Julep Maven Box | October 2014

 

Happy Halloween everyone!! For this month's Julep Maven box, I chose the Core Classics box. This box containted the Bare Face Cleansing Oil, Konjac Cleansing Sponge, and the Blank Canvas Mattifying Face Primer. Since I'm still on a nail polish buying ban, I decided to use up my saved up points to get this box (so it cost me $0!) and try some of Julep's skincare products. The box also contained a little packet of candy corn for Halloween! So far I've only used the Bare Face Cleansing Oil and the Blank Canvas primer, so I'm still trying these products out, but I thought I'd share what I got! If I end up really loving any of these products, expect to see them in upcoming Monthly Favourites posts I do!

Get your first box free, when you sign up for Julep Maven!

Top 10 Fall Lipsticks

For me, fall makeup is all about a bold, vampy lip. So today, I thought I'd share with you 10 of my favourite fall lip colours! These vary in textures, formulas, and prices - ranging from very affordable products to some more high end products. The key to wearing shades as bold as these is to prep your lips beforehand by exfoliating and applying a balm. I usually remove the balm before applying these so they don't slip around, but it helps to create a smooth base for application. My personal favourite texture for bold lip colours is matte. Mattes create a really bold, dramatic look, and also the drier matte formula makes for a longer lasting lip colour as well as reduces smudging and slipping of the lip colour!

From left to right these are: OCC Lip Tar in Black Dahlia, Kat Von D Vampira, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen, MAC Studded Kiss (LE), Rimmel Kate Moss 107, MAC Rebel, Rimmel Kate Moss 09, Illamasqua Box, Essence Adorable Matt!, and Revlon Raspberry Bite.

The shades I've chosen range from more pink and berry shades, to deep reds and plums. I love playing around with these products and bold colours this time of year and can't wait to use these all season! Let me know in the comments what your favourite bold and vampy lip products are!

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box o' Blushes

 

I recently picked up this new palette from Benefit which is part of their Holiday 2014 line. Believe it or not, I have never owned one of Benefit's infamous boxed powders, so when I saw they were releasing a palette with 6 of them in it, I immediately knew it was something I had to get my hands on. For only $43 (CAD) you get 6 powders, as well as a small size of the Watt's Up cream highlighter, and a small brush. 

The packaging of this palette is really the only downside to me. It is really fun and cute for the holidays, but it doesn't snap shut properly and the top of the case can just come right open really easily. It also is quite bulky tin packaging that can be hard to store. I'm thinking about buying a small Z-palette to depot the blushes and then I can also pop out the Watt's Up highlighter since that is already removable.

Packaging aside, this palette is such a fantastic value and a great way to try some of Benefit's most beloved products if you already love them and want to try more, or if you're like me and this is your first experience with them!

My First Illamasqua Products!

A couple of weeks ago I was browsing The Bay's website and found that all of their Illamasqua products were on sale (they're marked down even further now!) so I decided to make a purchase and buy my first Illamasqua products! I've heard so many great things about this brand over the years and have always wanted to buy some items from their range, so I'm so glad I finally did!

I ended up buying the lipstick in Box - a classic slightly deepened matte red named after Illamasqua Creative Director, Alex Box - and the powder blush in Hussy - a bright, matte, peachy pink. Both of these products have incredible pigmentation and are just beautiful products from the packaging to the formulas. The lipstick is quite dry, but I'm fine with dry mattes as long as I exfoliate my lips and apply a balm beforehand!

What are some of your favourite products from Illamasqua? Anything else I should pick up while the items are on sale?

Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette (Review + Swatches)

Last time I was at Sephora, I noticed that some of the holiday launches were starting to come out. I checked out a few different items but once my eyes landed on this blush palette from Tarte, and that there were only 2 left, I knew I had to snatch one up. Tarte blushes are one of the most raved-about products in the beauty blogger/vlogger community from the last couple of years. I only have 1 Tarte blush and it's in the Aqualillies Eye & Cheek palette from Summer 2013, so I was really excited to add 5 more to my collection! A single Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush is 0.2oz and costs $31 (CAD), and for this palette you get 5 blushes that are 0.15oz/ea. for $50 (CAD) - so less than the price of 2 single blushes!

Tarte brought out 5 brand new shades for this palette ranging from neutral browns, to pinks, to peaches, and in a variation of different finishes. From left to right, the shades are Breathless (pinky beige), Embraced (plummy rose), Whimsy (light pink), Bashful (rosy peach), and Irreplacable (mauve rose). All 5 blushes swatched wonderfully and had fantastic textures. The last 2 blushes I'll have to be careful to apply lightly since I am quite fair, but the pigmentation is fantastic!

The packaging is in a slightly plush, cushioned clutch-like packaging with a snap closure. The snap closure is a bit wobbly when I open the palette but I don't think it'll break or come apart. There is a mirror in the top of the palette but it doesn't stand up on its own so it's not incredibly useful. The palette also came with two decorative bobby pins which are really pretty and could be used for some holiday hairstyles!

Overall I am really happy with this purchase and I think it's a great value. Essentially each blush here is $10/ea. since the palette is $50. If you're looking to try some new blushes this fall or winter I'd highly suggest checking this palette out!

Fall Outfit of the Day

I thought I'd share a fall outfit of the day with you all today! This is what I wore on Saturday just going out and about to a few places with my mom. My mom actually took this photo on her phone because she liked my outfit that day and I thought I'd share it with you guys too!

In the fall I love wearing skirts or dresses with tights. I also love wearing black a lot. Most days my outfits consist of mostly black pieces. Most of the items I'm wearing here are from last year so it was difficult to find the same items, but it'd be quite easy to recreate this look with other similar pieces! A lot of these pieces are quite basic, with the skirt making a statement, so by switching up the skirt this outfit could be changed up really easily!

Hat: Forever 21 / Top: Dynamite / Skirt: Target / Tights: Walmart / Boots: Target

September Favourites 2014

Happy October!!! October is my favourite month of the year. I love Halloween, I love the fall, and it's my birthday month! But before I get too into October, I thought I'd share my September Favourites with you all!

Urban Decay Naked2 Basics // I picked this palette up this past month and it quickly worked its way up to be a staple for me. It's been my go-to day-to-day palette for September and I've really enjoyed using it!

Julep Ta Da! Quick Dry Drops // This came in one of my last Julep Maven boxes and I haven't painted my nails since getting it without using these! You just use the dropper to apply 1-2 drops of this to each nail after painting them and they dry so fast!

MAC Rebel Lipstick // Of course this lipstick needs to be mentioned. It's the perfect fall lip colour and I've been enjoying wearing this deep shade this past month!

Kat Von D Lovecraft Spellbinding Lipstick // Last month I found the Kat Von D Spellbinding Lipstick Set on sale at my Sephora so of course I picked it up! The set includes 10 mini lipsticks! The shade I've been wearing the most is this pinky-brown nude shade called Lovecraft. It's perfect for everyday wear!

Julep Kristen Nail Polish // I had this polish on my nails for a couple of weeks this month and I really liked the colour. In the bottle it doesn't look like much, but on the nails it's a gorgeous deep charcoal-teal with silver and teal glitter and it looks amazing in the sunshine!

CoverGirl Lashblast Fusion // I recently ran out of another tube of my beloved Clump Crusher mascara, and instead of repurchasing it again I decided to go for something a bit different! This is the Covergirl Lashblast Fusion mascara and it's great so far! It lengthens and volumizes my lashes without clumping them.

Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Candle // This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning a fall candle now, would it? I've burned through 2 candles this past month and I'm sure this will be the next one finished! It's such a nice, sweet yet spicy, fall fragrance that makes my house smell amazing!

What were some of your favourites this month? Let me know below!

SNAPSHOTS | Queen Street West

I've decided to start a new little series here on my blog where I'll show you some snapshots I take while I'm out and about! These photos were from a recent trip to downtown Toronto when I spent some time exploring the shops on Queen Street West. If you haven't been, Queen West is such a great spot to explore and walk down while in the city. There are countless shops, cafes, and sights to see! 

One of my favourite shops is The Paper Place. It's basically my dream store. They sell all sorts of stationery, journals, calendars, art supplies, craft kits, washi tape, and of course - lots of paper! I could spend hours browsing through the various lovely paper products there! 

Another must-visit place on Queen West is Dlish cupcakes! They have the most delicious and fresh cupcakes in lots of yummy flavours. They have stools to sit on inside too, so you can look out the large front window and people watch as you enjoy your treat.

One last place worth checking out (and isn't technically on Queen West but it's like a block over) is Crywolf! This trip was actually my first time going to Crywolf's shop but I've been familiar with them for about a year. Crywolf sells clothing, art, stationery, decor, accessories, and more! It has a very quirky and DIY vibe and is just a really interesting store to browse around in!

Of course there are tons of other places worth mentioning on Queen Street West in Toronto but I thought I'd share just a few today with this post! Have you ever shopped on Queen West in Toronto? What are some of your favourite spots?