Swatch: Zoya - Calm Collection (Spring 2020)*


For Spring 2020, Zoya has released six new elegant pastel shades and named it the Calm Collection which I find the name to be very fitting. It has a combination of their creme and shimmer formula and is perfect for those who love a good nude, or a bit of color that isn't too bold.

The six shades are listed below:
Laura - true beige nude (cream)
Colleen - warm pastel pink (cream)
AJ - subtle pink with copper micro-shimmer (shimmer)
Vee - muted lilac (cream)
Emerson - cotton pastel blue (cream)
Leif - saje green (cream)

Below you will see the shades swatched at two coats each. Result: no streaks with full opacity! WOO!


Of the six shades, the three I'm gravitating to are Leif and AJ because they are more unique ones that I haven't seen before.

Would love to hear which ones are your favorite!

Until next time, XO - M

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

Review, Swatch and Tutorial: CATRICE x EMAN Collection*


I was so excited to learn that the cult favorite German drugstore makeup brand Catrice was coming to Canada - and to actually see this on shelves at Shoppers Drug Mart was fantastic! I have heard so much about this brand, and seen enough tutorials on YouTube to know that this is definitely a product worth trying. 

I was graciously sent the following products to review and test out, and what better way to do that then to do a makeup tutorial and do some swatches for you! 

The Catrice x EMAN collection includes 3 palettes featured below, from left to right - Eyeshadow, a Highlighter and Blush, each retailing $14.99 cad. Each palette swatched beautifully with one finger swipe onto my arm (as pictured below) and was done on my bare skin, not on top of any type of primer.  It is extremely pigmented and my goodness, I have honestly found a new drugstore favorite and the bonus is the price tag, it is actually affordable. I find that so many drugstore brands in Canada now are priced very high and is almost close to department store prices which doesn't help the budget-conscious consumer. Catrice is really shaking the drugstore market and I'm all for it!

The Eyeshadow palette - comes in 9 shades housed within a thick coardboard package with a solid mirror. It contains 5 mattes, four shimmers and are all equally pigmented and the mattes are buttery and easy to blend out. These shadows have performed better than even some high-end shadows so I am very excited to add this neutral palette to my collection (I'm all about neutrals for those who know me). 

The Highlighter palette comes in four different shades that can rightfully cater to all skin tones from fair to dark. Very pigmented with one swipe so this is definitely buildable from a subtle sheen to a blinding highlight that can be seen a mile away. 

The Blush palette is also extremely pigmented (can you see a common theme by now?) and literally requires the most gentle tap with the brush on the pan to achieve a flush of color to the cheeks. 

As for the rest of the face products that were sent to me to try out for my look include
1. Prime and Fine Multitalent Fixing Spray ($9.99) - I used this as a setting spray to seal in my look and I lasted through an entire workday with no issues. My make-up didn't budge and I did not have to touch up at all.
2. Keep Me Matt - Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti-Shine Base - This helped my makeup not look greasy as the day went on. It filled my pores as well and created a smooth canvas for my foundation to go on. Another win!
3. Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer ($7.99) - A bit thicker in consistency but blended out like a dream and covered my dark eye circles like a dream (as you can see in the photo below I don't even have a hint of panda eye bags - woo!). The concealer is also a tad peach in tone? so it worked to counter the darkness and color correct.
4. Generation Plump and Shine Lipgloss ($7.99) - LOVE this gloss, it wasn't sticky or tacky which I really like. I hate it when I feel like I have a thick paste on my lips so this one felt almost like water? weightless and comfortable with a cushion like feel. It also helped to make my lips look a bit fuller so woo!

Below I have used the palettes to create two different looks for you - on the left we have a blown out neutral smokey eye perfect for date night and on the right, an everyday look I would wear to work with a subtle cut crease. 
Honestly, every product I have tried by Catrice is a slamdunk and I am so excited to try out more products from them. For those of you have previously read my blog or know me in person, will know that I always say that brands rarely have the ability to make every product perform consistently but I think that Catrice is a true exception. Of the 7 products sent to me, I have nothing bad to say about them so truly, I want to try out even more products form them as soon as possible!

Until next time, XO - M.

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