200th Post!

Having this blog has been quite the roller coaster. I've had this blog since July 2012, and even though my blogging on here hasn't always been the most consistent (oops!), I'm so happy to be back (hopefully for good this time) and I can't believe this is my 200th post. To celebrate I thought I'd share some of my favourite blog posts from the past couple of years!

DIY Nail Polish Rack // Look how tiny my nail polish collection was back then! I'm still currently using this shelf though it's kind of falling apart now due to me overflowing the shelves with nail polish. I actually plan on getting something new to store my nail polishes in sometime this week, so keep an eye out on my blog for when I share it with you! This post is probably my most pinned, shared, and viewed post. I'm glad I could help some people make storage for their nail polishes!

DIY Studded Shorts // This was such a fun and easy DIY to do! I still have the shorts too and will probably break them out again this summer!

Outfit of the Day: Skulls & Leopard Print // I still love this outfit. I keep forgetting I have that handbag, I need to use it more because it's so cute!

Smashbox Studio Pop Ultimate Palette Review & Swatches (1/2/3) // This was quite the palette to review and swatch. I covered it in three separate posts - one about the palette, brushes, and cards, one about the eyeshadows, and one about the blushes, eyeliners, and lip products! I don't use this palette very often because it's so huge and not as easy to get to, but it still is a fantastic palette and I can't believe I got it for only $25!

Nail of the Day: Neon Unicorn // I don't think I've ever recieved more compliments on my nails than I did during the week I wore this manicure. It was so much fun to create this manicure and use the unicorn charm from Hex Nail Jewelry!

Face of the Day: Golden + Blue // I really love how my makeup looked this day. I love doing looks like this in the summer time, and this makes me really miss summer!

Nail of the Day: Polka Dots + Flowers // This is another favourite manicure that I've done. I did it based off a tutorial that MissJenFabulous on YouTube did, and I was really pleased with how it came out! This will have to be a manicure I do again come springtime!

MAC All About Orange Collection // This post was pretty exciting for me because I was sharing my very first MAC lipstick and blush with you all! Since then I have added a few more MAC lipsticks to my collection, but this blush is still my only blush from them! It's still my favourite and go-to blush as well.

Aqualillies for Tarte Waterproof Eye & Cheek Palette // This palette was my go-to palette all summer long. It has a beautiful mix of golden toned neutrals and a pop of teal. It also includes a gorgeous blush, bronzer, and highlight! I'm still not over how beautiful the packaging is too!


Maybelline Color Tattoos // I don't know what took me so long to finally try these, but once I did I became obsessed. I've added a few new ones to my collection since I made this post too! They're still a staple in my makeup routine as well.


Nail of the Day: Leopard Print + Stripes // This is another favourite manicure I've done. I love the mix of the two bold patterns, such a fun combo!

Thank you all so much for reading my blog these past couple of years! I hope to be in it for the long-haul this time around, so here's to 200 more posts in the future!

Friday Favourites

Happy Valentine's Day! I love this adorable card by Emily McDowell.

I love this girl's style.


The fact that cat onesies even exist makes me laugh so hard. I'm tempted to buy one for my kitty but I know she'll just hate it.

I bought some of these adorable pins from Charlavail and I can't wait to get them!

I love the colours in these photos.


These flower illustrations are gorgeous.


Loving the simple yet beautiful glittery makeup at Altuzzara at NYFW by MAC.


I absolutely love these flats from ModCloth!


How cute is this hand painted doughnut brooch?

What have you been enjoying this week?

REVIEW: Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

I've never really been an avid user of face primers, but when Maybelline released their new Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser and people were claiming it was a possible dupe for Benefit's Porefessional primer I knew I wanted to give it a try. I have never used Benefit's Porefessional but I have heard nothing but great things about it for years now, so when this primer from Maybelline was released and I was so excited that I could possibly get the same effect for a fraction of the price! 

I don't have the worst pores out there, but the ones around the sides of my nose do bother me a little bit, so that's where I focused most of the product. I also applied a little bit to the centre of my forehead and my chin. Above you'll see the difference between no primer and primer, and then with the primer, my foundation, and setting powder. Even with just the primer on my skin and nothing else you can see my pores have blurred slightly and their appearance has faded a little bit. With foundation and powder on, I wouldn't say my pores have been "erased" as the name claims, but the appearance of the larger pores has definitely been decreased and the skin there looks more smooth. The foundation I applied on top of Baby Skin is Revlon Colorstay and I applied it with a Sedona Lace Flat Top Buffer FB07 brush. I then applied Rimmel Stay Matte powder on top with a Real Techniques Blush Brush.

This primer applies completely clear and has a very smooth and light feel on the skin. Since this is a silicone-based primer it applies very smoothly to the skin. It instantly makes the skin feel softer and creates a nice, even base to apply foundation onto. This product can also be worn alone (simply for the blurred pores effect), or under foundation and other face products. Since I am a foundation girl I don't think I'll ever use this without foundation on top of it, but if you're someone who doesn't always wear foundation this could be a great purchase for you as well!

Overall I am very happy with this primer. It noticably decreased the appearance of pores on my face and created a smooth base for my foundation. For only $8 this purchase was definitely worth it and I will continue to use it on a daily basis!

Have you tried this primer? What foundation primer is your favourite?

REVIEW: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar: All-Star Mini x 4

Over the holidays I purchased this kit of 4 mini Lip Tars that Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics released. I was so excited about this set when it was released because I had been dying to try OCC Lip Tars but could never decide on one colour to buy, so this kit allowed me to try out 4 of their most popular shades for just $3 more than 1 full-size Lip Tar would've cost me! For only $25, this kit included 4 mini lip tars (0.08oz/ea.) in the shades Memento, Anime, NSFW, and Black Dahlia, and it also included a mini lip brush. A full-size Lip Tar contains 0.33oz and is $22, so I think this kit is a fantastic value. I don't mind that each lip tar doesn't contain much product though since you need so little for each application, I'm sure these will all last me a while! And if I do run out of any of these then I can just purchase a full-size one since these are all permanent shades!

This set was my first experience with Lip Tars (or any products from OCC), but I can see why everyone raves about these! You need the tiniest amount of product to cover your lips in full, intense, opaque colour, and the colour lasts all day! They dry to a pretty matte finish and seriously stay on your lips all day long. The lip tars also have a slight minty scent, but it doesn't make my lips tingle or bother me at all as some minty lip products tend to. Another great thing about these is that since these are a liquid product, it's easy to mix and combine colours to create your own unique shades! I like mixing Memento with a little bit of Anime to make it more pink, or mixing a little bit of Black Dahlia into NSFW for a slightly deeper red! The brush that was included in the set is nice and dense and does a great job of applying the lip tars too!

Unfortunately this was a Limited Edition holiday release so it'd be pretty difficult to find this set now, but the good thing is that all of the shades are permanent so if you see one you'd want to try you can still get it! Now, onto the swatches!

Memento // Memento is described as a midtone pink plum. It is a gorgeous, very wearable shade. Of the 4, this is the one I've used the most so far. I absolutely love this colour for day-to-day wear!

Anime // Anime is described as a "seriously neon fuschia" and I'd say that was pretty accurate. This is a really in-your-face bright pink, but I think it's so pretty! I haven't worn this one on its own yet, but I feel like this will be a great shade for spring and summer when I want something a little more daring!

NSFW // If you're looking for a perfect red, NSFW is it. This is described to be a true, balanced red, and that it certainly is! It doesn't lean too blue-toned or orangey, it's right down the middle. I feel like this red would suit literally anyone, it's gorgeous!

Black Dahlia // Black Dahlia is described as a "blackest, blackened red". I wouldn't say it's the blackest but it is a really pretty deep red. This colour is much more intimidating in the tube, but applied on the lips it's a gorgeous deep red that almost leans a little bit berry-toned. This one was the hardest to work with of the 4, as it applied a little streaky at first, but it eventually did even out.

Have you ever tried OCC Lip Tars? What are your thoughts on these colours?

Julep Maven February 2014 Box

I received another Julep Maven box this month! If you're unfamiliar, Julep Maven is a subscription service for nail polish and other goodies from Julep! Each box costs only $19.99 and you typically get 2 nail polishes and one other item. You can purchase Julep nail polishes from Sephora, but they retail for $16/ea., so it's a much better deal to subscribe to the Maven boxes!

In this month's box I got three nail polishes and one of Julep's new products, an Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow! The liquid eye shadow was the main reason I chose to get a maven box this month, rather than skip the month. It seemed like a unique and interesting product and I wanted to give it a try! Also, on top of the regular 2 polishes that came with my box, Julep added a free bonus polish to each box for Valentine's Day!

The three nail polishes that came in my box were Love, Kristen, and Judi. Love was the bonus polish that was added to everyone's box this month for free. It's a gold opalescent shimmer with small red glitters in it. Kristen is a deep sea teal with silver microshimmer. Judi is a deep violet creme. I'm excited to try these nail polishes out!

The last item that came in my Maven box was one of Julep's new Eye Sheen Liquid Eye Shadows! I chose the shade Dusty Taupe Shimmer. I would describe this more as a shimmery bronzey-brown, not so much taupe, but it's still a pretty shade. The texture of this eyeshadow was really strange. It felt almost like jello or pudding when I pressed my finger in it. The colour pay-off was really quite nice though and it'd be a great everyday shade! I have yet to try it out on my eyes, I've only swatched it here, but I'm excited to try it out!

What subscription boxes have you tried? Are there any others worth checking out?

Sign up to be a Julep Maven here!

Mani Monday #3

Happy Monday everyone! For this week's manicure I decided to be a little festive for Valentine's Day since it's this week! I didn't do anything too elaborate, just a simple manicure with an accent nail and glitter top coat! The nail polishes I used are OPI Pink Friday as a base coat on most of my nails, an accent nail of Julep's Anisa, and then topped the whole thing off with OPI Minnie Style. I hope you all had a great weekend and are looking forward to the upcoming holiday!