Happy New Year! ❤
This post idea came up last year when I posted my yearly favourite discoveries. I did discover some gems in 2017 but I thought it would be more useful for me to list out all my Holy Grail (HG) items instead.
I’m going to force myself to just name ONE item for each category. I feel like embarking on this project is like choosing a favourite child. I love you all equally! ❤ Continue reading
It’s been nice reading everyone’s festive holiday posts but this year I just don’t seem to have anything Christmas-y to contribute. I feel like I’ve covered all the Christmas topics in years past – if you’re wanting some festive posts from me, have a read through my Blogmas posts from 2016 and 2015. 🙂 🎄🎁
When I get the question, “How do you apply your foundation?” I answer, “It depends.” I’m not trying to be difficult, because it really depends! 😛 It depends on the foundation that I’m using. It depends on what kind of finish I might be looking for, or the level of coverage I want that particular day. Here’s an overview of methods and tools that I employ to apply foundation.
I’ll also name some foundations that work well with each method.
Recently something happened that really surprised me. I received an email unexpectedly from the PR Manager from Farleyco Marketing regarding my recent post on the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Farleyco Marketing is the Canadian distributors for Real Techniques in Canada, among other brands. She explained that they took my concerns on the sponge quality to Real Techniques and offered me a replacement of the sponge along with other Real Techniques products. I was floored! 😮
They sent me the above items – more than I expected! More on the story below…
I ordered the AliExpress dupe to the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge back in January last year, and it only cost me $0.70. 😀 But in order for me to truly compare how it looks and feels against the real thing… I had to get the real thing:
The price for the Real Techniques sponge ranges from $7.69 online from the RT store to $11.99 from Rexall (drugstore). I bought mine for $9.99 off NailPolishCanada.com
EDIT: Check out the follow up post here (exceptional customer service!)
Happy Halloween! I hope you get sufficiently spooked today and also eat enough candies for a nice sugar high. 😛
Today’s Project Pan item is the NYX Powder Blush in Taupe #PB11:
It was not by accident that this item is featured today – if you’re in a pinch for ghoulish looking hollowed out cheeks for a costume, perhaps a contouring shade like this could help! 😉
Happy Groundhog Day! I think it’s going to be an early Spring this year!
Out of sheer curiosity, I placed orders for some makeup accessories off AliExpress:
This cost me only $13.97 for all 7 brushes! 😮 (all prices are in Canadian dollars) I’ve been wanting to try the Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes for a while now, but at $35 for just the Flat Contour brush, I couldn’t justify the purchase. It would have cost me $205 before taxes for all 7 brushes from the Bold Metals collection. I mean, aren’t RT brushes meant to be a cheaper alternative?
This order was prompted mainly by ONE nail polish: China Glaze Choo-Choo Choose You, from the Fall 2014 All Aboard collection. I was browsing some nail polish blogs looking at older nail polish collections and came across it. I mainly wanted it for the colour but… a part of me wanted it for the name:
(I may own the Lego minifigure of Ralph, holding this very card!)
So I had to order it, and a few other items came along for the ride:
[I’ve had this post in draft mode for ages! Random timing to post this but no time like the present!]
The Beauty Blender needs no introduction. These hot pink egg shaped sponges cost a whopping $26 each and have spawned a slew of BB-like sponges. So is a $26 sponge 26x better than a $1 one?
For years, I refused to succumb to the Beauty Blender. I resisted and bought the dupes to satisfy my Beauty Blender curiosity. I simply could NOT justify paying $26 for a flimsy little egg shaped piece of foam. So I bought some off ebay, and a few from drugstores before I finally decided to get the real thing during the Spring 2013 VIB sale. I’ve been using my stash of makeup sponges for a while now. Let’s have a look at how they stack up the the original Beauty Blender:
L to R [These are arranged from the most airy / porous (L) to the most dense / heavy (R)]:
• Beauty Blender (hot pink) – $26 [note: I paid $26 for mine but I see that it’s now $28 – damn that exchange rate!] (Sephora)
• MAC Pro Performance Sponge (orange) – $24 (MAC)
• Quo Blending Sponge (purple) – $5 (Shoppers Drug Mart)
• Sephora Airbrush Sponge mini (teal) – $12 for 2 [bought this during Black Friday sale 2014] (Sephora)
• Blending sponge from eBay (black) – $1 (shipped from China)
• Kit Super Blenders (mint) – $12 for 3 (Rexall)
Some of you expressed amazement at the amount of brushes I own. Let me refresh your memory, I have:
• 202 eye brushes (of which 163 are eye shadow, 31 liner, 8 brow brushes)
• 126 face brushes (41 blush, 33 foundation, 25 powder, 18 bronzer, 9 concealer brushes)
I don’t think that’s too much, but my perspective may be a little skewed.
Here they are:
stash matters 