disco Party Theme Collection*


OGX is a brand of hair care products that I have been using for a while now, and you can read more about my past reviews here. Recently, they have collaborated with the famous YouTuber Nicole Guerriero to launch three limited edition scents - Mistletoe Wishes, Midnight Kisses and Ice Berry Queen in both shampoo and conditioners. Being both a fan of OGX products as well as Nicole Guerriero, I knew I had to try these ones too!

Review & Giveaway: Veet Sensitive Precision Beauty Styler Expert*


While I frequently write about makeup and skincare products, lets not forget about body maintenance products as well - specifically ones to help keep things you know, tidy! Veet has recently released a new beauty styler product, called the Sensitive Precision Expert - which is now the #1 women's electric trimmer in Canada. It is actually an improvement to their first model, and is designed to help trim and precisely shape the hair on your delicate body parts - face/eyebrows, bikini and underarms without the fear of being nicked or cut.  

This trimmer can be used as is, or wet as it is waterproof! It retails for $29.96 (MSRP), and can be found at most Canadian retailers like Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart and Amazon.


The product comes neatly housed in this a plastic container and bag as you see above, and it comes with the trimmer gadget itself as well as 7 separate accessories. I really appreciate brands who take the time to think of the little things that go the extra mile for me, in this case, the pouch. I can easily just toss everything in the bag and store it in my washroom drawer.


While there are instructions in the product packaging itself, one thing I found helpful was the labelled comb attachments. The ones you see below - 2mm and 4mm are horizontal attachments to help you achieve a uniform hair trim. I would recommend this one for the bikini area. The one on the far left, is a comb attachment that gives you two different lengths in ONE attachment itself - more so aimed for the eyebrow. Again it is set at 2mm and 4mm.


One other great thing is that this trimmer only requires ONE battery - yay! and is very easy to use, just align the arrow together at the base of the unit, and twist shut. Also, there is a little brush to help you clean the razor.


The razor itself has a pivoting heat, which means you can adjust it to whichever angle is best for you to take care of the area you need - I know this was beneficial when trimming the brow area as you might not want it straight, but at an angle. One thing I would recommend is to set it at 4mm first, so you can see how you like it. You can always go shorter, but you can't reverse any mistakes if it is cut too short!


Now for the fun part - a GIVEAWAY! One of you lucky readers will be able to win one of these! To enter, simply fill out the ballot below. I am going to make this a quick one, just so that you can hopefully get this before Christmas, so I will pick a winner Friday night!

To ENTER:
1. Please do not follow just to unfollow on Instagram, it's unkind and dishonest! I will be checking if you have followed my account (@mirandachan) when the winner is selected. 
2. Giveaway is open to Canadian Residents Only! 
3. Winners have 48 hours to respond to my notification e-mail, failure to do so will result in me selecting a new winner (this is to just keep the ball rolling and not hold-up the process)
4. Prize pack is not mailed out by me, but I will be facilitating with the process with the winner.
Goodluck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Review, Swatch and Tutorial: YSL Gold Attraction Collection (Holiday 2018)*


YSL Beauty creates some gorgeous and luxurious makeup and they are known for how beautiful their products are. However, their limited edition collections are even more jaw dropping than their regular everyday items - I have written about some of them before and you can find it here. This time, I am bringing to you some items from their Holiday 2018 Collection, rightfully named Gold Attraction (as you can see from the photos in this post). The sleek black packaging makes the the gold glitter YSL Logo pop! 

To see swatches of this collection and see what my thoughts are, then keep on reading below.

Review, Swatch and Tutorial: Sephora Holiday 2018 Collection*


This Holiday Season, Sephora launched a wide assortment of make-up and beauty items ranging from sponges, lip sets, eyeshadows and more! I was kindly set a few items to review and play with and I have them all swatched for you below! So if you're interested in reading about it, then you know what to do!

Holiday 2018 Gift Guide - All About the Lips*


The Holiday Season is here and one of the things I get asked most is what should I get for so and so, at this or that price point. What I started doing, were gift guides - and instead of bulking everything together into one guide, I thought it would be best to do separate ones for different categories so that .I can break things down into different price points as well. If you're interested in seeing what recommendations I would make for lip products, then keep on reading below!

Review, Swatch & Tutorial: Suva Beauty - Saffron Palette*


SUVA Beauty has been a brand I was recently introduced to a few months ago, and I am so happy that I am continuously able to try their new product launches. I have written about them before, so if you're interested in reading about it, then click the link here. SUVA Beauty creates one of my favorite liquid lipstick formulas, they are whipped, weightless on the lips and moisturizing - bonus, they smell like vanilla cupcakes with toasted marshmallow? mmm...This post features their newest product launches, their Saffron Palette, two Hydra Liners and two new Liquid Lipsticks. I have these babies swatched for you as well as applied on the face so you can see how they work and look.

Review: New from Rephr (Holidays 2018)*


For those who know me, will know that I am a huge make-up brush fan. I have so many different types, ranging from different price points, from mass produced ones to beautiful ones hand-crafted by Japanese artisans that I bought when I was in Tokyo many years ago which were quite the investment. 

A few months ago, I was introduced to the brand Rephr, by my friend Bo from the beauty community as he had helped to create their first set of brushes (seen below with the all black handle). I had purchased three of them to try them out and of course, to support the brand, and I was recently provided with the opportunity to test out their brand new creations, set for release for the Holiday Season. If you keep on reading below, then you will see a special surprise I have for my readers (it's a good one, so stay tuned!). 

Review & Demo: Zoya Z-Wide Brush vs. Zoya Regular Brush*


Zoya Fans rejoice! They have recently launched a brand new product which will make your nail polish application even more effortless. Introducing, the Z-Wide Brush! It has 60% more brisels than the regular classic precision brush and has curved/tapered edges to make for more efficient and distribution of polish on your nails. When you look at your nails you will see that your nail bed and cuticle area do not form a 90 degree angle up to your nail, so the curved edge really helps to apply the product right to the edge without having to be overly cautious. I can quickly and in almost half the time just do my entire hand and I don't have to focus as hard to "stay within the lines" if you know what I mean. 

These brushes retail for $2 USD each and fits all existing 0.5oz nail polish bottles so it is super easy for you to make the switch!

To truly see the brush in motion, I did a quick video for you to demonstrate how quickly it takes - mind you yes, I did speed up the application part 8x but you can see how many less strokes it takes with the Z-wide brush as compared to the regular brush which held less product in its bristles, required me to dip into the bottle of polish more frequently and required more strokes to cover the nail. On the second coat, you can see that the Z-Wide brush just glided on, requiring 1-2 strokes per nail, while with the regular brush it still required 3-5 strokes depending on the nail itself.



I am already a huge fan of Zoya, I have written about them countless of times here on the blog, and being a fan of the polish itself, I am now SO happy they came out with the wider brush - it really just completes the package and honestly makes for the perfect brand of polish for me!

Until next time, XO - M.

*products were sent to me for consideration, all opinions are my own.

Review, Swatch and Tutorial: Laura Mercier - Nights Out Eye Shadow Palette (Holiday 2018)*


This week's Makeup Monday Post features two of Laura Mercier's Holiday 2018 items - the Nights Out Eye Shadow Palette as well as the Pret-A-Powder Limited Edition Powder and Puff in Translucent Medium Deep. My main focus will definitely be on this beautiful eyeshadow palette that is really multifunctional in terms of application - with an assortment of mattes and shimmers as well as neutral to bold colors, you are able to create either a very natural look, or something a bit more smokey and dramatic. With the color scheme of this palette, you can even create a smokey eye with neutral tones as opposed to having to using dark tones. This is a great palette for that make-up lover in your life just because it is so versatile! If you're interested in seeing what this palette is capable of, then just keep on reading below! I have them swatched on my hand and I have also created three separate looks for you.

Brand New Product Intro and Details: CeraVe - Baby Collection*


I have been trying out and including CeraVe skincare products for a while now and have previously reviewed them on the blog - if you're interested in reading them, you can click the link here. When they graciously sent over their newest items for me to try and I saw that they were baby products, I was absolutely ecstatic! The collection includes a Wash & ShampooMoisturizing Lotion as well as a Healing Ointment and the most thoughtful part of this was that they also sent along a musical hedgehog for Baby E to play with! This hedgehog is designed by Quebec designer Abricotine

As always, true to their brand promise - these baby products are approved by the national society of eczema and formulated without parabens, sulphates, fragrances or gluten. 

Review & Swatch: Buxom - After Dark Collection (Holiday 2018)*


BUXOM really delivered this Holiday Season and launched a variety of kits to satisfy a beauty lover's dream. Whether it is you love their balms, glosses, or want a chance to try out a variety of products then this is a great chance. I have previously mentioned here on the blog before, that I just love the sets that come out during the Holidays because it is a perfect chance to try out products from your favorite brands at relatively the same price point (if not just a bit more), but you get the chance to try out more items in a deluxe size. I know myself that I never completely finish a product so these sets are PERFECT for me. 

Now, back to the reason for this post! :) I have been graciously sent two of the sets from this year's Holiday After Dark Collection from BUXOM - the Party Girl Pout set - $37cad as well as Black Tie Tease - $48cad. For swatches, then keep on reading below!


Review, Swatch and Tutorial: Urban Decay - Elements Palette*


Just in time for the Holidays, Urban Decay has launched its newest baby, the Elements Palette, which retails for $65 cad and contains 19 never seen before shades. The collection also includes the Travel-Size Elements Space Powder for Face and Body, which retails for $15 cad - it makes for a great add-on this Holiday season since you can dust this beautiful golden finely milled shimmer on the body. If you're going to any parties this Holiday, brush this on your shoulders, legs and decolletage to achieve that radiant glow.

I have all the shadows swatched for you below, and have created 3 make-up looks for you using the palette. If you're interested in seeing them, then keep on reading below!

Review and Swatch: Mary Kay Chromafusion*


Mary Kay has recently launched a HUGE collection of products known as Chromafusion, which has 12 hours of stay true color for the eyes and face. These colors are said to last through anything you put it through - whether it may be a workout or hot weather. It is Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist tested for skin irritancy and allergies, so it is suitable for those with sensitivities or for those who wear contacts as well. The colors claim to stay as pigmented as you first put them on, and has no fallout.

Review: Design.Me Hair - Quickie.ME Dry Shampoo and Foam*


Design.Me Hair has developed some brand new products to add to their existing roster - introducing the brand new Dry Shampoo Sprays (for Blonde/Pastel Hair & Darker/Brunettes) as well as a Dry Shampoo Foam, retailing for approx $22 cad each - these are great to use a dry shampoo for combating that second day oily hair, or for me what I have been using the sprays for is actually as just a hair refresher. Nothing bothers me more than having washed my hair, styled it to go out for a meal or run errands and it ends up smelling less than fresh. I spray the brunette one in my hair when I get home, tousle it a bit and it helps deodorize and refresh! I have previously tried the Puff.Me spray from Design.Me before and I wrote about it in this post if you're interested, if you're looking for a great texturizing volume spray that isn't housed in an aerosol container than you may consider looking at that.

Review and Tutorial: SUVA Beauty - Block Party Palette*


I have previously reviewed the Moisture Matte Liquid Lipsticks before on the blog, if you're interested in reading it, then click here. When I was graciously sent the liquid lipsticks to test out, the amazing team at SUVA also sent me their famous Block Party Palette to play with as well. What I really liked about this palette was the fact that I was able to experiment and test out my creative side. For those who know me, will know that I naturally gravitate towards a neutral eye, even my more dramatic looks feature more neutral tones but smoked out.


As this palette has launched a while back, I am sure that you can find swatches of the palette online if you needed to, as well as on their site. They are true to color, swatch perfectly with one swipe to deliver pigmented color and their mattes are buttery and not patchy and their shimmers are beautiful and foiled looking.

Below I have created five different looks for you to see just how this palette can be used - whether it is to just add a subtle pop of color to the lid, or to go bold and dramatic. Just an FYI: The first photo on the left hand of the first row, is actually the same look as the last photo on the bottom row to the right.

If you're interested in seeing what shades I have used in the below looks, then just keep on reading:
From Left to Right: 
Left: see description on bottom row, left photo.
Middle: Milkshake on the inner half with Flash Mob layered on top and Popsicle on the Outer V.
Right: same with the above look but to add more color I added Lemonade to the inner third corner and dabbed Nachos on the middle of the lid as an accent color.

From Left to Right:
Left: Drunk Love on the inner half of the lid and Mix Tape on the outer half
Middle: Drunk Love on the inner Third, Popsicle in the middle and Dancing Shoes on the outer V
Right: Lemonade on the inner third, Mix Tape on the outer V with Boombox on the outer Corner pulling through to the upper inner corner to encase the yellow in the center and finally Dancing Shoes is used on the waterline to darken the look and smoke it out.

Until next time, XO - M.

*product was sent to me for review, all opinions are my own.

Review: Vichy - Dercos Desi-Solutions*


Vichy Canada introduces their brand new range called Dercos Densi-Solutions, which is aimed at those who have experienced or is experiencing loss of hair mass. I for one, know that this is so applicable to me as I am currently post-partum. This topic touches so many people, in all age groups so I hope that this blog post will be able to introduce you to something that could potentially help you in the long run. These products could help those of you who have noticed that your hair seems to not be covering your scalp as much as it did before, it is weaker than it used to be or that it is less thick/dense as it used to be, for me I really notice this especially when my hair is in a ponytail, it seems to be 3/4 of its width and it's so defeating. Below I will provide more information on the three different products in the range, so if you're interested in learning more than keep on reading.

Giveaway: Live Clean Body Care Products*


I have been a big fan of Live Clean products as mentioned on the blog several times in the last year or so, I used them during my pregnancy and now use it with my baby boy. My husband also enjoys their products as well and we use them as much as possible in our household - from handwashes to haircare and body products. I have partnered up with Live Clean for another giveaway - this time with body products - three body washes and three body lotions. If you're interested in learning more about the giveaway, and about the brand and prize, then keep on reading below.

Event Re-cap, Review & Swatch: NARS Holiday 2018*


NARS Holiday collections are always beautiful and worth the splurge in my honest opinion. I was fortunate enough to be invited to their recent Holiday 2018 Launch/Preview event in Toronto and I had to say yes and go! It was my first event ever since being pregnant/having my baby so I dolled up and head on down with my other blogger girlfriend. I have some photos of the event at the bottom of the blog to share with you. This year's collection is edgy with their spiked bold packaging which I adore, but honestly their makeup is even better. The collection contains cheek and shadow palettes, lip sets, duo sets of lipsticks, blushes, highlighters and bronzers and single powermatte lip lusters in limited edition shades. I was lucky enough to be sent a few items so if you're interested then keep on reading below as I have them swatched and reviewed for you!

Clarins - Joli Rouge Lipstick Formulations and Swatches*


Clarins has recently added a new formulation to their existing Joli Rouge line, which is the Joli Rouge Velvet, a true matte lipstick that is hydrating on the lips and has a velvet finish. The lipstick glides on seamlessly onto the lips and provides a opaque color delivery with no patchiness in one swipe. This lipstick formulation is marked with a V after the lipstick color number and it retails for $29 cad each. 

The other two formulations are the Joli Rouge and Joli Rouge Brilliant, which is priced as the same as the matte formulation. The Joli Rouge is a hydrating lipstick that is a satin finish and offers a opaque color deposit on the lips. It contains Salicornia extra and mango oil to hydrate the lips. The Joli Rouge Brilliant (marked by an S after the color number) offers a more sheer to medium finish compared to the previously mentioned Joli Rouge formulation. It contains fine micro pearls that are not visible to the eyes, it just gives a more light reflect to the lip to make it look a little fuller in my opinion.

The Joli Rouge and Joli Rouge Brilliant are quite similar in the photo,  the main different is that the Joli Rouge Brilliant is a bit more sheer to medium buildable coverage,  and the Joli Rouge is just a true opaque satin finish.


In the above swatches, which formulation is your favorite? I love them all and the Velvet one especially is one of the most comfortable matte lipsticks I have worn to date so I definitely want it n more colors!

Until next time, XO - M.

*products were sent to me for review, all opinions are my own

Review and Swatch: Zoya Jubilee Collection - Holiday 2018*


Tis the Season to be Jolly, Fa-la-la-la-laaaaaa-la-la-la-la!!! Zoya is getting you ready for this Holiday season with their Jubilee collection, which contains a mix of 12 polishes in a range of creams, luxe metals and a special effect topper (black leopard print - ooo!). There's something for everyone in this collection, from nudes to rich and brilliant jewel tones. If you're interested in seeing them all swatched, then keep on reading below.

Review, Swatch & Tutorial: Holiday Makeup Look with YSL*


I had recently received some goodies from YSL and you know I'm always down to create a one-brand tutorial! With Halloween coming this week, that means that the Holidays are right around the corner and what better way than to bring around some elegance to your Holiday look with YSL. I have created three looks with their YSL Couture Palette Collector Yconic Purple and two of their Tatouage Couture Metallics Liquid Lips (that I LOVE and have done a previous post about before). If you're interested in seeing some swatches and the look I created, then keep on reading below.