The One & Only Tag!!

Angelica over at One Little Vice created this tag using inspiration from "travel make-up bag" posts. If you could only have one of every beauty product what products would you end up with? The point of this tag is to get an insight into your absolute beauty staples.  There can be no wavering, only one product from each category can be chosen and the result should be a capsule collection that you could live with if you had to.

The Question: If you could only have one _________ what would it be? And, in a few words, why?

Primer

Benefit's The Porefessional Primer - This primer leaves my pores looking smaller and my skin feeling smooth and even. My foundation also stays on longer when I use this compared to when I don't.

Base Product

Covergirl Clean Oil Control Foundation - This has been my go to foundation for years. It gives me medium coverage, that is buildable when needed, and I find myself becoming less oily, compared to when I use other products.

Concealer

Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller & Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - I like to use different concealers for beneath my eyes and on blemishes. The Garnier Roller gives me light coverage, and the caffeine helps with puffiness and bags. The Maybelline is a new found love for me. It covers very well, is buildable, and easy to blend.

Powder

Physician's Formula Cover Tox Ten 50 - I heard about this powder from GlamLifeGuru and hoped it would live up to her claims. I get great coverage out of this powder, and it absorbs oil like crazy! I don't really need it for the wrinkle reducing properties but it is never to early to start fighting wrinkles.

Highlighter

Benefit's Highbeam - I like this highlighter because it is easy to work with and gives me a natural glow. This highlighter can make you look like you are glowing from within. I have a sample size of this product and can see it lasting a really long time.

Makeup Brush (single)

Real Techniques Multi Task Brush - This brush is good for powder, blush, or bronzer application. I have even used it for powder highlighters as well. My main use for this brush is to apply my blush.

Eyebrow Product

Caryl Baker Visage Divaderme Brow Extender - I never cared about filling in my brows until I found this product. It is seriously the easiest thing to use. It is fibers made out of natural ingredients that you apply using a doe foot applicator. You just swipe it on and run a brush through your brows, and voila! Done!

Eyeshadow (single)

MAC Charcoal Brown - This eyeshadow is very multi purpose for me. I can use it as an all over wash of colour on the lid, I can use it in the crease, I can use it to fill in my brows, I can use it as a contour, etc.

Blush

Elf Studio Blush in Tickled Pink - Although this blush has a lot of fallout, I think the quality is very good, especially for its price. Tickled Pink gives a nice flush to the cheeks, that starts sheer, and builds without making you look like a clown. I've almost hit pan and will be buying a backup next time I am in the States.

Bronzer

I don't use bronzer so I don't have one I would choose to use on a daily basis.

Eyeliner

Cailyn Cream Liner in Iron - Ever since getting this in my June Ipsy Bag I have been using it non-stop. It goes on smoothly, and is opaque in one layer. The brush built in the lid makes it perfect for on the go. I love this eyeliner because the charcoal grey colour is less harsh then black liner, but a little more defining than brown.

Mascara

Revlon Lash Potion - I received this from Revlon to test and review, and it has become my go-to mascara. There is no clumping, only a long, full, lush fan of lashes. I only need one coat for perfect lashes all day.

Lip Balm

Nivea Essential - This lip balm is unscented, has a thick formula, and leaves my lips feeling moisturized. It is essentially everything a lip balm is supposed to be in my book. It is good for use during the day and if you put it on thicker at night you will wake up with perfectly unchapped lips.

Lipstick, Gloss, or Stain

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey - This lip stain is the my lips but better colour. It is extremely moisturizing and long lasting. The shape of the product makes application easy and its perfect for on the go. I hoping to pick up a few more colours in the future. Maybe something a bit brighter then this neutral colour.

Lip Liner

Starlooks Lip Liner in Tipsy - I am not normally one for lip liner, but every since getting this in my June Ipsy bag I have been converted. The formula of this lip liner is extremely creamy, smooth, and pigmented. It kind of reminds me more of a lipstick then a lip liner. I like to fill in my lips with this liner and then put a clear gloss over top.

Nail Polish

My go to nail polish will always be any brand and any shade of purple. I think that it looks good with my skin tone and it goes with everything.

From left to right:

Essie Nice is Nice

Nubar Elegant Indigo

OPI Glow-Ink in the Dark

LA Colours BCC582

Kozmic Colours HD Sparkle

OPI Ink

Revlon Cloud

Klean Colour Sheer Lilac

From left to right:
Icing Lily
Joe Fresh Faded Violet
OPI Into the Night
Rimmel Climax
Orly You're Blushing
Revlon Grape
Revlon Orbit
Revlon Vincent Van Gold
Revlon Facets of Fuchsia
Essence A Lovely Secret

I thought this tag was really fun and it really makes you realize what you love in your collection, what your most repeat products are. If you are interested in doing this tag, then go ahead and do so! I tag everyone reading this! If you do decide to do this tag then leave me a comment and link below. I would love to see what your One & Only products are.

Review: Fruits & Passion's Summer Fragrances

Hey Girls! Today I will be reviewing some products from Fruits & Passion, in their new Summer Fragrances. I received these products for free from F&P to try out and review.

Pomelo Granite 
"A joyful fragrance that combines the sweet, energizing notes of pomelo with the freshness of mint, for a granita effect. Melon, pear, peach, grapefruit, guava, blackberry and coconut. This fruit extracts cocktail is known for its antioxidant and softening properties."
 
At first I was worried that I wouldn't like this scent, but I LOVE it! It smells exactly like Spritz Up pop. Which is basically like 7UP or any other lemon-lime soda. It is very fresh and invigorating. I like to use this shower gel in the morning because the citrus really helps me wake up.
 
The body gel and hand lotion both have a gel consistency and the texture reminds me of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. It absorbs very quickly into the skin and there isn't any greasy residue. I've been using the Hand Cream at work and it works wonders. I am washing my hands 5-10 times an hour when I'm at work and they are extremely dry. This cream has saved my hands. I would definitely recommend it. 

Watermelon-Goji
"A fragrance bursting with fresh, summery watermelon notes accented with a cheerful and invigorating splash of goji berry."
 
I thought I would really like this scent, but it is just meh. It doesn't overly smell like watermelon, and I don't know what goji smells like, but this just smells very artificial. I definitely prefer the Pomelo Granite scent. This shower gel, like the Pomelo one, lathers well and is very moisturizing. The scent also lingers on the skin which is nice because when you use the lotion after you are layering the scents and you smell awesome all day!
 
If I had to repurchase one of the two scents I would absolutely pick the Pomelo Granite. And if I had to pick one of these products to repurchase it would be a hard choice between the shower gel and the hand lotion, but the hand lotion would win. Just because of the wonders it has worked for my hands.
 
If you are interested in purchasing any of these products, or F&P's other products, you can visit your local store or visit their website --> http://www.fruits-passion.ca/.
Keep in mind though that all of Fruits & Passion's products are seasonal and only available for 3-4 months. So run, run, run, to get your hands on these great products before they are gone. 



Swatched: NYX - The Crimson Amulet Collection

I first saw this NYX collection on GoldieStarling's YouTube Channel when she was part of the NYX Face Awards. I fell in love with this palette and thought that the colours just looked gorgeous. A few months later after I had cancelled Glossybox for the first time, I saw that us Canadian girls were getting this makeup collection as part of the September Box. I quickly re-signed up because I thought $15 for this palette plus 4 other samples was a great deal. I was so excited to receive this palette, but since September it has sat with my other palettes unswatched and unused.

I finally broke this palette out last week and have been using it everyday since. Now I haven't used the glosses so I can't give a review on those, but the powder products and eyeshadow base I love love love.

The mini HD High Definition Eyeshadow Base reminds me of the Urban Decay Primer Potion in look, feel, and how it makes my eyeshadows last. I will definitely be buying a full size of this primer once I use up what I have.

The highlighter is beautiful. It is perfect for my skin tone and gives my skin a wonderful glow. I use it on my cheekbones, down my nose, and on my cupids bow and it just brings a very nautral looking light to my skin.

The blushes in this palette are highly pigmented. I like using the shimmer ones on light makeup days because it eliminates me having to put on a highlighter. I haven't used the red shade yet, cause in all honesty, it scares the crap out of me. It is so pigmented and bold and I just don't think that it is a colour I can pull off. I like that they included both matte and shimmer blushes in this palette.










There are 24 eyeshadows included in this palette that range from matte neutral shades to shimmery bronze, dark green, navy blue, and yellow gold. You could create endless looks with the colours you are given. I find that the shimmer shades are very pigmented and have great colour payoff. Some of the neutral shades I find are a bit chalky and don't show up that good when swatched or on the eye. One of the shades you can barely see when I swatched it because it is pretty much my skin tone.

Compared to the NYX trio palettes and individual eyeshadows I feel like these are lacking a bit in quality. And I am sure there individual blushes are of better quality, but for what I paid for this palette I am getting great value for my money.

All swatches were done over Hard Candy Eyeshadow Primer. The eyeshadows were swatched from left to right, top to bottom, row by row. Please be warned, this post is very picture heavy!

1) Dark grey/brown almost black
2) Very light pink shimmer. Reminds me of MAC Kitchmas.
3) Eggplant purple with purple and gold glitter.
4) Orange based bronze shimmer.

5) Lilac shimmer
6) Taupe shimmer
7) Gold peach shimmer. Swatch looks more gold but in the pan there is a noticeable hint of peach.
8) Navy blue/black with blue glitter.

9) Navy Blue
10) Forest green with gold shimmer
11) Medium brown with gold shimmer
12) Dark purple with brown undertones

13) Matte cream. Pretty much my skin tone.
14) Matte taupe
15) Matte light brown
16) White shimmer

17) Champagne

18) Matte dark brown

19) Pale pink with shimmer. Looks closer to white.

20) Matte dark grey

21) Pink shimmer
22) Shimmery taupe
23) Brown toned bronze shimmer
24) Yellow gold



1) Matte red. Looks kinda orange in this swatch.
2) Matte light pink.

3) Shimmery pink

4) Shimmery peach

5) Slightly darker peach shimmer.

 

 

 

Have you tried this palette before? If so what do you like or not like about it? What are some other NYX products you think I should check out?

 

 

 

Swatched: The Color Workshop Lip Crayons & Gloss

Jumbo Lip Pencils have become the next big thing in the beauty world. Revlon, Clinique, Nars, Covergirl, etc...they all have their versions. I picked up this Jumbo Lip Pencil set from The Color Workshop on Boxing Day at Walmart for only $4.50! It comes with 5 pencils and 2 lip glosses in an assortment pinks and reds and one purple.

I really didn't have very high hopes about the quality of these pencils because they are not from a high quality brand. However, the colour payoff is impressive and they stay on the lips for such a long time. The pencils are sorta glossy/sorta matte and the glosses are smooth and non-sticky. There are no names on these products, so I photographed them in the same order as the swatches.

I am really tempted now to run out and buy some other brands jumbo lip crayons, but that will have to wait until my no-buy is done. I would love to know which brands and colours of lip crayons are your favourite. Leave them in a comment below so I can add them to my Buy Later List.

UPDATE - Since writing this post I have seen these sets on Sale at multiple Shoppers Drug Marts for $4.99.


These are swatches of the 2 glosses that came with the kit.

#RevlonSelects Eyeshadow & Lipstick Review

Here is the second part of my Revlon Selects Review. I was finally able to play around with the Eyeshadow Palette and Suede Lipstick over the holidays. I received these products from Revlon Canada in exchange for a review. You can find my review of the nail products here.

First I'll talk about the Revlon Photoready Primer + Shadow Palette in 501 Metropolitan. The palette is set up like an eye, showing you which colour to use on the lid, in the crease, and on the brow bone. Below the eye you get a rectangle of "primer" and a gold glittery topcoat.

Now I put primer in quotations because this doesn't have the consistency of a normal eyeshadow primer and I found that it doesn't really work like one either. I used this as my only primer one day and the colours were fading by lunch time. I now just use this light pink shimmery primer as an all over wash of colour on days when I am wearing minimal makeup. I find that it really brings a nice light to the eyes.

The gold glitter topcoat is really nice and when used wet looks gorgeous on the lid. However, unless you are using this shadow wet then be prepared for tons of fallout. My face looked like a disco ball all day because they glitter continued to fall off my eye throughout the whole day.

The other three eyeshadows are really nice but, I don't like the order that Revlon put them in. When used in the intended order you get a smokey eye look every time. The sliver crease shade just doesn't work for me as a crease shade and the brow bone highlight is too dark of a pink to be a proper highlight shade. Even though the order of the shades don't work for me the pigmentation and colour payoff of the shadows are great and I will continue to use them.

I really like the packaging of this palette. I like that there is a window so you can see the eyeshadows that are inside but, I don't like the shape of the shadows. The narrow size of the crease and brow bone pans make it hard to get the brush in there to get the shadow out. I would have liked to see a simple shape to the pans, like in the Almay 3 shadow palettes.

Overall this is very good palette and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The next makeup product we received in our sample box was the Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in 035 Backstage. I was so excited to get this colour as it looks like the perfect wine/berry toned red. To me this is such a perfect Fall/Winter colour.

Packaging wise I really like this lipstick. It has a clear lid so you can see what the colour is and the plastic case colouring is a perfect match to the lipstick. I also like how the lipstick twists down below the rim of the packaging so that there is no chance of you nicking the product when taking the lid off or putting it back on.

The formula of this lipstick is different from the other ones in my collection. It goes on really glossy and patchy. You have to put many coats to get an even application that fully covers yours lips. And because it is so glossy I always need to put this on in a mirror and clean up the edges of my lips cause it just slips and slides everywhere.

It stays glossy for a few minutes and then once it starts drying it becomes really sticky, something I dislike. Once it is dry on your lips it feels tight and dry and it can also make your lips look really dry as well. I would not recommend using this lipstick on days when your lips are already dry and/or cracked cause it will only emphasize that.

Once this lipstick is dry I find that it stays on for a very long time. Eventually, it starts to flake off and at that point I try and rub it all off because it does not look pretty when half of your dark, noticeable lipstick has worn off. This lipstick does leave a light noticeable stain to your lips and when it gets to this point I like to put a lip balm or gloss over top.

I definitely prefer this lipstick when it looks glossy as apposed to when it has dried to its suede finish. I probably wouldn't purchase anymore of these lipsticks, as I do not like the finish. I would give this 2.5 stars out of 5.

1 layer

2 layers

3 layers

Natural light

Artificial light

 

 

If you received a Revlon Selects package what did you like/dislike about these two products? Would you be willing to purchase more with your own money?