Friday, March 11, 2011

Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale

Today I got to go to the Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale in Markham.
Estee Lauder owns MAC so you can bet I was ALL over getting some discounted MAC products!! The warehouse sales are great to because they sell a lot of limited edition items that are long gone from stores. It runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I went on Friday to make sure nothing would be sold out! It opened at 10am and I got there at 8am to wait in line..2 hour wait in the cold! The things I do to look good. There were $4 bargain bins but I waited too long and by the time I got there the line up was way too long. At the end you hand in your ticket and get a free gift, and there is also a $5 grab bag. The proceeds from that go to breast cancer :)

Here's a list of what I got and how much it was :

green gel Cleanser -$12
cleanse off oil -$12
oil control lotion -$12
brunette msf -$15
redhead msf -$15
blonde msf -$15
bronze bronzing powder -$15
3d gold glitter -$15
3d silver glitter -$15
hi def cyan pigment -$15
lazy day lipstick -$10
lavender whip lipstick -$10
goldy rocks dazzleglass -$10
pinkie pencil -$9
float on by eye kohl -$9
rosemary and thyme eyekohl -$9
272 brush -$20
$5 grab bag
I got two of these:
41 lashes
mineralize loose foundation in medium deep
boy bait cremesheen
mineralize all over lotion

free gift-
double pencil sharpener

Came to around $240!

Successful day. Till next time... <3

Monday, February 28, 2011

Hair Care!

Straying somewhat from makeup, lets talk hair products.

Here are some of my 'Go To' products:

A/G Fast FoodThis is probably the BEST leave in conditioner I've ever used. It really helped my hair A LOT right after I bleached it an immense amount to make it the (amazing) pink color it is now.
You can find this at most beauty supply stores, I picked up another bottle from Trade Secrets the other day.
This runs about $20 - $25 dollars and will last you months. After you wash your hair rub a quarter size of this products between your hands and then run your hands all throughout your hair. It detangles, smells amazing and really puts back in some moisture.
                      

BONACURE HAIR THERAPY COLOR SAVE SHAMPOO:I have a big problem finding shampoos that I like. So many of them are so bad for your hair, stripping out all the moisture and damaging it. Paul Mitchell shampoo one actually damaged my hair to the point I needed to use hair masks to fix it. This shampoo is one of the best I've used. It's sulfate free which is one thing to look for in a good shampoo. I use the color save formula because of my pink hair but I think I may try out the other formulas of this line when I finish this bottle. This is my second bottle of this formula though and I do really like it. It doesn't sud up that much so it might feel weird at first but you get used to it. It smells great and really leaves your hair feeling soft and clean. I got this from a salon for around $15 but I'm sure beauty supply stores carry the line as well.




ION PURIFYING SOLUTIONS CLARIFYING SHAMPOO:Everyone should be using a clarifying shampoo once or twice a month. The clarifying shampoo gets rid of all the gunk and build up regular shampoos, conditioners, styling products like gel and hair spray leave on your hair. As well as getting rid of build up from environmental impurities. These are stronger then normal shampoos though so only used them once or twice a month and make sure you do a good conditioning treatment after. Using this will help prevent limp, lifeless, dull lackluster hair. Pick this up from Sally's Beauty Supply for around $15.

ION EFFECTIVE CARE TREATMENT:Getting into protein treatments now, this is a product that I use as my every day conditioner. It is a protein/moisture treatment, but I myself find it pretty mild. It is meant to bring back some of the protein and moisture to your hair. I get it in the giant bottle from Sally's Beauty Supply for about $20. I got this originally to use it once in a while as a protein treatment, but I find I need stronger protein but I do like how this feels in my hair. It makes my hair smooth and detangled as soon as I put it in in the shower. If you have pretty average hair without much damage I suggest picking this up for the protein and moisture you need.

JOICO K-PAK RECONSTRUCT:This is a great protein treatment. This is just protein not moisture. You can pick it up from beauty supply shops or just from Walmart or The Superstore. It smells great and will make your hair feel stronger instantly. Wash hair, wring out excess water, apply this, let it sit for 5 minutes and then wash out. Runs about $25.



DERM ORGANIC ARGAN OIL MASQUE:Argan oil is amazing for your hair. You can pick it up in its pure form and use it on your hair or you can get products with it in them. This is a fantastic hair masque. I slathered this all over my hair and left it in for about 4 hours. My hair was so smooth soft and silky afterwards. It smells lovely and really brings back some of that moisture. Kind of expensive I think this bottle was $30 from Trade Secrets.


REDKEN EXTREME CAT PROTEIN THERAPY TREATMENT:This stuff is fabulous. I have only used it twice but in my search for a truly good deep protein treatment I think I finally found something really worthwhile. My sister in law is a hair dresser and introduced me to some great Redken products. Good thing to because Redken is on the lower priced scale of hair products and most of it is available at Walmart. For this I went to The Beauty Supply Outlet. This was about $21.99. When you are in the shower after shampooing, wring out excess water, spray this all over your hair concentrating on ends, let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes and then rinse out and condition as usual. I instantly felt a noticeable difference in the strength of my hair with this stuff. I have a good feeling about the results I'll get from long term use.




HASK HENNA N PLACENTA WITH OLIVE OIL:Yes you read that right. Don't worry.. at least its only animal placenta.. Placenta is actually one of the greatest things to use on your hair. These two treatments are for moisture. One of the treatments is a hot treatment and the other is like a conditioning mask. The hot treatment you must place in a bowl of hot water, then apply to hair,throw on a shower cap to retain heat, let it sit for as long as you want! The other treatment is similar, Just shampoo hair, put this all over your hair, work it in well, throw on a shower cap to retain heat and let it sit for as long as you want. These are both great and super cheap. Runs for about $3 - $4 each at Sally's Beauty Supply.




PAUL MITCHELL SUPER SKINNY SERUM:This is a great serum to use on wet or dry hair. After you shower before you blow dry apply one pump to your palms and work through ends to roots of your hair. Don't over do it though, serums can really weigh your hair down quickly. Blow dry and then flat iron hair, then use half a pump to really smooth down hair and bring shine. My hair has never been so soft and silky! Love this stuff and will continue to repurchase. $20 at Beauty Supply Stores.

REDKEN IRON SILK 07:Another great product so far. Only just started to use this but it is a heat protectant meant for use before heat styling. Spray on sections and then flat iron. This really makes the hair stay straight and seems to bring a lot of shine to the hair as well. Pleased so far! $22 from The Beauty Supply Store.


BEDHEAD MANIPULATOR:This is a product I have used for the last 8 years. I'd say I like it! This is a styling product for after blowdrying / flat ironing. I  rub a small amount between my fingers and then work and play with different parts of my hair to create more layers and texture. Also good to scrunch hair with! This is an oldie but a goodie that I always recommend. $24 at Walmart.




So those are my picks for some awesome hair products! Try em out and hopefully they work for you just as well!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Smokey Eye LOTD

This was done very quickly without too much effort. I was bored and ended up liking the result enough to share!
Eyes:
mac-painterly paint pot
mac-french quarter grease paint stick
mac-dark soul pigment
mac-frozen white pigment
mac-softwash grey pigment
mac-silver fog pigment
mac-pure white pigment
mac-scene eyeshadow
mac-carbon eyeshadow
mac-reflects gold
mac-graphblack technakohl
mac-42 lashes
mac-black black chromaline
mac-quite natural paint pot(brows)
nyx-jumbo pencil in cottage cheese

cheeks:
hot pink from coastal scents blush palette
mac-hush ccb
mac-soft and gentle msf
mac-refined golden bronzer

lips:
mac-show orchid lipstick
mac-pink poodle lipglass


Monday, February 21, 2011

Some Bright Lip Options

Wanted to share some of my favorite bright lipsticks with you!
These are all from MAC and I can't wait to start rocking these this spring.

From L to R-
Neon Orange (limited edition)
Impassioned
Show Orchid
Toxic Tale (limited edition)
Costa Chic

















Kat Von D has a great pink lipstick that I will be picking up soon, its called Backstage Bambi. Bright beautiful pink!



















MAC lipsticks are available at any MAC location, they are $17.50

Kat Von D is sold at Sephora and her lipsticks are $21.00

I'll be back with a new post soon with some great eyeshadows to pick up to make sure those eyes pop this spring!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Spring Makeup Trends 2011

Even though there is still snow swirling around out there, its never too early to start planning and stocking up your spring makeup! This spring there are 4 main makeup trends we are seeing on the runways.

BOLD LIPS!:
Time to shy away from your nudes and neutrals and grab that hot pink lipstick! It's all about bright colorful lips this spring. Hot pinks, oranges, and corals. If you aren't a bright lip person try grabbing your favorite shade and after swiping it on your lips, dab them with a Kleenex. Most of the color will be gone, and you'll just have a bright stain left. Another way to tone down but still be bright is grabbing a nude lip gloss and swiping that on top. My advice: don't be shy!! Grab those hot lipsticks and go to town. (or school, or work, wherever!) Hot pinks and corals are easier to pull off then red lipstick so don't be scared! If you need help finding your shade, go to any MAC counter. The artists there are more then happy to help you try on and find your favorite shade!  Here's some pictures of what we saw on the runway.



BRIGHT EYES!:
This spring has a lot of pastels, and a lot of bright colorful eyes! Clearly this spring is very color orientated.
Whip out those electric blues, bright purples and emerald greens. We saw them being used all over as a wash with some thick black liner, or several bright hues used together. Bright colors don't always = clown makeup. I promise. Just find a shade that makes your eyes pop and swipe that over your lids, line with some black liner and heavy coats of mascara and you are ready to go. Feeling shy? Opt for a neutral lid, and swipe on some colored liner. No one will be able to stop staring at how sexy your eyes look with a teal winged liner. Again, having trouble finding the right shade? Hit that MAC counter and try out colors, ask the artists there to try some on you. Some bright eye looks we saw:



NATURAL MAKEUP!:
This is one makeup trend that never goes out of style. The easiest of all trends, flawless,dewy skin, shimmery cheeks, and nude lips. Swipe on a lot of liner and mascara so your eyes don't disappear. If you are feeling adventurous this is a great look to pair with those fake lashes you never wear.

 



SMOKEY EYES!:
Last but definitely not least, another never dying makeup trend. The smokey eye. Elusive, seductive and always sexy. Mix it up this spring by straying from the over done silver,grey and black smokey eye. Opt for a color, like navy/steel blue or eggplant. Smoke out the shadow as far up and low as you feel comfortable with, throw on that liner and mascara and march out the door confident in your spring makeup trend knowledge.


Saturday, February 12, 2011

Primers

The basis of primers is simple. As with anything, makeup goes on better when you prime the skin. You need a smooth even base to provide smooth even makeup. Primers even out your skin, and keep oil away from the surface so you have a nice even smooth canvas to place makeup on! Makes sense right? Just imagine rubbing a thin layer of olive oil on your hand, and then trying to put powder eye shadow on top and have it look good. No Buenos.

Eye shadow primers are a MUST. Whenever I work at MAC it’s my favourite thing to show people. The difference in eye shadow on bare skin vs on top of eye shadow primer is astounding. The eye shadow primer should be placed from your lashes alllllll the way up to the brow bone! This makes it smooth, even and keeps oil away. Also, eye shadow primers really help amp up the colour, and keep your eye shadow from creasing for hours upon hours. MAC has a few different eye shadow primers but my favourites by far are the paint pots. They come in little glass jars and is just a cream base. You apply a THIN layer from the lashes to the brow and then simply place shadow on top. Now, paint pots come in several different shades. You can get them in blue, black, silver, gold, brown etc. Or simply get a neutral. I like to use coloured paint pots to help bring out the colour. Like a blue paint pot for blue eye shadows. You can also use more then one at a time! I usually use a neutral paint pot all over, and then the coloured one just on the lid. You aren’t really going to want to put a blue or black paint pot up by your brows ;)
Here is what paint pots look like.





eyeshadow on top of painterly paint pot on the left, bare skin on the right.





Another option I have tried is MAC’s paints. Same premise as the paint pots. Just come in a little tube instead. I only own two, one in red and one in green. I apply these on top of my paint pot but you could just use them alone.

Paints.



If you want to go a non mac option, there is always Urban Decays primer potion. This stuff was ok.. I just find you get a small amount, its pretty expensive and the packaging is god awful. You end up losing a lot of money because eventually the wand wont grab onto the stuff stuck to the sides of the tube.

udpp.




Foundation Primer:

 You need foundation primer in order to have your foundation not sink into little lines and wrinkles or just seep in and disappear. There are two options I’ve had great results with.

One is not sold as a primer but has the same ingredients as smashbox’s foundation primer. This stuff is good!! Lots of professional makeup artists have this in their kit as primer. It’s by the makers of Monistat. (yes ladies I know what you are thinking.) I found it in shoppers drug mart. Its actually a chafing remedy or something. Anyways. Small amount all over face, not eyelids. Let it dry for a min. Foundation on top.
Think its just called chafing relief gel.




The other primer I like a lot is of course by MAC. Its their prep and prime face protect, this stuff rocks cause its spf50. No need to ever apply sun block to your face again! Smooth this all over your face, not eyelids, let it dry then apply foundation on top. This stuff acts like velcro to your foundation. I really like this.





Other things to prime your skin:

MAC- fast response eye cream. :
This is my go to in the mornings when I have to do full makeup and my eyes are all puffy and tired. This has lots of good things in it, one key item being CAFFEINE! YES! Go away puffy eyes and dark circles. This works like a charm. Also is moisturizing and helps those dry under eye areas.
fast response eye cream




MAC- strobe cream:
This is sold in a cream and a liquid. I like the cream cause I have drier skin and this goes on nicely. The liquid is nice because it can be mixed in with your moisturizer or foundation. This is basically a very light moisturizer with slight shimmer in it. It brightens up your skin and makes it look dewy and fresh. This is what those movie stars have on to give them their fresh looking skin. I tell no lies.

strobe cream




MAC- prep and prime skin refined zone treatment:
This you really only need a tiny amount. Spread this on areas where you have large pores. It will make them at the very least so small you barely notice them, at best dissapear completely. I put a small amount of this on my cheeks just under my eyes beside my nose, and on my nose. I get a really big difference with this stuff!





That concludes todays makeup lesson primers. ;)
leave comments and follow! it'll make you cool.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Porn!

Makeup porn that is. hah! but now you are here so you might as well continue.
This is a post of my vanity/makeup collection. Most of it anyway. I went to staples and got these awesome drawer organizers, 4 of them meaning finally all sections of my vanity look pretty much the same!
I love how it looks, feels more professional.  So behold, makeup porn.
As always you can click on the picture to make it bigger.


full view

first section - nars and benefit blushes, non mac lip stuff, loose pigments and glitters, mac samples of pigments and glitters, mac set powders, paint pots and makeup forever aqua creams.


second section - non mac eye shadows, liquid, gel and powder eyeliners, lash mixing medium, mac large shadows, mac ccbs, foundations, msfn and concealer, mac sample jars of strobe cream, lip conditioner, oil control lotion etc.

third section- chromacakes, paint sticks, non mac primers, UD palettes, kat von d palettes, sugar pill palette and mac palettes, mascaras.



fourth section - sponges, magnet, scissors, tape, sharpeners, eyelash curler, tweezers.

eyeliners, lip liners, greasepaint sticks, paints, nyx pencils, chromalines.

highlighters and bronzers on top, blushes on the bottom.



hand sanitizer, moisturizers, brush cleaner, fast response eye cream, strobe cream, refined skin treatment, fix+, spf50 primer.



mac lipsticks and glosses. (the ones that aren't in various pockets, purses, car doors, and coats!)