Guerlain has recently launched their brand new matte lipsticks that feel luscious and comfortable - KISSKISS TENDER MATTE, available in 15 shades and retails for $48 each (price subject to vary from vendor to vendor). The lipsticks are housed in a chic and sleek glossy black component that has a beautiful weight to it. Everything from the formulation to the packaging screams luxury and I LOVEEEE it!! 

Below are the three shades that I have received and have swatched both on the arm and on my lips for you to see how they are. 

Of the three shades sent, my favorite would have to be 775 a true red followed by 940, the cherry red which is a shade darker. These lipsticks truly glide on effortlessly and they are all comfortable on the lip, non-drying, and is pigmented - one swipe is all it took!

What are your thoughts on these lippies? I already checked the Sephora site and some shades are already sold out, so really go and buy yourself at least one .. or MORE to try out!

Until next time, XO - M.

I've been using Quo Cosmetics since I was first wearing makeup, I still remember my first purchase from this brand, it was a cream bronzer, blush and highlight palette and I loved it so much. Fast forward now to 2020, they have relaunched their entire collection, repackaged it and reformulated it as well. I was recently sent their collection to try out and since it's been a hot minute from my last makeup tutorial I thought why not take the opportunity now! I have these beauties swatched below and I will also list out what products I've used to create the looks below.

Here is a classic before and after shot of my face - left, super tired panda circle eyed mom and right, my "effortless" clean-ed up look! To create this, I used the:

- Quo - Brow Defining Gel 

- Quo - Sheer Lip Paint (Poised)

- Quo - Pump Up The Volume Maxi-Volume (Black) 

- Quo - Golden Glow Primer 

- Quo - Skin Perfector (Golden Hour)

- Quo - Blush (Rose Water)

- Quo - Featherweight Cream Blush (Angelic)

- Quo - Cosmic Cream Shadow (Dark Matter)

- Quo - Liquid Precision Marker (Jet Black)

The only product that I used that isn't Quo is the foundation, concealer, lashes and Brow pencil (as one wasn't provided)

Below are the face and eye products that were used to create the look as well. The liquid liner is black and opaque, pigmented and can do a thin or thick line equally. The Cosmic Cream Shadow blends out like a dream and stays put all day and also layers wtihout getting caught and patchy. The Skin perfector powder is a beautiful diffused highlighter and the Golden Glow Primer is DEWY. It is like a liquid highlight so use with caution, I would not just use this directly on its own as a primer as you will end up looking like edward cullen when the sun hits - haha! I actually mixed this with my foundation and it was perfect! Lastly, the Blushes are buttery and pigmented as you can see the swatches are only one swipe. 

I decided to include swatches fo the three lipsticks for you below (oh and yes I did go darker, say goodbye to the blonde balayage hair). I used a lipbalm under the lipstick to give it a bit of shine and I really have to say its beautiful. You can see how truly pigmented they are and it only took one swipe.

Which products are you looking forward to? Have you tried anything from Quo yet? 

Until next time, XO - M.

Every Christmas, I always love to keep my eye out on the brow value sets from Benefit Cosmetics and this year the Magnificent Brow Show that is available for purchase at Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora and TSC.ca. It comes in 4 shades (2 - Blonde, 3 - Light Brown, 4 - Medium Brown and 5- Deep Brown), it also contains 5 full sized items and retails for $66 (combined value of $160). This is such an incredible deal and you best get a hold of it if you're smart!

Attached below is a photo of the before and after of what my brows look like when I use the Benefit Good Proof Brow Pencil. That is my go-to favorite one that I've been using for a very long time and continue to repurchase. I love the triangle tip that goes from thick to thin so you can angle it how you wish to fill in the bulk of the brow and then use the thin tip to draw in the individual brow hairs. I then like to take the 24-HR Brow Setter to set the brow hairs and the small brush helps to get the smallest hairs and set them into place without giving it a crunchy texture afterwards. On days I am lazy, and just going for a natural look, I will only use the Gimme Brow that is a tinted brow gel and just run that through my brow hairs to fluff them out, give it some color and illusion of thickness and I'm ready to go!

 

Below is the list of all 5 brow products that come in the set - it is a great set that is perfect for anyone who wants to test out what brow products work for them and which formulation they want to work with, whether it be a gel/pomade formula, a thin tip pencil or the triangle angular one I spoke about above. Lastly, the two brow gels also let you see which one you gravitate towards, a small tinted one or the bigger traditional brush. 

It has been almost two years since my last empties post, so I have accrued alot of items to share with you all. As always, I will post the name of the item, a brief and quick round-up of my thoughts and whether or not I would repurchase it. I would say that this is about 80% of my empties? there are some that I have just tossed and forgotten to save, so below you will find a combination of baby, hair, skin, cosmetics and other misc products. Buckle up, it's going to be one long post!

In addition to the above stated views on the ingredients and products, they have a fantastic view on their packaging of products as well. They are committed to repurposing, reusing and recycling which includes using recyclable boxes and paper in your shipment. The cardboard is made with 100% biodegradable cardboard derived from sustainable forests and all printing is done with 100% eco ink from vegetables. 

With a company that has such strong values on maintaining their integrity in their ingredients as well as reducing their ecological footprints, what isn't there to love and admire about this company? 

One of their popular items, this is a rich in texture but yet light-weight upon application cream. It is very soothing when applied and contains Kiwifruit, rich in Vitamin C which helps to brighten and reduce the appearance of fine-lines while moisturizing at the same time. This item is fragrance free and is suitable for all skintypes. Fun fact: One jar of this eye cream is sold every 60 seconds on average - wow! 

If you're interested in trying out some Antipodes products , they are available for purchase at The Bay, Well.ca and Amazon.

Items I'm excited to try out in the future include:

Until next tine, XO - M.

I was recently sent this beautiful collection from Mary Kay - they are called the Unlimited Lipgloss, comes in 14 shades and 3 finishes - cream, pearl and shimmer and retails for $18 each. What I truly love about this collection is the variety of wearable colors it offers - there is a color for every occassion and easily takes you from morning to night, casual to dramatic and sexy. 

The gloss is super comfortable and plush, it is not sticky at all (BONUS!) and feels hydrating on the lips and does not settle in fine lines. The cream shades are pigmented and offers a smooth finish and delivery of color with one swipe. This formula contains Vitamins C and E as well and is dermatologist-tested for skin irritations and allergies. 

I'd love to know which shade is your favorite below - mine are: Evening Berry, Unique Mauve, Iconic Red, Pink Ballerina, Pink Fusion and Nude Blush. 

Until next time, XO - M.

I have been using Catrice Cosmetics for a while now, if you missed my last post about them you can access it here. In my initial experience with them (and my first time using Catrice), I was so happy with the formulation of their products and when I had told my friend about it she went out to buy the products I recommended and loved it as well. 

This time, I have the chance to try their new Self-Made Bae palette ($16.99) in addition to their HD Liquid Coverage Foundation ($13.99). 

The eyeshadow palette is one from a collection of 3 different pieces named Self-Made, Basic and Badass. It contains a blend of mattes and shimmers and there are 12 shades total. I used the palette to create one entirely matte eye-look, and another is a darker smokey eye featuring the shade #RoleModel.

All the swatches above are done with one finger swipe and as you can see, the mattes are pigmented and not chalky and the shimmers are buttery and beautiful. In my honest opinion you really can't do better for this price point - it actually performs better than some high-end shadows I have tried that cost an arm and a leg!

Below you will see my bare face before the application of the HD Liquid Coverage foundation and the Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer ($7.99). 

As you can see, really the difference is night and day - it gave me a medium finish - I took the photographs in two different lightings just so you can see really how full coverage I got without it looking cakey. I only needed 2-3 drops of the foundation and I buffed it onto my face with a brush. I liked how light-weight it felt and as I wore it through the day, it almost seamlessly worked into my skin to look even more natural! I wore it during the heatwave we got on the weekend and it didn't break apart or do anything weird on my skin.

Look #1 is the entirely matte eyeshadow look where I used #selfmade in the inner half of the lid, #empire on the crease, #boss in the mid lid to outer V and to deepen the outer V I used #equalpay and #hustle. 

Look #2 features #rolemodel all over the lid and #empire on the crease - quick and easy smokey eye!

Overall, I would definitely have to recommend the palette and foundation to you guys to purchase, at the price point you really have nothing to lose. It offers great pay-off and I am thoroughly excited to see what else I can try from Catrice in the future!

Until next time, XO - M.

I was sent these Avon GlimmerKiss Liquid Lipstick recently and since it's been a long while I've posted a makeup-related blog post, I decided to swatch these lippies for you to see how they look! They come in four different shades and as the name suggests and they are a glimmer/shimmer finish. 

The liquid lipstick feels weightless on the lips and glides on effortlessly without drying it at all - I think I have the gel-cream formula to thank for that. They are water-resistant after you apply and let it set and does last on the lips (again without cracking or settling into fine lines of the lips). Lastly, they are paraben, sulfate and phthlate-free.

With four shades - Ruby (red), Sand Opal (Champagne), Amethyst (purple) and Violet (fuschia), while they do look a bit intimidating in the packaging I must say when applied they look bold and become quite wearable with a simple black wing. I would not do any type of eye look with these bold lips to be honest as you don't want to overwhelm the look. 

Which shade is your favorite? Mine would have to be Ruby - a classic red.

Until next time, XO - M.

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.

If you are looking at holiday gifting ideas for the makeup lover in your life may I suggest these beauties from Real Techniques and EcoTools? This is perfect for any type of make-up lover - from beginner who is looking for some high quality makeup application items and essentials, to the well-versed make-up user who already has a kit built out but just wants some new brushes, because who can pass up some new brushes?! 

I have been a user of Real Technique brushes for years - I want to say I've been using it for 8 years? I was such a huge fan I even met the PIXIWOO sisters (creators) at IMATS in Toronto and Nicole and I chatted about Suits, the TV show. They are super down to earth and are make-up artists with a YouTube Channel that started their own make-up brush/tools brand. 

This set, the Everyday Essentials Makeup Brush Set has everything you will need to get your basics done:

1. The RT400 Blush brush can be used for loose powders (powder foundation/setting powders/blush/bronzer)

2. RT 402 Setting can be used for contour, highlight 

3. RT 300 - can be used for shadow application and concealer blending 

4. RT 200 Expert Face is used for liquid product as the bristels are quite dense, so I like to use it for liquid foundation or cream blush/bronzer. 

5. Miracle Complexion Sponge is a great beauty sponge to help ensure all your makeup is blended.

Next is the EcoTools Total Perfecting Blender - it is an amazing blender with this really straight edge as you can see which is GREAT for forming lines on the nose for your contour or to create a contour line on the cheekbones. I LOVE this sponge and as you can see I'm again, already a user of this product as well. I didn't want to open the one I because I want to save it for use later on, I still have this one that is in good condition. 

These gifts are perfect for gifting this holiday season, or just even for a gift to yourself! 

I am a huge fan of both brands and you will honestly not regret buying these.

Until next time, XO - M

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

Soul Story is a skincare brand that uses high quality ingredients sourced from Korea and Europe. Their products are said to give you healthier, smoother and more radiant skin. Is natural and suitable for all skin types and delivers a brighter and more youthful complexion. The products are formulated and manufactured in Korea and are free from toxic ingredients, parabens, ethanol, mineral oil, talc, synthetic pigments, sulfates, lanolin (and more) . Being free of these harmful products truly means that you are getting quality ingredients with no compromises and which is why it will also work for those with sensitive skin. 

I was generously gifted with the Sun Warrior as well as the Purifying Cleansing Foam.

Of the two products, if I had to pick the Sun Warrior is my favorite. I can admit that I usually avoid sunscreen products on my face because I hate the heavy or greasy feeling, and if I found a product that didn't have those two traits, I didn't like that it gave me flashback or that it was just one more thing I had to put on in addition to my primer, etc. I just find that sunscreen makes my oily combo skin even oilier? If that makes sense. Well, this product has changed all of the above for me. It is so lightweight, it blends out to a weightless finish on the skin and best of all it has a silky matte and smooth finish that acts like a primer as well. It can be used on both the face and neck and protects against harmful UVA and UVB rays.  This product is truly amazing and I can proudly say that I use sunscreen now! OH! bonus fact, it has SPF 50+!

Next we have the Purifying Cleansing Foam, it has a rich whipped texture that is pH balanced to gently yet effectively rid your skin of dirt and bacteria. It is suitable for all skin types, is fragrance free and has properties in it to help calm and gently brighten the skin and add some natural radiance to it. This product did effectively help rid my skin of all traces of dirt and makeup as when I use a cotton pad to it with toner afterwards, there was no evidence of any makeup. I did use micellar water to remove eye makeup first (but that is something I do no matter what cleanser I use). 

Overall, these two products are fantastic, their price point is also very reasonable - the cleanser is $12 and the sunscreen is $30. You can also purchase it together $37.50 and save some $. The cleanser is compact and great for travelling to take on the go, and the sunscreen comes in a durable yet sleek harder case that feels sturdy and luxurious. It's solid so when I shake it up to use it, it won't go flying out of my hand or get damaged if I take it in my makeup bag with me on the go.

Until next time, XO - M.

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

Avon has launched some new makeup items that I'm excited to share with you! The mattitude/soft matte liquid lipsticks are weightless, non-drying, and are super pigmented. One swipe gives you even color distribution to the lips and I love how my lips do not shrivel up and feel tight. These liquid matte lipsticks are infused with poppy seed oil and vitamin E to help nourish and smooth out the lips. Added bonus is that they are paraben, sulfate, and phthalate-free and retails for $15 cad each and comes in 8 shades.

The Glimmershadow Liquid Eyeshadows retail for $10 each and is available in a shimmer or glitter formulation. It is silky, light-weight and is a water-infused butter base which blends easily, dries smoothly and layers well without being patchy. It is paraben free and comes in 8 different shades. 

Above are the new True Color Glimmersticks Eyeliners that retail for $9 each and offers 10 hours of shimmery color.  Once applied you do get a few seconds of wiggle and playing room and then after that it is set and is waterproof. It is retractable so you dont have to worry about carrying a sharpener with you. 

Out of each of the new collections launched, my favorite are the Devoted liquid matte lipstick, Fools Gold and Bronze Age liquid eyeshadow and Toasted / Olive of the eyeliners. Which ones speak to you?

Until next time, XO - M.

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

The Omnia Professional make-up brushes are made of 100% Omnilux filaments, which is a revolutionary new vegan synthetic hair produced using patented nanotechnology.Each hair filament is manipulated at a molecular level to be superior to natural hair. 

I personally own a wide variety of make-up brushes, some luxury ones handmade by Japanese artisans with real hair, as well as synthetic ones. When I use these brushes and compare them to my Japanese real hair brushes, it really is a hard time for me to find and notice a difference between the two.

The hairs on this brush are super soft and perform the same in terms of product dispensing and placement/pick-up. 

Below I have included a photo of all the brushes sent to me, as well as a description from their site on each brush, and a short review from me as well as what and how I like to use these specific brushes.

Each brush comes individually packaged and some of the bigger brushes have a plastic holder for it. The other luxurious feeling of the brush is the handle, that it is really sturdy and feels almost like a matte rubber-like texture. It gives it such a posh feel as opposed to your regular standard slippery handle.

From left to right:

Omnia Professional BOM-195: Bronze the face delicately or brush off excess powder with this deluxe-sized fan brush.
Thoughts: The wide fan of the brush allows for a very diffused look of bronzer around the circumference of the face. It makes the bronzer look very diffused and airbrushed with no harsh lines. You can easily use this as a highlight on the cheekbones brush as well.

Omnia Professional BOM-130: This long, round brush tapers into a pointed tip to apply powder product with expert precision

Thoughts: This brush performs and is used for exactly what it says - powder application, whether it be a powder foundation or setting powder. I pick some up with the brush and gently roll and press onto my face if it is for setting powder. If it is for foundation I gently buff it and swirl the product on my face.

Omia Professional BOM-251: This large duo-fiber style brush stipples powder, cream, or liquid product for a light, airy finish.

Thoughts: This brush is pretty wide so I like to even use it for bronzer application for a diffused look, and also for any cream based product like cream blush or powder foundation if I am going for a sheer natural coverage.

Omnia Professional BOM-185: This smaller, dense, dome-shaped brush meticulously blends complexion makeup into small areas of the face. Its narrow shape also makes it perfect for contouring.

Thoughts: I like this for cream contour or bronzer products as well as liquid foundation application. It has a smaller more defined dome shape to it that allows for more precise application to the face. 

Omnia Professional BOM-265: Apply a concentrated, dazzling highlight to the face for a radiant look

Thoughts: This powder is perfect for precise highlight application on my cheekbones - it has a medium density so it picks up a good amount of product but can also give you a more sheer finish when you tap off some product.

Omnia Professional BOM-415: This traditional eyeshadow brush features an oval shape that uniformly blends color over the entire lid.

Thoughts: This is a pretty straight-forward all over the lid eyeshadow brush. 

Omnia Professional BOM-490: Ideal for creating clean, precise lines, this small-sized brush features a narrow, angled edge

Thoughts: This is great for brows and eyeliner!

Omnia Professional BOM-435: The expertly tapered bristles on this small brush allow for flawless, detailed smudging at the lash line.

Thoughts: I like this for more precise crease work, like a defined crease or cut crease. The brushes are dense and so it dispenses the product very well. 

Omnia Professional BOM-460: Create bold definition in the crease and outer corners of the eyes.

Thoughts: This brush is very unique to me as I do not believe I have ever used one that shape. This makes buffing out color to your outer V and crease a breeze! as well as diffusing any harsh lines!

Omnia Professional BOM-420: Intensify your look by lightly smudging liner and shadows with the tapered tip.

Thoughts: I use this just for my outer V to put color into it and create definition and contrast or to smoke out a look. 

I definitely recommend that you take a look at these brushes as they are priced very reasonably as well - you can get a face brush like the large duo-fiber brush for $18.99 usd and an eye brush, the traditional eyeshadow brush (BOM-415) for $9.99 usd which is all very reasonable and fair!

Until next time, XO - M.

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

Marc Jacobs recently launched a concealer that I knew I had to put to the test, being that my panda eye circles need some serious patching up. This concealer comes in a range of 17 shades and acts as a your typical concealer and a touch up stick. 

This offers a medium buildable coverage and is very pigmented. In the photos below of my application, you will see that it is done with one swipe and then blurs out effortlessly and melts into the skin. I do find that I have to set it with powder just so it doesn't crease. It is not emollient or overly wet, it actually dries down to a satin matte formula. 

This is said to be able to be used under and over makeup, help blur the look of pores, fine lines and imperfections while hiding dark circles, blemishes and uneven skin tone. While I cannot speak to the fine lines I must say that it does everything it claims. In the photos below of my application I used only the concealer to even out my discolouration and my panda eyes. 

This product packaging is in a sleek container that you twist up for more product and retails for $42 cad.

I am in love with this concealer and it is a definite purchase and try! I just love how portable this is I can easily take it with me on the go.

Until next time, XO - M.