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!

Benefit Cosmetics sure makes the cutest gift sets for the holiday season! I mean normally they're packaging is already beautiful, but their holiday stuff is always the perfect time to try various items at an amazing price point! The Benefit Brow Superstars! set is no exception, you get 6 full-sized items specifically tailored to help you deliver the best brows you can possibly attain at home for $79 canadian (right now it is on sale for $66 on sephora! woo!)

I am in shade 4, and to be honest I have a use for each and every item provided in the kit! I don't do my brows the same everyday, I mean okay I use the brow gel everyday and the 24-hour brow setter, but sometimes I do alternate between the Goof Proof Brow Pencil, Ka-Brow and Precise, My Brow depending on how strong of a brow I'd like. What I am really trying to say that this kit is truly customizable to what type of brow routine you would like. 

You can even house the products in the stand it comes in and it'll look beautiful on your vanity!

The lovely team at Benefit Cosmetics Canada has offered two of my readers a chance to win their very own Brow Superstars! set!! The two shades available are shades 2 and 4 - the winner will get the chance to pick between the two shades. 

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 both accounts (mine @mirandachan and @benefitcanada) 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.

Good Luck everyone!

Until next time, XO - M.

*prize pack is provided by Benefit Cosmetics Canada

Breaking New: the AVON x THE FACE SHOP is now live and I am super excited. This collaboration was a total shock to me and I'm not mad at it. I am so excited in fact because this means that it is a great platform for both companies to be able to showcase each others products. I'm sure alot of AVON clients may not have heard of THE FACE SHOP before, and now they can get introduced to it which is fantastic! 

I was set a few items from their collection to try! First is the skinscare set which features generous deluxe sizes of four different products to try: 

The Therapy Oil Blending Cream

Rice Water Bright Foaming Cleanser

Dr Belmur Cica Recovery Cream 

Veilment Natural Spa Black Rose Body Scrub and Cleanser 

Next, I received a box of make-up items that features products to create a nice complexion:

1. Ink Lasting Cushion Foundation - love this cushion foundation, it makes it look like second skin, a better version of me. It has a natural matte finish that is cooling on application and dries down fairly quickly and does not dry tacky. 

2. Moisture Cushion Blush - great applicator, the cushion pad itself is smaller so it can really focus on just the cheeks. It gives a natural flush to the cheeks and lasts all day.

3. Ink Lasting Primer - a gel primer that helps to minimize pores and make your makeup last all day. It is said to brighten your skin and smooth uneven texture. I liked how lightweight this was on the skin and how it dried down quick meaning no wait time for the makeup application. It did smooth out the pores on my nose/cheek area. 

4. Flat Velvet Lipstick - as the name indicates this is a velvet matte lipstick. Feels lightweight on the lips and is opaque and only requires one swipe. 

Below is all the products in action (plus my own black liner and brows)

Until next time, XO - M.

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

This holiday, OPI is collaborating with Hello Kitty once again to bring to you a beautiful line of 15 polishes as well as SUPER adorable gift sets that you must check out. I grew up LOVING Hello Kitty and that love never did quite go away with age - haha! my friends could definitely attest to that. 

I am super excited about this collection and have them all swatched below for you. In addition, I also showed you how you could easily do some polish layering to use the glitter top coats. I definitely would love to know which ones are your favorite shades!

Left to Right:

Glitter to My Heart - clear base with white and silver glitter chunks throughout

Let's Be Friends! - a creamy pastel baby pink

A Hush of Blush -  baby pink pearl finish

Born to Sparkle - clear base with rose gold glitter reflects

Let's Celebrate! - hot pink clear polish with iridescent glitter throughout

All About the Bows - bright pink toned red - cream base

Glitter All The Way - true gold glitter of different sizes throughout

Many Celebrations To Go! - gold pearl polish

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Below are two of the little gift sets I received that I think is super adorable to give to any Hello Kitty fan, especially the little one in your life even as an ornament to hang on the tree with a mini baby pink polish! 

My favorites from this collection include: A Hush of Blush, All About the Bows, My Favorite Gal Pal 

Until next time, XO - M.

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

This beautiful and vibrant nail polish set from BIO SCULPTURE is called the "On The Reef" Collection. It comes in both gel and polish formulations, the gel one is available only for professional salon-only use and the nail polish is for everyday at-home use. 

Below I have all five of the polishes swatched - we have:

248 - Tropical Sunray - vibrant yellow lemon shade

246 - Island Surf - peach tone

249 - Coral Cluster - coral orange-toned pink

250 - Radiant Starfish - vibrant hot pink

247 - Mermaid's Tale - silver shift with reflect sequins and glitter flecks.

The polishes are not only beautiful to look at, but you can typically get away with one coat. The swatches below are done with one and it has a wide brush tip for effortless application. In addition, the formula contains a nourishing vitamin-fortified blend so you are also getting added benefits to your nails.

You can always use these polishes to create your own designs, or even by layering like I did with shades 246 & 247. I am loving the formulations of these polishes and am looking forward to trying more out in the future!!

Until next time - XO, M

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

Wet n Wild brings to you the limited edition Rebel Rose Collection, which can either be bought in its entirety in a makeup or skincare set, or in individual pieces. 

Rebel Rose Photo Focus Rose Toner - this toner which contains Rose Water, is alcohol-free and helps with hydrating your skin, it has a very subtle rose scent and can be used either as part of your skincare routine, or even to be used before makeup application, to set your face or to refresh it during the day whenever you want a pick me up. 

Rebel Rose Photo Focus Rose Primer Serum - This serum is water based, and contains botanical extracts of cucumber and goji berry to help pack on the moisture to the skin. This would be a great all season product as it will not add to the grease factor of the skin and would just provide some hydration and plump up your skin (which is something you would need all year long!).

Left: Wet n Wild Perfect Pout Lip Scrub / Right: Tint of Corruption Lip Balm and Rose in Peace Creme Blush - these two products adjust to your own customized shade of Berry Pink according to your pH levels.

The Lip Balm honestly surprised me and I would have to say is my favorite lip product (after that are the glosses from this collection). It is almost jelly like and watery in texture and is so moisturizing and just glides on effortlessly on the lips. It leaves behind a pink-ish tint after it adjusts to your custom shade of pink that looks very natural on your complexion, It contains a blend of Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil, Virgin Passion Fruit Seed Oil and Argan Oil to moisturize and nourish the lips. 

The Creme Blush is beautiful, you can use a finger to dab and blend on the cheek or you can use a stippling brush to apply it on the cheeks. It is creamy, feels comfortable on the cheeks and also contains a blend of Murumuru Seed Butter, Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil, Virgin Passion Fruit and Argan Oil to keep your cheeks hydrated. It stays put on the cheeks and does not run or fade through the day.

Lipsticks - From top to bottom we have: Bad Romance and Petal Poison which are glosses. They call them the hi-shine lipstick, it is the first time I've tried this formulation and I love it! It's shiny, it doesn't bleed out of the lip and has a beautiful color payoff. It is creamy and feels like cushion on the lips and contains a blend of vitamins, plant-based oils and butters like Vitamin E and Murumuru Seed Butter for moisture. I have actually been seeing the ingredient murumuru more recently, in skincare as well!

Kiss of Death and Deviant Damsel (which are liquid lipsticks). The liquid lipsticks are honestly probably one of my favorite drugstore formulations, it has great staying power, doesn't feel dry on the lips and has great opacity - one swipe! It contains Vitamin E and Macadamia Derivatives to help moisturize the lips. 

Everything in this collection is rose themed - from their Rose Multi-Use Oil with real rose petals suspended within, to their ever so soft and fluffy brushes.

The Multi-Use Oil, is really as what the name suggests - you can use it for the face, body, hair and nails and is not greasy and thick. It feels almost like water in texture but has a very subtle rose scent to it that does not smell overly perfumed or artificial (something I really appreciate).  It contains Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil and Argan Oil for hydration and absorbs very quickly on the skin.

As for the eyshadow quads below, their shimmers are beautiful, pigmented - as are their mattes. Initially, the mattes felt a bit dry when I was finger swatching the,, but when applied to the lids it blended out effortlessly and had great color payoff. For being a drugstore product and with such an affordable pricepoint, there really are zero complaints. I took each quad and created a different look with it - a smokey look with the Bed of Roses Quad, an edgey more modern one with House of Thorns Quad and an everyday natural look with the Secret Garden Rendezvous. Quad. Which one is your favorite?

Bed of Roses Shadow Eyeshadow Quad 

House of Thorns Eyeshadow Quad

Secret Garden Rendezvous Eyeshadow Quad

Out of the whole collection, I would suggest that your must haves are the Lip Balm, Cheek Brush, Multi-Use Oil, the Glosses and at least one of the shadow palettes. I know it seems like alot that I'm selecting but really, the prices and the product itself speaks volumes! 

Which product are you most interested in? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, XO - M.

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

While we are getting glimpses of warmer weather here in Toronto, Winter isn't quite over yet! I know because well, it's still cold plus my hands are still suffering the effects of the weather with the occasional eczema flare-up. It takes me a while to find some hand creams that do not irritate me, so I had to share my findings with you now that I have narrowed it down to my top 5. 

Why 5 you say? well, each one is different - in terms of scent and availability. Honorable mention does go to the Fresh - Seaberry Nourishing Hand Cream that I have been using every winter for the last 2-3 years, that stuff is amazing! But hey, I need to try something new right?

I will review the products from left to right in the above image, so if you're interested in learning more, then keep on reading below!

This Spring, OPI has launched a brand new collection of 12 nail polishes inspired by Tokyo! I remember going to that beautiful city about 5 years ago now, and I long for the day that I can go back again. I absolutely loved it, from the entertainment, to the culture and the shopping - it's an amazing city. 

The Tokyo Collection has a mix of cream and metallic finishes. Though the names of the polishes are a mouthful, they are absolutely adorable - from How Does Your Zen Garden Grow to I'm On a Sushi Roll and Another Ramen-tic Evening. As for the finish, I found that I had to use about 2-3 layers of polish in order to achieve full coverage. The only shade that required one layer was Hurry-juku Get The Color! and Kanpai OPI!. 

Overall I am extremely pleased with this collection, and I would definitely suggest that you pick up a few shades that I mentioned above with the names that I love!

Until next time, XO - M

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

Let's talk Spring right now because the weather outside is horrendous - if you're in the Greater Toronto Area, you will probably have heard of the near 20 cm of snow we're getting - boo! I was fortunate enough to be sent the YSL 2019 Spring Makeup Collection and if you are a reader or follower of my blog, you will know that I am an avid fan of their makeup - from their packaging to some of their formulations. I truly believe that they have come a long way in their formulations in the past year - if you keep reading below you will see which products are a must buy, and whether or not there are any misses and why. If you're interested in my last post about the Holiday collection, you can read all about it here, if not then you can see my other YSL posts here.

This season's packaging is housed in a beautiful iridescent pinkand gold packaging - both remaining true to their standard eyeshadow palette and blush/highlight compact size. Again, the packaging is sleek, luxe and has a nice weight to it that makes you feel super fancy and posh when using it. 

Next, we have the Shimmer Rush Collector Blush Palette, which retails for $78 cad. While the formulation is soft, buttery and smooth it is important to note that it is a very light shade. I am a light-medium neutral in complexion and it hardly shows up on me. I had to end up layering this on top of the YSL Babydoll Duo Stick blush (one of my favs for a natural look). The swatch below is a heavy swatch of about 3-4 swipes, when I just use a fluffy brush to dip into the compact though and then apply to the face, I see the radiance they talk about - similar to a finishing powder. Though this item is beautiful to look at, I would however still recommend sticking with the mutli-use palette above if you had to chose between these two items.

In addition to the palettes, I was also been sent 5 of the 8 new Volupte Plump-in-Colour Lipsticks. I had originally seen this product reviewed on Tati's (Glam Life Guru) Video recently and she had done a horrid review on these lipsticks - saying it burnt her lips and that it made her lips look blue and her circulation was being cut off - which is quite harsh and scary! To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to try these out because I am such a huge fan of YSL lip products, I didn't want this to ruin the streak for me. However, hey It needs to be done! 

I started off by swiping these lipsticks on my arm as you can see below and they glided on effortlessly and beautifully - one swipe, even color distribution and looks wonderful like their other formulations. I saw no evidence of the black and blue markings that Tati mentioned - perhaps maybe she had got a bad batch? who knows - I'm not here to criticize her review, but just simply bringing light to those reading my post that I did not encounter this issue at all. 

This balm also is said to have a subtle plumping effect, which I find to be true - it has a slight tingling sensation, but nothing as extreme as many other ones I have tried in the marketplace - this one did not bother me nor did it over-do it. It just made it look a bit more juicy and at the end of the day this felt weightless, like water on my lips but as you can see in the video - one swipe, leaves behind a glossy look without the tackiness at all. You guys definitely need to go buy one... two... or more of these!ASAP!

From left to right are shades 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 on the far right which is a true red. I think all these colors are great for Spring or even for Valentines coming up!

Which items are your favorite or make you feel most excited about? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, XO - M.

* All items are PR samples, minus the Anastasia and Benefit products. 

I am very excited to bring to you a few brand new items from NARS - particularly their newest eyeshadow palette that launched this month, the Skin Deep Eye Palette. It is limited edition (spoiler: so go get it!) and has a selection of mattes, shimmers and metallic finishes. What I appreciate most about this palette is that their larger eyeshadow pans contain the shades that are essential to any look, whether it gravitates towards a more cool or warm toned look. It works in conjunction with the colors in the palette and just comes together effortlessly. It is a well thought out palette, and even includes two smaller matte shades that work well as a brow powder.

The products used to create the look you see below include:
Primer: Lancome - Blur and Go Stick*

Foundation: NARS - Natural Radiant Long-wear Foundation (Santa Fe)*

This foundation is brand new to me and oh my goodness I think it is quickly becoming a new favorite. It offers a very buildable coverage that does not look cakey, it is a thin formulation so it glides on effortlessly and just covers any imperfections and makes me look airbrushed in my photos without any touching up (I did not do any photoshopping to my face in the images below). I used one layer in my look and it gave me a light medium coverage.

Concealer: NARS - Radiant Creamy Concealer (Crema Catalana)*

This is also a brand new shade to me, typically I use the shade Custard during my lighter skin toned months (winter) and Ginger, during the summertime when I'm a bit more tanned. Crema Catalana is a brand new shade exclusive to Sephora and it's a tad darker than Custard leaning more peach and it works so well in combating my under eye circles. Again, in the photos I did not do any retouching under my eyes!

Bronzer: NARS - Laguna

Blush: NARS - Impassioned

Eyeshadow: see each look/photo for specifics listed*

Brows: Skin Deep Eye Palette - Coconut Grove*

Mascara: NARS - Climax*

Eyeliner: Tarte - Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner (Black)*

Lashes: KOKO Lashes - KOKO

Lips: NARS - Sheer Lipstick (Damage)

Crease: Undressed and Sophia
Lid: Unbuttoned

Defined Crease: Sophie and Bali

Browbone: Taunt

Lower Lash Line: Unbuttoned and Whipped

Diffuse any harsh lines: Whipped

Crease: Undressed and Sophia
Inner Half of the Lid: Icon

Outer Half of the Lid: Faster Pussycat

Outer V: Whipped

Browbone: Taunt

Lower Lash Line: Bali and Faster Pussycat

This palette really is a neutral lover's dream - you can easily transition from something natural and effortless to something smokey and dramatic and you bet I will be taking this with me on my next vacation! 

Until next time, XO - M.

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