Top 10 Summer Makeup Products

Hello!

I thought it would be good to do a Top 10 Summer Makeup Products list. We've had some extremely hot days and some cooler nicer days. But when it's 30C outside, I like to keep my makeup light. I don't like feeling like my face is melting off. Plus all the sweating and smudging equals hot mess. And I've been getting pimples like crazy. Probably had to do with running out of my holy grail skincare products.

I'll try to use some newer products that launched this summer. These are my most used and favourite products this summer!

Top 10 Summer Makeup Products

1. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - 26$CAD

Every girl needs a good lip treatment. I know the price is quite steep, so I try to make my tube last as long as possible. This is hands down THE best lip treatment of all time. It's a bit mooshy but that's because it actually goes into your lips and moisturizes them. It's definitely worth a try. I was convinced. They just came out with a new colour, Tulip, which is their first pink lip balm. I can't wait to get my hands on it. They're selling it in a new set as a mini with some other minis if you're not sure which one to commit to. I just picked up the set (with Advanced Lip Therapy, Rose, and Tulip along with a mini Sugar Lip Scrub) but haven't gotten around to trying the tinted ones yet. I do love their clear formula.

2. Too Faced Lashgasm - 28$CAD

Another staple product for me is this mascara. This is my favourite mascara ever, and I've tried a lot of different ones. It doesn't add too much mascara onto your lashes, so they'll never get clumpy. The wand is made to define each lash and comb through so they don't stick together. They're not crazy voluminous, but this is a perfect day time mascara. It makes each lash look defined and long. It's light enough but still makes your lashes look sexy. It isn't waterproof but this mascara has never leaked or run on me.

3. Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Snow Glow - 42$CAD

For the summer, I think every girl needs a tinted moisturizer or a BB cream. I find foundation gets a little too heavy, especially in extreme heat. I like Too Faced's Tinted BB. It's light but it does have decent coverage. Of course, it won't cover severe acne or redness, but for those of you with perfect skin down to okay skin, this BB should be fine for you. My freckles show through a tiny bit which helps to make it more natural looking but it does a decent job covering up my pimples that I don't even use concealer. I use the shade Snow Glow, and there are four other shades to choose from. I find that it runs a little yellow so I have to make sure I blend it out well into my neck. I use their first BB cream, which is a liquid. I really don't like their new Air-Buffed CC Creme which is a cream version. I would stick to the original liquid one.

4. Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 84 Accent (LE) - 48$CAD

This was a limited edition blush that came out this past Christmas. I wish it would have been permanent because my mom and I both loved it. In the pan, it looks very brown but when swatched it gives off that perfect rosy/brown neutral glow. It's perfect as an everyday blush. It's soft and light and looks very natural. I find myself using this blush more and more on a lazy day.

5. MAC Casual Color Lip and Cheek Color in For Your Amusement (LE) - 25$CAD

This blush was a limited edition product from their Playland collection from earlier this summer. I wish they would release some permanent shades as part of the Lip and Cheek colour product line :( I love the formula. It's pigmented enough that I don't have to keep layering and when I use my MAC 188 brush to apply it, I'm in heaven. I can use a light hand to apply it until I get my perfect amount on without worrying about overdoing it. Plus I can use this as a lip colour too! That's always a bonus. I've fallen in love with this colour and I've used it often since I bought it. It goes on well and it blends out smoothly. They also have a bright fuchsia pink and a bright coral red as part of the collection.

6. MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in On The Hunt - 23$CAD

My mom recently introduced me to these a few months ago and I fell in love. On a hot day where I don't want to wear a ton of eye makeup, I usually opt for a cat eye. I used to use fluidline but superslick makes it so much easier!! The brush allows for a very precise application and my lines are always smooth. Lately I've been using this a lot and I just ran out :( so I've been using Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. It's alright, but I prefer the MAC one. Mastering the cat eye is tricky if you've never done it before. Even now, I still get the random crooked eye. Superslick is super easy to take off and try again and it'll stay on all day without budging. It goes on very dark black. With practise, you'll have the perfect cat eye!

7. MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline - 19$CAD

This is my all-time favourite pencil eyeliner. It's the darkest black you could buy. It's very pigmented and has crazy staying power. It literally stays on all day and barely smudges off. It requires little to no touch ups throughout the day. One coat is good enough, you don't need to keep applying it. And you barely have to sharpen your pencil! I use this pencil literally every single day and I barely have to sharpen it, so that means that it's going to last quite a longer time than your usual eyeliner pencil. Since I discovered this pencil I haven't used any other for black.

8. Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep - 26$CAD

This is a new product that I've fallen in love with. It makes doing my brows a breeze. I have enough hair on my brows that I don't need to fill them in with a pencil or shadow so on a lazy day all I need is this brow gel. The medium/dark colour is perfect for me. The brush makes application easy and after two coats, my brows look perfect. I don't need to do anything else to them. This product has really made doing my eyebrows so much easier and quicker and it keeps them natural looking. My mom uses the shade light/medium and its perfect for her.

9. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade - 37$CAD

Another great product that I wished I'd discovered sooner. I've tried so many different highlighters and this one is my favourite. I like a highlighter that has a visible glow and isn't too shimmery or sparkly. I don't want it to be too noticeable, but I don't want it to be practically invisible either. And Lightscapade fits all my requirements. It's a very light highlight, which is great because I'm the palest person on the planet. If you're darker, I would suggest Soft and Gentle, which is more of a champagne colour. 

10. Benefit PosieBalm - 22$CAD

This is quickly becoming a go-to tinted lip balm for me. I'm going to say right off the bat that this is not a lipgloss. It doesn't give as much colour as a gloss does. However, it is extremely moisturizing and has a touch of colour. It's great for when your lips are chapped and you still want to have some colour. I think part of why this gets so many low ratings is because people buy it thinking that it will have a lot of colour payoff and apply like it looks in the photo. It's a tinted lip balm, it won't. I have to say that I do like it for what it is. It has a rosy smell that isn't too overpowering but I can see how it can get annoying for someone that really doesn't like the scent.

BONUS:

11. Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless - 38$CAD

I'm adding in a bronzer because it is summer after all and we all like to have that "just tanned" look. I'm super pale so I needed a bronzer that was light enough for my skin and this bronzer is perfect for that. You can either lightly dust it all over your face or you can use it to contour with, since it's matte. It's also light enough that it doesn't overpower your fresh faced summer look. If you are darker toned, I would recommend trying it at the store before buying it because it might be too light for your skin. But for us pale girls, this is the perfect bronzer. It's my holy grail bronzer and its pretty obvious because I use it everyday and it's in all my tutorials.





I actually planned on doing a tutorial along with the list but I haven't had time yet. I'll get it done early this week. I'm actually interviewing at Sephora tomorrow so I've spent most of the weekend trying to figure out what my look should be. I'm so nervous but I'm so happy I got called into an interview. It's a group interview so it's my first round. I'll let you all know how it went and I'll let you know some of the questions they asked me in a future post. I'll also show you what I wore, both in makeup and clothes.

So now that I've shared my Top 10 summer makeup picks, it's your turn to shares yours! Have you discovered any new favourites this summer? Have you tried any of the products that I've listed and what did you think?

Steph xo.

Summer Makeup and Skincare Haul!!

Hey ladies,

It's time for another makeup haul! I know it might seem like I spend a ton of money on makeup, but I hold back elsewhere. I'm not really into shoes and handbags. If I see a handbag or a pair of shoes that I really like, then I'll buy it after thinking about it for a while. I've had my eye on those Guess bags that look like rip offs of the Hermes Birkin for a while. The Aldo ones are cute too, but I'd rather get a better quality bag from Guess. I've been quite frugal with my spending this summer. I haven't bought any makeup or skincare items since my birthday, which was in April. My collection is quite extensive, though not as big as some of yours! So I decided to go ahead and post what I actually bought after months of no new makeup products.

I had to pick up some old favourites that I ran out of and I also got some new products that I was dying to try. My mom also gave me a couple things and I tried to cut back on certain items that I had a million of. Like mascara. I have a kazillion samples of different brands but my favourite is Too Faced's Lashgasm, which I was completely out of. So my mom gave me hers because she doesn't like it. She says it bugs her eyes (she wears hard contact lenses). I'm trying to get through all the samples before picking up a full-size.

The Haul!

Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips - 35$CAD

I love these nose strips. They actually work and they pull out all your blackheads and it totally clears your nose out. I use them once a week after I shower. I use warm/hot water because it opens your pores. You leave your skin wet and you apply the strip with dry hands. I leave it on until it dries out and hardens. And then I rip it off and it feels oh-so-satisfying when all the blackheads leave your body.

Boscia No Pores No Shine T-Zone Treatment - 45$CAD

This stuff is my holy grail pore product. I ran out of it a little while back and oh em gee I wanted to crawl into my bed and hide there until I got more of this stuff. It makes a huge difference on your pores. I noticed that mine got smaller and I broke out a lot less. It makes my skin look so good. I apply this every night before bed.

Boscia Clear Complexion Tonic - 30$CAD

This is my first time using their toner. Their clear complexion line looks really good and I'd love to try more products form it. I've used the toner maybe 5 times so far. I find that I never really notice toners working. So it's hard to say.

Benefit PosieBalm - 22$CAD

This is a new product by Benefit. They've made a tinted lip balm to go with their popular cheek tints. Posie is my colour, it's a yellow based pink. It's a very sheer balm, so some people might be disappointed with that. I thought it was quite nice. I did have to put on quite a few layers to get some colour out of it, but it's moisturizing and feels good on my lips. It smells nice and it isn't overbearing. If you're looking for a lipgloss then this isn't for you. If you want a sheer, hydrating balm, then this is for you. I think it's important to hydrate your lips all year round and this is a fun way to do it. If you want more colour try putting PosieTint first and then applying PosieBalm afterwards.

Fresh Sugar Lip Service Kit - 40$CAD

This lovely kit by Fresh comes with four minis. You get one mini lip scrub and three mini lip treatments. I already have a full-size of their lip scrub and I love it. I always use it before applying lip stick. It gets rid of all the dead skin and it leaves your lips feeling so smooth. When you apply your lipstick after, it glides right on and doesn't get stuck between the cracks of your lips. It goes on smoothly. I'm happy to have a mini to put in my purse for on-the-go lipstick application. The three mini lip treatments include the advanced therapy one, Rose, and the new Tulip. I have their original lip treatment (the one in the brown case) and I love it. It's the most hydrating lip treatment I've ever had that it's actually worth the steep price. I wonder if the advanced therapy one is supposed to do anything more than the others. Hmm I guess we'll see. I haven't tried Rose or Tulip yet. I'm a sucker for keeping things in pretty packaging. I do find that they have more of a colour payoff than Benefit's PosieBalm. So while Fresh's products are expensive, I can definitely recommend their lip products, they are truly amazing!

Too Faced Tinted BB in Snow Glow - 42$CAD

I'm a sucker for anything Too Faced. I'm almost done my first tube of their BB cream so I picked up another one. Snow Glow is supposed to be for fair, pink-toned ladies but there is more yellow in there than there should be. So while it isn't a perfect match for me, it's not too far off. I like wearing it on lazy summer days where I don't want to wear a full face of makeup. Especially on hot days. It's light but it still has decent coverage for a BB. I have a few blemishes and it does an okay job of covering them up. I could use concealer if I wanted them completely covered. With a bit of powder and blush, I'm ready to go!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette - 67$CAD

I just picked this up not too long ago. I've been hearing sooo many good things about this palette and of Hourglass in general. I've tried it once and honestly didn't really see what all the fuss was about! I used it over my setting powder to bronze and highlight. I think the next time I use it I'll try it as my actual setting powder. I can't really say anything else, I don't think it's fair to give it a review when I haven't played around with it much yet. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - approx. 50$CAD

I can definitely see why this kit sells out like crazy everywhere. I waited too long to pick it up and almost missed it myself. I had to call all the Sephoras in my area to see who still had one! Luckily I was able to pick one up in Anjou. So I used this for the first time yesterday, which you can see in last night's post. I also used it today and wow I got compliments on my makeup all night. I LOVE IT! It's the perfect contour kit! Really! With three highlight shades and three contour shades it's definitely the best value contour kit on the market right now. And the colours are pretty versatile so it accommodates everyone. I have to say I was impressed with it right off the bat. The shades were very pigmented and the powder was easy to get onto my brush and then onto my face. Also, the shades were just so perfect, I think. And if you are into contouring, then I think you need this palette.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW15 - 23$CAD

I used to use NW20 in this concealer but found that it dried dark. So I would recommend to everyone that you go a shade lighter in this concealer. I love this concealer. It's perfect for covering your under eye area. It's also full coverage and it covers everything. I love it. I wish there was a lighter shade than this that I could use for highlighting but there isn't. This is what happens when you're a pale white girl. If you're looking for a full coverage concealer, this is the one for you.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 - 22$CAD

Ah, my other favourite concealer! I use this one to cover up any blemishes that weren't covered by foundation. I mostly use it to cover up pimples on my forehead and around the nose area. It's pigmented so you only need a little bit. When you apply powder, make sure you dab it gently and don't make any kind of swiping motions or you'll rub it all off.





And that was my haul. Hope you enjoyed seeing what kind of products I'm into. I've got a few new favourites now like the Anastasia Contour Kit. I also try to branch out as much as possible and try new things. I admit, I do tend to stick to my favourites and I feature them a lot. I'm dying to try the new Too Faced Cat Eye palette but part of me says I should hold back and do more spending when all the amazing Christmas gifting sets come out. They're a better value. But another part of me wants to do another haul, just because I can. Oh, it's difficult to be a girl, isn't it?

What products have you tried from my haul? Which did you like and not like? What have you hauled recently? Have you found any new favourites?

My next post will be my Top 10 Summer Makeup Products with possibly a tutorial using the products listed.

Steph xo.

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Purpley/Pink Spring Makeup Tutorial + OOTD

Hello everyone!

This is my first makeup tutorial in quite a while. I chose to go with a complete MAC look today, meaning I tried to use MAC products as much as possible, but I had to use my MUFE foundation and powder, since I don't own any by MAC anymore!

And before we get started, I'm seriously OBSESSED with this nail colour. I'll be posting about it tomorrow. Here's a hint, I posted about it yesterday and it's by Essie. It was introduced in her Fall 2013 collection.

For this look, I'm using two products that recently launched in MAC's A Fantasy Of Flowers Collection. I'm using the Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond and a Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda (which is a repromote, and permanent). I've mentioned in my previous post (the haul post) that I thought the pigmentation was lacking in the Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond. I felt that the colours didn't stand out on their own once applied. I also felt that the darkest shade in the pan, the dark grey, was the worst. It was not pigmented at all and it was a disaster to apply because I had to go over my liner so many times that fallout became a huge problem. This is something that I would definitely not repurchase. It looks so pretty in the pan, but isn't so great when applied. I would say avoid this one and save your money for a better product instead. The Cremesheen Glass is a repromote in this collection and is permanent. I just picked up Pagoda recently and I have to say I like it for what it is. The entire Cremesheen range are known to be on the sheer side (kind of like the new Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss line). Pagoda is a sheer pink with sparkle. It's meant to enhance the natural colour of your lips and throw in some added sparkle. What it is not, is a pigmented lipgloss. So depending on your expectations, you may be disappointed if you were expecting it to have a colour of its own.

I also decided to try out some of their primers from their Prep + Prime line. I've never tried anything from their Prep and Prime line, so I was excited about finally doing it. I had gotten some samples quite a while ago and I just sort of forgot about them. So now that I finally dug them out, I forgot what their uses were and didn't have time to go researching them online. So yes, I know, I used it wrong. I used the Prep and Prime Vibrancy Eye as an eyelid base instead of an under-eye primer. It did alright as an eyelid base, kept it wasn't that great for blending. I just didn't like the texture of it while I was blending. I will definitely try it again, this time under my eyes, and I'll give a review for that product. I used the Prep and Prime Skin as a face primer. It was okay, I didn't think it was great. I found that some dry spots appeared after foundation and powder, and usually I don't get much of a problem. So I don't think it was moisturizing enough. My makeup did stay in place all day and the foundation applied well over the primer. I think it was good, it did the job decently, but there are better primers out there than this one.

So let's get into the tutorial bit, yes?

MAC A Fantasy Of Flowers purpley/pinkey Spring Makeup Tutorial

I started by priming my eyes with MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye. Yes I know NOW that it's meant to prime your under-eye area and not your eyelid. But I'm not gonna lie about what I used, or redo an entire look because of a silly thing like that. Next, I used my Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond. I started with the top right colour (light purple) and I applied it to my lid using a MAC 239 Brush. Next, I took the top left colour (darker purple) and I applied it to my crease and outer V. Then I blended it out. I used a MAC 217 Brush. Next I used the bottom left (purpley white) colour to highlight under my brow and I also blended out the crease colour using a Sephora Pro Crease Brush. I went back in with my blending brush and dark purple shade and deepened the crease. Then to line my eyes, I used the bottom right (dark grey) colour with a Sephora Pro Angled Liner Brush. It's not very pigmented, so you'll have to go over it a few times. I also lined my bottom lash line with the same colour and brush. Then I filled in my top and bottom waterlines with Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline. Then I applied mascara, I used MAC Zoomlash in Zoomblack. The last step for me is to fill in my eyebrows, I used Benefit's Brow Zings in Light.


For my face, I started off by using MAC Prep + Prime Skin and I applied it to my entire face as a primer. Then I used MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20 and a Sephora Pro Concealer Brush to apply it to my under eyes. Then I used Makeup Forever's HD Foundation in 110 and a Sephora Pro Stippling Brush to apply it. I prefer this method because it doesn't leave any lines or streaks, and it gives an air-brushed finish. Then I use my MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 to cover any redness or acne I especially want to cover up. I use my fingers to apply it. Then I use my Makeup Forever HD Powder and my MUFE HD Kabuki Brush to apply the powder all over my face to set the makeup. I start by contouring my cheeks using my Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless (all-time favourite bronzer) using my MAC 168 Brush. I contour the hollows of my cheeks, temples, and perimeter of my face. Then I apply MAC Powder Blush in Dame using my Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush. I start at the apples and I blend out and down into the contour. I like to take my Kabuki Brush and blend it all together. Next, I take my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade and a clean Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush to apply it to the tops of my cheekbones, down the nose, forehead, cupid's bow, and top of my brow arches. I've only recently started using Lightscapade and it's become my favourite highlighter. Next, apply MAC Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda and lastly, give yourself a few good spritzes of MAC Fix+ for long-lasting wear!

Eyes

MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye
MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond (LE)
MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline
MAC Zoomlash Mascara in Zoomblack
Benefit Brow Zings in Light

Face

MAC Prep + Prime Skin
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
MUFE HD Foundation in 110
MUFE HD Powder
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade
MAC Powder Blush in Dame
Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless
MAC Fix+

Lips

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda

Products Used

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Grey Beyond (LE)

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond (LE) - 25$CAD

MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline - 19$CAD

MAC Zoomlash in Zoomblack - fullsize is 19$CAD

Benefit Brow Zings in Light

Benefit Brow Zings in Light - 36$CAD

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20 - 23$CAD

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 - 22$CAD

Makeup Forever HD Foundation in 110 

Makeup Forever HD Foundation in 110 - 49$CAD

Makeup Forever HD Powder

Makeup Forever HD Powder - 39$CAD, mini is 22$CAD

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade - 35$CAD

MAC Powder Blush in Dame

MAC Powder Blush in Dame - 25$CAD in a compact, 21$CAD just the pan

Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless

Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless - 38$CAD

MAC Fix+ - mini 12$, fullsize is 25$CAD

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda - 23$CAD

Swatches:
MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond (LE), 4 colours are swatched
MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade
MAC Powder Blush in Dame
Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless
MAC Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda

I hope you enjoyed the look! It's a little more toned-down than what I usually go for, but I thought it was quite beautiful! I went soft on the eyes and the face, and seeing how pinks and purples are on trend at the moment, this would have made a killer valentine's makeup look...... if I only had a valentine to dress up for!! Normally I don't do OOTDs, or Outfit Of The Day, but I felt like I had to show off this sweater. Every time I go into Forever 21 I feel like I have to spend at least two hours in there going through the racks to find what I came to buy. Like this black sweater with the should studs pictures above.

Here's another pic so you can see the shoulder studs better. It's a wool knit sweater, so it's quite warm. And trust me, I needed it today. It got really cold again up in Montreal.

So here's what I wore today:

Bandana Hairband: Claire's

Cat Necklace: Gift

Spikey Hoop Earrings: Ardene

Stud Sweater: Forever 21

Ripped Jeans: Dynamite

I wore my winter boots today... I think they're Pajar? Dunno.. my mom bought them.

So I hope you liked that random OOTD and the Makeup Look!! I'm curious to know, which was your favourite product out of MAC's A Fantasy Of Flowers Collection? While the Mineralize Eyeshadow in Great Beyond didn't do much for me, I'm curious to know how the rest of the eyeshadows in this collection fared. The Cremesheen Glass lived up to its expectations... it had a hint of colour but kept it soft. I've been in love with my Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade since I first bought it. I'm obsessed now. It deserves its own post that's how amazing it is. You can tell from the pic that I've used it a lot since buying it. So let me know... what was your fav product from this collection and which product did you love most about this look?

P.S. Here's a little sneak peak (above) of tomorrow's nail post again. I'm obsessed with this colour. Photos cannot do it justice, it's duo chrome, so it's much better seen in person than photo.

Steph xo.