February 2016 Favourites

It has been a LONG hot minute since I’ve posted, but I’m back! since this is the first post in a while, I thought I’d share what I’ve been loving recently.

My newest obsession has been my Foreo luna mini**. This cleansing device is very gentle, yet gets my skin really clean. I also love how it feels like a massage every time I wash my face; it makes washing my face fun. I also have been loving the Skintelligence pH Skin Normalizer. This toner feels very refreshing on my face, and it has done an awesome job at balancing out my skin. I also like to spray this on my hair after my shower to give it an extra boost of conditioning.

My recent favourite face primer for the past several months has definitely been the Smashbox Photo finish Primer Water. I love how this hydrates my dry skin and helps my foundation last all day long. I like to spray this on throughout the day to add some extra hydration back into my skin and refresh my makeup. My newest favourite foundation is the Laura Mercier Candle Glow Soft Luminous foundation. I’ve been loving the light-medium coverage that it provides, plus the fact that it makes my skin look dewy and radiant. When I wear this, my skin looks amazing.

I’ve stuck to a pretty simple eye makeup routine and these five items have been my go-to products. First, I love using the Motives Cosmetics Eye Base. This not only even out the skin tone on my eyelids, but it acts like a primer for any shadows I use. It also can be worn alone and not look weird on the eyes, which is nice for days when I’m in a hurry and want something to even out my eyes. As far as shadows go, I’ve been using the Motives pressed eyeshadow in Cappuccino in my crease and the Sephora Collection eyeshadow in Morning Freshness all over the lid. these shadows, plus the eye base look very pretty on the eyes, while looking very natural. The Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay mascara is by far my Holy Grail mascara. It makes my lashes look long and full, but still keeps them natural looking. For my brows, I’ve kept it fairly natural and just filling in the ends where it’s not as full. I’ve been loving the Maybelline Brow drama Pomade to fill in the empty space. I usually use a couple of swipes per brow and I’m done. I love how simple and easy it is to use.

Winter is harsh on my lips, so I love lip treatments and lip products that add hydration back into my lips. To help keep my lips from looking dry and chapped I’ve been using the Motives 40FY lip treatment. This lip balm is very hydrating and has a slight minty/tingle to help plump and nourish the lips. I love putting this on at night to really keep my lips moisturized. I’ve been using the CoverGirl Oh Sugar! lip balm during the day. I love how it provides a tint to the lips, but keeps them moisturized. My favourite colour is Caramel because it’s a nice nude that is perfect for any makeup look.

I hope you enjoyed reading! Let me know what some of your favourites for February were!

**Links are all through my shop.com page. You can sign up, here, and get cash back on most of the products I mentioned. It also lets you shop at your favourite stores, like Sephora or Ulta, and get cash back from those purchases too. Plus, you can only get the Motives and Skintelligence items through there.

 

 

Lorac Mega Pro 2 Review/Swatch

As we get into the Fall months, most companies are releasing their Holiday Collections and Limited Edition items. One of the HOT Limited Edition items this year is the Lorac Mega Pro 2 Palette. Last year, Lorac’s Mega Pro palette sold out within the first day, but this year they are selling it at Ulta, which makes it more accessible for everyone that wants to buy it, since it won’t sell out as fast.

The Mega Pro 2 palette costs $59, but has 32 shades (16 matte and 16 shimmer). You get a better deal with this palette than either the pro or pro 2 palettes which costs $42 and only has 16 shadows (8 matte and 8 shimmer). This palette has a variety of cool and warm tones, and has many neutral colours as well; so you can create a variety of looks with it. The shadows themselves are just as high quality as the other pro shadows by Lorac, so you get a great quality product, too.

Matte Shades:

I love the range of colours that are in this palette. There is a beautiful dark green, bright orange, soft purple, and of course some wonderful browns to wear in your crease.

1st Row:

L to R: Porcelain, Custard, Tawny, Burlap, Melon, Tangerine, Saddle, Forest

2nd Row:

L to R: Bisque, Lavender, Purple, Sorbet, Goji, Cabernet, Ash, Black

Shimmer Shades:

I really love the formula of Lorac’s Pro shimmer shades. They always go on smoothly, without lots of chunky glitter; and I get amazing pigmentation with them. You also can use them wet to get a more intense look, or even a different look to the eyeshadow. I took several pictures of these because they looked different depending on how much light was on them, especially the shade Gunmetal. I also notices that some shades were more metallic, while others had a subtle sheen to them.

3rd Row:

    

L to R: Sugar, Chiffon, Prosecco, Soft Plum, Cinnamon, Sandstone, Gunmetal, Blue Quartz

4th Row:

    

L to R: Moonlight, Seashell, Peony, Dk. Sienna, Penny, Olivine, Gold Leaf, Black Ivy

I would HIGHLY recommend you get this palette for yourself or any one that loves makeup, or even someone who is just starting out with makeup. This palette gives you plenty of options to work with and pretty much has everything you need.

Why I’ve Been Gone/Life Update

Hi Everyone! I am sorry that I have not been on here in a couple of months, but I am back now and plan to be posting regularly again. Life really got a hold of me this Summer, which is the main reason I wasn’t posting. My summer was full of mini vacations on the weekends and a couple bigger vacations/family reunions that I went on. One of the best parts was going on a fishing charter with my Husband, Dad, and Grandpa; and catching the biggest fish! I also got to have my younger brother over for a week, which was really fun. We did a lot of things, like swimming in the lake, Hiking to the Othello Tunnels, and going to Hell’s Gate.

I have also been dealing with a few health things as well. I might have mentioned that I have a rare type of anemia called Diamond Black Fan Anemia. My body doesn’t make enough red blood cells, so I have to get monthly transfusions to balance it out. Usually when I need a transfusion I can tell because I start feeling lethargic and get headaches. To help with all the needle pokes I get from transfusions, I recently decided to get another Port-a-Cath put in my chest. I had one several years ago, but had to have it removed due to an infection. So tomorrow is my surgery for the new port. I have also been dealing with slight anxiety and depression, which I might discuss in a later post, but I’m slowly working on dealing with that with my doctor.

Another, pretty awesome, thing in my life was deciding to work for Unfranchise Market America! I’m focusing mainly on the Motives Cosmetics part, but am learning about everything right now. I am excited to start talking to you guys about some of the products I have tried out and how you can get them.

Sorry for the long post, but I really wanted to update you guys and let you know I am still here.

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Kelsey Prince for winning my Summer Essentials Giveaway!! I will contact you shortly.

Nicole’s Summer Essentials Giveaway

Update

 

Hello Everyone! Just wanted to let you know that my Summer Essentials 2015 Giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 PM. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Check out the original giveaway post here.