Christmas Beauty Haul

I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday! I've been pretty busy lately, we spent Christmas Eve with my family (Europeans celebrate on the 24th) and Christmas Day at my boyfriend's family. I also had relatives up from Illinois so we spent a couple of days with them as well. And we still have Christmas dinner with my boyfriend's family tomorrow. Didn't do much Boxing Day shopping this year, decided to sleep in and relax instead. I am the beauty person in the family, everyone knows each year that I'd love to get makeup most of all and they came through. The above pic shows the goodies that I got this year.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation: My first Laura Mercier product ever, I heard this is great for dry skin and it was definitely on my wishlist. It's full coverage and hydrates nicely.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +: I picked this up before Christmas technically but it was with a gift card for Sephora so I've included it here. Despite hearing this wasn't for dry skin, I think I prefer this to the HD since the coverage is better.

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque: Got this with a Holt Renfrew gift card. I asked the sales person if they give samples to try it out first and she looked at me like I was insane, since it's so small no they do not. So whatever, since I don't normally shop at Holts I picked it up anyway and it's great, may be the best undereye concealer ever since it corrects instead of just covering, very creamy too.

Sonia Kashuk brushes: Every time I am in the US, I always hit up Target and get some of these cause we don't have them in Canada (we really should!). I asked my cousin to get some for me, even gave them links to specific ones. I got the Synthetic Multi-Purpose brush, eyeshadow brush, dome shaped crease brush (love this the most) and one of the regular line eyeshadow brushes too. I love the handles on these, so cute.

Urban Decay Primer Potion Professional Size: Thank the lord they came out with this in a professional size, much more user friendly. However, I do find the product really hard to get out since it's thick you have to really squeeze the container. This will last me forever since I had the original UDPP for two years.

I will do full reviews on all these products once I use them up more.

Now for some Christmas shopping pictures. Here is the Toronto Eaton Centre, they had a giant Christmas tree in the centre of the mall, it turned. Also that is snow that you see falling from the ceiling there, not real snow of course but a short of soapy stuff that fell from the ceiling, it was really cool!

They also had a Ferrero Rocher tree. We lined up for like 15 minutes to get a free chocolate. If you can see in the bottom left corner they had a smaller tree, you'd take a chocolate off the tree, open it up and depending on what colour ball you had on the inside you could win money or gift cards, or at least a free chocolate. We got the free chocolate.

The top 4 pictures are of The Bay Christmas window displays, the pictures do not do justice to how cool these are, there are moving parts and they are so elaborate. One of the nice things of living in Toronto is finally being able to see this.

And here is how busy the Eaton Centre was on the 23rd.. people everywhere! I do not miss this at all. :)

Did you do much Christmas shopping this year? Or boxing week shopping? Did you get some nice beauty items in your stocking this year?

Friday Faves: What's Your Favorite Way To Apply Liquid Foundation?

Last week I asked you girls what your favorite foundation was, today I am asking you what your favorite way to apply liquid foundation is? Having a good foundation is one thing, knowing how to best apply it to suit your skin is another issue. I know people use all sorts of methods and I will go over them today and tell you what I like best. Some methods include using brushes such as a traditional flat foundation brush, a flat top brush, or stippling brush. Using sponges such as a beauty blender or cosmetic wedge. And lastly, using your hands. Those are the ways that I can think of.

Traditional foundation brush - I don't reach for this brush to apply foundation hardly ever. I feel like I am painting my face. But I know whenever I go to a makeup counter and they apply foundation on me, it is always with this type of brush. I find it can get streaky this way.

Flat top foundation brush - This is my favourite type of brush to use, I love the ELF Powder brush because it's quite wide so you can cover a large area of your face and pack this on quickly. Also for me I don't tend to blend with this type of brush but more just pat it on and I am done. I get great coverage and it applies evenly. The Sigma F80 can function the same way. Another brush is the MAC 109, it's sorta flat but also rounded, I use this method sometimes as well, for the same purpose, tapping or pouncing the foundation on.

Stippling brush - This method can give the most "flawless" application because you are basically stippling foundation on, and then blending if needed. It is time consuming however. I have been using this method more and more lately, but I only stipple no blending anymore, however I prefer the flat top method over this.

Blending sponge - This year especially many companies have put out beauty blender type sponges for applying foundation. The sponge is soaked in water and it expands to twice the size and can give very precise application of liquid foundation. The sponge is washed and used again and again. I have the Sonia Kashuk verison here. I very very rarely use this method because I am not very good at it and prefer using my brushes.

Cosmetic wedge - Some products include their own sponges inside, most of the time these are useless because they can only be used a limited number of times. However it can give a nice looking finish as well. Wedges can also be purchased at dollar stores or drugstores (I have packs of them).

Recently, I watched a youtube video from the fabulous "gossmakeupartist" where he goes over how we need to wet our sponges when applying makeup. How it will sheer out your foundation, and not give you that cakey look that everyone hates. It makes your foundation a lot easier to work with and you can layer it much easier. Wetting your sponge does not allow the foundation to settle into the sponge either, so you aren't wasting product.

What interested me most was how he said that those with dry (me) or combination skin have areas of the face where the skin feels textured and rough, if we use a stippling brush and blend we are basically "micro-exfoliating" our faces! That made total sense to me, after watching that, I no longer blend my foundation in anymore, if I need to I do so with my hands. Similarly, when you powder your face afterwards to set your face, you are "micro-exfoliating" again and disturbing your face, instead we should be using a powder puff and pressing the powder into our skin instead.

I think his advice is genius if you have this type of skin and have issues. I know I definitely do and this has helped me so much. Makeup brushes are fun to collect and make you feel all professional when using them, but sometimes they may not be the best option for you, and a simple thing like a sponge can make a lot more sense. For me, the stippling method works the best, no more blending!

What is your favorite way to apply liquid foundation?

Review: Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge

The Sonia Kashuk blending sponge retails for $9.99 US (not available in Canada, I bought it in the US) at Target. It's a dupe for the Beauty Blender sponge which costs twice as much. The beauty blender is pink, while the SK comes in purple and blue. I chose purple cause that's how I roll. I didn't know how I was going to feel about this product, as I always use brushes to apply my foundation, but I thought I would give it a try.

The cashier at Target gave me a funny look when I paid for it,
"what is this for?"
"It's for applying foundation."
"Oh... "
"yeah instead of using a brush."
"Oh really...Have you seen that new L'oreal foundation with the roller brush?"
"Ya, it's pretty silly, faces aren't flat!
"Yeah.. no kidding."

This sponge gets in the nooks and crannies of your face, that's why it's a good and innovative product. Cause ladies, we do not have flat faces, you hear that L'oreal??

This sponge can be used to apply liquid foundation (doesn't work great with thick foundation ie cream), it blends well and can give you an airbrushed finish with no streaking. You may find that your foundation looks a lot nicer, and more natural when using this brush. You can also build up the foundation easily just by dabbing more with the sponge. It is soft and squishy. I thought this would have the consistency of a wedge sponge, but it's got more weight to it. The size is good.

The shape of the sponge is neat, sort of like a pointy egg. The rounded bottom can be bounced (like a stippling brush) and dabbed around your face to apply foundation, and the pointy end to get areas around your nose and eyes. Also, the pointy end can aid in gently blending concealer under the eyes, works well for that. The sponge is contoured in the middle which makes it easy to grasp.

The only downside I can think of is that this sponge will absorb product very easily and so it's kinda a foundation waster. It gets dirty fast because the foundation seeps into it and you will need to wash it regularly. I found from reading reviews that you should get the sponge damp with water, squeeze out the excess, then apply foundation, that way the sponge does not absorb as much. I have washed it and it hasn't fallen apart or broken up or anything, but I have noticed the foundation isn't really coming out totally. I have read that others have washed it 5x or more and it started to break apart so I will have to wait and see (I hope it doesn't). You're encouraged to replace this sponge every 3 months, I think that is probably a safe bet if you use this everyday, due to bacteria build-up.

For those of you that use sponge wedges to apply your foundation (I don't, I use brushes) this is a great alternative and better for the environment because you are re-using this sponge and not throwing it away after a couple of uses. As for those looking for an alternative to brushes, this sponge does not shed hairs! I like this product but, I prefer my brushes and I don't think I will be reaching for this very often.

Have you used this (or the beauty blender)? How did it work for you?

May Favourites!

The end of the month is almost here, so here comes my monthly favourites for... May. These are products that I've enjoyed using the most this month. I like choosing products from every category, like one from brushes, eyeshadow, foundation, perfume, skincare, lip products and so on, just makes it easier to narrow it down, cause I use a lot of different things throughout the month.

1. MAC Face & Body Foundation:  I have raved about this product before but it was in pretty heavy use this month, so I chose to include it. It is great for summer, great for days when you don't want to wear a lot, but still want to cover up some flaws.

2. Miss Dior Cherie Perfume: I got this perfume around Christmas, it's one of my all-time favourites, very sweet smelling, it's got notes of caramelized popcorn and strawberry in it, really pretty, totally recommend it and I love the cute bottle with the bow on it.

3. L'oreal Copper Caravan Eyeshadow Quad - This quad is really nice, it has lots of bronzey colours, which I like for summer months. It really lights up your eyes. This is from L'oreal surprisingly, one of those limited edition types they sell in drugstores from time to time, I picked this up a year ago or so.

4. MAC Golden Bronzer - This bronzer is foolproof and great for lighter skintones. I use it with a pretty heavy hand and it adds a nice contour to my cheeks, one of my holy grail products for sure.

5. Revlon Lustrous Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle and Peach Petal - These lipglosses are super pigmented and not sticky. I love the purple one especially, finally tracked it down while I was in the states this month and am really pleased with it.

6. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin - My original UDPP was running low, so I decided to pick up a new one in sin. This is the XL bottle, which I think makes sense cause I use this every time I put on eyeshadow. I hear that some girls wear just this on it's own for a light shimmery look on your lids, but for me I find it just disappears after a while, so I use it as a base, just like I would with the UDPP.

7. Sonia Kashuk Powder Brush - One of two of the SK brushes that I own, this one does shed a bit, which is annoying, but I love the size and fullness of it to apply powders and bronzers. And the handle is really cool.

8. Garnier Skin Renew Brusher Cleanser - I got this as a tester two months back and love this product, it has quickly become included in my daily routine. It smells good, does not irritate my skin and the brusher is really handle to clean your face nicely.

And that's it for May... what were some of your May faves? xo

Haul from Chicago Trip

So I came back from Chicago yesterday and I thought I would show all the goodies that I got. The trip was made a lot more bearable by my cousin taking us around Chicago. We walked a lot, so much that I got blisters on my feet. But it's all good cause it was a good time. Maybe I'll post some photos of the scenery that I took, Chicago is really nice.

Onto the makeup.. we went to Walgreens, CVS, Ulta, Target, Marshalls.. didn't hit up a CCO unfortunately, but it was fine cause I spend too much money on everything anyway.

Left to Right: Revlon Foundation Brush, Sonia Kashuk Powder, Blush and Mineral Flat Top Brush, Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge, Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks in Soft Nude and Baby Pink, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Makeup, Revlon Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle, Revlon Spa Concealer, Revlon Colorstay Mousse Foundation, American Apparel Nail Polishes (Peacock, Mount Royal, Dynasty and Office), Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion and Urban Decay Primer Potion XL in Sin.

I had to go to two Targets to get the Sonia Kashuk stuff, their brushes seem really popular, they are pricey for a drugstore brand though. And the blending sponge is cool, I've never seen those here, except Sephora and I don't have one near me, hence why I bought the Urban Decay Primer Potion XL as well.

The Lash Blast Fusion was really neat to see, only one Walgreens had it (we went to a couple), and we definitely don't have it in Canada yet, so that was cool. I think Walgreens is like Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada because it's on like every corner. Same with the Revlon brush and Revlon Colorburst lipsticks, and mousse foundation, we don't carry those.  And I was pleased to see one Lilac Pastelle lipgloss (from the Daydream collection) which was tucked in with the regular lipglosses, I snapped that up pretty fast! :D

We went to an Ulta too, it's kind of like Sephora or the beauty boutique section in Shoppers Drug Mart, there is a section for every brand and sales people standing around ready to help you. The one we went to had an upstairs too and that had drugstore brands and I got the Neutrogena healthy skin there, which I am excited to try out. We don't carry any Neutrogena makeup in Canada.

We have American Apparel in Canada, but not near me, so I picked up some polishes, they were 3 for $15. I got 4 cause I had trouble deciding which ones. I had Metro Chic on and wanted to get the Factory Grey colour and my sister was like... that one looks just like the polish you are wearing and Peacock looks like Suzy Says Feng Shui, if only she knew how many similar colours and dupes I had in my collection! And no, they are not the exact same.

All in all, I am happy with the items I got, I didn't see the L'oreal North Fork dupes anywhere! So I couldn't get them and didn't see the EOS lipglosses either. I will be reviewing these products as I use them. I will swatch the polishes next...

Oh, I also got one Milani nail polish in Pink Rocks, it's a neon colour and hated it so much, it has this weird gradient effect purple by the cuticles and more vibrant pink as it goes along to the nail line... eww and it wasn't cheap either. I should of opted for the Sinful Colors neons, they were only $1.99 at Walgreens...  And I saw a lot of girls wearing neon colours in Chicago, I guess it's "in".

Canadian Girl Going to the US: Shopping List

In terms of makeup, the US gets a lot of products that we get late here in Canada, or that we never see at all. I am going to Illinois this week, and I have a couple of items in mind that I want to pick up. However, I am at the mercy of my relatives, so if they choose to take me around, I will get stuff, otherwise nothing. ;)

Some of the items that I want to get/ aka Hit List:

* Neutrogena Healthy Skin Makeup - Canada doesn't get ANY neutrogena makeup products, only skincare, and this foundation is suppose to be lovely, so definitely want to get this.

 * Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks - haven't seen these in Canada yet either, and lots of people like them.

* Eos lipbalms - Were these the ones that Oprah raved about? It's like a lipbalm in an egg-shaped container.

* Sonia Kashuk brushes - Sonia is a Target brand? We don't get these at all here either.

* Hard Candy nail polishes - I remember years and years back I had some of these, we don't get them in Canada, I don't think.

 (image borrowed from Steph's Closet)

* L'oreal Passport to Paradise nail polishes - These are the Essie North Folk dupes, haven't seen them here either.

More than anything, I just want to hit up a CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet), I would be like a kid in a candy store! The closest one to me here is in Niagara Falls (US side), not that far, but I don't think my bf would be too thrilled about driving there just to get makeup!

What drugstores are good to hit up for good bargains and selection? Ulta? Target? Walgreens? Rite Aid? To my american readers, please let me know!!!!! Thanks!