New Beauty Products - Mascara, Nail Polish, Perfume, Lipgloss and SO MUCH MORE!

Y'all know me - accumulating a nice stock of new beauty products every couple of months and just DYING to share the fun here on my blog. The rest of this post is going to be hella long, so I'ma keep the intro short and dive right in. Sidebar, you guys have no idea how long it's taken me to write this blog. I swear I started it in March.

LONDON DRUGS

Maybelline's The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara (on sale - $5.99)

The end of my current tube of The Rocket is nigh, so I needed to re-up on this trusty mascara. It's one of my very favorite mascaras - particularly for any night-time looks. It was even a part of my 2013 Favorites round up, if you want to read more about it there.

Maybelline's Great Lash Lots of Lashes (on sale - $4.99)

Even though Maybelline's Great Lash mascara is probably the most ubiquitous mascaras of all time, and a seemingly timeless staple of drugstore makeup departments, I've never tried it before. This new "Lots of Lashes" version of the product piqued my interest just enough for me to scoop it up. I've used it a few times now and am forming my opinion. So far, I'm really impressed with how the uniquely shaped brush head hugs my lashes during application, especially the bottom lashes. The first swipe of the first coat leaves my lashes a little wet, but the second swipe separates and combs through quite well. The actual mascara packaging/wand feels really cheap - almost like it's toy makeup. There also seems to be an Achilles heel in the wand, just beneath the brush head. If you aren't careful with it, you could accidentally bend the wand quite a bit at that point when you're replacing the wand into the tube. But despite those last two things, this mascara is doing its job so far. (Which is to make my face look less corpse-like.)

Update on 5/27/14:  My opinion on this mascara is now growing increasingly dismal by the day. You know how some mascaras give you a false negative impression in their first few uses, as they kind of settle into their formula? Well this Maybelline mascara did the opposite of that - it gave me a false positive impression in its first several uses, and then settled into its true formula... CLUMPY. Seriously, this stuff is making it nearly impossible to achieve separated lashes. Spend your money on a better mascara than this.

Revlon Parfumerie Polish in Moonlit Woods (on clearance - $3.99)

There were a few varieties of the Parfumerie polishes on sale that day in the London Drugs clearance bin, so I tested them all out and selected Moonlit Woods. I adore the scent of it. It's quite similar in color to the Nicole by OPI Gumdrops polish that I also picked up recently - Blue-Berry Sweet On You - but without the texture.

SHOPPERS DRUG MART

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Hydrating Night Cream ($4.49 because of pricing sticker discrepancy!)

So I was looking through the face creams at Shoppers when I noticed that there was a row of these Aveeno products on sale for $4.49, marked down from $20.99!! Whaaat!? But upon closer inspection, I realized that the $4.49 sale sticker had been placed on the wrong product. I brought it to the attention of a nearby store clerk and asked if he'd honor the $4.49 price for me, since I'd so nicely spotted the problem and quietly pointed it out to him. He did!! Ladies, that's how you spend $4.49 for a $20.99 night cream! I've been using the cream (almost) every night for the last couple of weeks, and I'm obsessed with the way it smells. It also makes my face feel soft and moisturized in the morning, which I appreciate.

Revlon Fuchsia Fever nail polish ($7.99)

You guys have seen this on my blog already - I bought it specifically for my Emma Stone Met Gala nails. I can't say enough about this polish - but I already raved about it here!

SEPHORA.com

Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Lovechild  - 0.13 oz ($20.40)

This is the product that I was actually shopping for on Sephora.com that day. All the rest were just bonus add-ons. After receiving a sample size of this lip gloss as a 100-point gift from Sephora earlier this year, I fell in love with it and decided to get the full size.

Marc Jacobs Honey perfume - 0.04 oz (free sample with purchase)

I was so happy to have gotten a sample of this perfume because I'd been wanting to check it out for a couple of years. With the overflowing box of sample perfumes that are already in my stash (a confession I made in this blog), there was a chance that this Honey sample would just get lost in the abyss of them all. But I'm happy to report that I've used up almost all of this sample already because it smells SEW DAMN GEWD. If you love sweet scents, you will no doubt love Honey.

GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment (free sample with purchase)

Ok THIS is a weird product that I do not understand. I still don't, even after using it. It's an undereye treatment that comes in little individual pods, one for each eye. It's supposed to somehow brighten the undereye area, but after smearing on the gel-like, slimy, seemingly seaweed-infused substance, leaving it on for 5 minutes, and then wiping it off... I noticed absolutely no difference.

Kat Von D Unlock It Makeup Remover Wipes (free sample with purchase)

There are two wipes in here and I haven't used them yet because I'm so infrequently wearing enough face makeup that would require a remover wipe like this. Normally I'm only wearing mascara for makeup, which I'd remove with my Almay gentle eye makeup remover, rather than a face wipe. But one of these days, when I have something fancy to look nice for, I'll use my special Aveeno + DD Cream combo on my face, plus some bronzer (see Essence purchases below), plus some blush, plus some eye makeup... and ON THAT DAY, I will try out these Kat Von D makeup remover wipes to see how they do.

Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Sophia  - 0.07 oz sample (100 VIB points)

Oh heeeey, tingle city! This is a lip-plumping gloss that leans more "cool, tingly" than "burning," if that's your thing. The color, Sophia, is a rosy pink with golden microshimmer. It's a skosh on the sticky side, I'm not gonna lie. But it's not the very stickiest in the world, and the cool plumping sensation lasts for quite awhile. It also tastes/smells like... mocha? Sort of coffee-ish? All in all, I'm very pleased to have spent 100 points on this one.

ACACIA HAIR BOUTIQUE

Kevin Murphy Young Again treatment oil - ($40)

When I (finally) got my hair cut back in March, the treatment oil that the stylist used on me that day made my hair feel SO amazing that I actually purchased a bottle of it right then and have been using it almost daily ever since. Guys... get some. Two pumps of this Young Again oil applied throughout damp, towel-dried hair will make everyday a good hair day. After my hair dries, it feels nourished, healthy, soft, moisturized, AND it's shiny. As a little bonus, rubbing any leftover product into your hands will even leave your hands feeling amazingly soft! And as a further bonus, the oil smells like yummy vanilla perfume.

CANVAS HAIR SALON

Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Shampoo ($26)

Again, going back to the hair appointment I had in March, my stylist also recommended that I switch to using the shampoo brand/line that complemented the conditioner that I was already using - a Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Conditioner. Shampoo and conditioners apparently really do work best when the same kind is used in tandem, rather than using one brand for shampoo and another brand for conditioner. So to give my "anti-breakage" regimen a boost I went into a neighborhood hair salon, Canvas, and picked up the Davines Melu Shampoo. I have to be honest... I do NOT like using this shampoo, but hear me out.

The #1 reason that I'm frustrated with this shampoo is because it does not lather. And yes, I know, I KNOW, that's actually a good thing. Shampoos that lather up nice and frothy with big bubbles actually contain ingredients that aren't great for your hair. This is a well-known fact among people who pay attention to hair stuff, so when this Davines shampoo didn't lather up during use, I knew that it wasn't a mistake or a product defect. I knew it was a sign of the quality ingredients in the shampoo... but that doesn't make it any easier to spread the product throughout my long hair! Bubbly shampoos are easy to disseminate throughout a full head of hair, because you can just work the frothy bubbles all the way down the length of your strands, and all the way down to the nape of your neck to scrub them in and get everything clean. But when there is no lather to disperse, what the hell do you do??? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?? It's so hard to feel like the shampoo is reaching every part of my hair and head when there are no bubbles.

Anyway... despite that frustration, I don't think my hair is feeling any negative effects of the non-lather yet. It certainly still feels clean and smooth when I'm done using this shampoo. So basically I've got lots of conflicting feelings about this product, so I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I FEEL. #HidesInACorner.

IN MY EASTER BASKET (AKA... gifts to myself)

I like to make Easter baskets for David and myself every year (when I remember), because why the heck not? It's fun to go shopping for tons of small items and candies to put together for a Sunday morning surprise. This year I made our "baskets" by trimming down a couple of paper bags, folding over their tops, and stuffing them with shredded magazine pages for "grass." Atop the bed of mag-grass went all of the other goodies. Some of you may remember the picture I shared of it on Instagram:

Among all the other candy treats, these were the beauty products that the Easter bunny left in my basket this year:

Essence Sun Club All-in-One Bronzing Highlighter (in shade for blondes/lighter skin) ($3.49?)

YouTuber Tati recently reviewed a whole line of summery Essence products, one of which was this Sun Club bronzing highlighter, which looked really pretty to me. Knowing how insanely affordable Essence products are, this product went onto my list of things to try. I love this stuff! It's my very first bronzer, EVER, if you can believe it. I know it's not a full-on bronzer, but still - more bronze than anything else I own. I got the shimmery "blonde" shade, but this also comes in a darker, brunette version. Of note: this product smells like summer - a piña colada, specifically.

By the way, if you're interested, Tati is one of my new favorite YouTubers to watch. She's gorgeous and has tons of knowledge about makeup and beauty and life, but one of my favorite things about her is her voice! It's so soothing to listen to, and I literally don't even care how creepy that sounds. Check out her channel here.

Essence Lipstick in #53 All About Cupcake ($1.99)

It was the cute packaging that made me buy this raspberry-coral lipstick. I didn't notice until writing this blog that it's got an adorable name too (All About Cupcake). This is totally not a lipstick you need to buy, because it's nothing extra special. It's a relatively sheer lipstick that takes a lot of work to build up, but it does apply really smoothly and smells like candy necklaces... so. You decide if you want to spend your hard-earned $2 on this 'stick.

Eos Lip Balm in Passion Fruit ($3.99)

Just another eos to add to my stash! This is the passion fruit flavor - lovely.

Lush Fluffy Egg bath bomb (I can't remember how much this cost!)

I've not used this yet, so there's not much I can tell you besides the fact that it smells super sugary sweet and it will allegedly fizz up when it hits the water.

Oh my god, are you still reading? If you are - thank you for sticking it out. We've reached the end of this beauty round up!

Now tell me - have you tried any of these products? If so, let me know your thoughts! Shop them below using the Shop The Post widget ~

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{Linking with Beauty Buzz and Kelly's Korner Blog}

Avon Mega Effects Mascara Review

A couple of months ago, I won a pretty cool giveaway (Hoozah! The streak continues!) from MomTrends - Nicole was giving away an Avon Mega Effects Mascara.

The name itself, Avon Mega Effects, might not be super familiar to you... but I guarantee you've SEEN this mascara around ye olde blogosphere in the last year:

MMHMM you know you've seen this crazy spaceship mascara around and have wondered about it. But despite my fondness for trying new mascaras, chances were pretty low that I'd actually be buying this one. I've literally never bought anything from Avon - ever. That's why I was über psyched when it was gifted to me, so my foray into Avon would be a low-risk one. (Thanks Nicole!)

I wanted to use the mascara several times before reviewing it here - especially because "mascara first reactions" are misleading, in my experience. Even with my favorite mascaras, there's a bit of a breaking-in period that one must go through before a tube of mascara feels like it's the perfect consistency. #HollerIfYouHearMe.

So here are the features of the Mega Effects Mascara, via the Avon site:

• This breakthrough mascara provides 24-hour volume, leaving lashes darker, denser and more dramatic. Get ready for a corner to corner lash transformation with our first ever Wonderbrush. 
• The Wonderbrush bends and adjusts to multiple angles capturing every lash, top to bottom. The unique brush fits the natural shape of lashes, coating them evenly with formula from root to tip. The extra surface area of the Wonderbrush bristles are designed to deliver 40% more mascara to the lash. 
• Mega Effects Mascara provides a clump-proof, sweat-proof, non-flaking and non-smudging experience. Ophthalmologist-tested.

The "Wonderbrush" bends in lots of different directions - here are two of its HOTTEST POSES, to give you a taste:

.  i call this one "blue steel"  .

To get started, you have to squeeze the pink cap to remove it, unveiling the texture grip area of the mascara wand:

Then, following the instructions, you rock the pink wand back and forth in its base to get it coated with mascara before removing the Wonderbrush from the base.

... Easier said than done!

It was difficult to remove the mascara wand from the base. The instructions make it sound like it's going to just wiggle right outta there with little effort, but you're going to actually require some strength and agility. You'll probably even feel like the wand is going to suddenly come flying out and spray you with black mascara splatter. I hope that doesn't happen to you. I really do.

Next comes the adventure of actually applying the mascara to your lashes. #YallReadyForThis?

Bringing the wand to your eyeball is rather a terrifying experience. I'm pretty sure the "Jaws" song plays in my head every time I apply this mascara.

You may end up being so frightened that you miss the base of your eyelashes altogether because you're terrified of what the shark-scara will do to your precious eyeball...

When I do manage to get the brush into my lashes, I find that the Wonderbrush consistently loads a ton of product onto the base of the lash. This means that I always have to go back and comb through it with a clean mascara wand to separate and distribute the product.

I didn't find the U-shape of the wand head to be at all helpful. In fact, there's something about the shape that seems to make it especially prone to applying a good amount of product onto my eye lid - more so than with any other mascara I've ever used.

.  hope you like your eyelids to have MEGA EFFECTS as well  .

And as far as the bendable wand-head... the point of it is lost on me. With a simple round wand, you don't need to stop what you're doing to bend the head of it into another angle - you simply rotate it to fit your needs. There's no "rotating" this Wonderbrush, clearly. Unless you want to lose an eye!! #PiratePatchesAreSOLASTSEASON.

My first reaction to the Avon Mega Effects Mascara ended up being the same as my ultimate opinion - I haven't had any more luck with it any time I've used it.

Long story short:  I wouldn't recommend this particular mascara to you or any of my buddies. With so many great mascaras out there that don't require all of this fuss, clean-up, and bravery... there doesn't seem much point in purchasing the gimmicky Mega Effects.

But to end on a demi-positive note... if you DO make it past all of the product redistribution and extensive clean up, there's a light at the end of the tunnel - my lashes do have a long, curled and sinewy look in the below picture:

So there's that. But I still wouldn't recommend that you buy this one.

Here are some mascaras that I would recommend that you try out:

• Maybelline's The Rocket
• Maybelline XXL Intense Volume and Length Microfiber
• Covergirl Clump Crusher
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto
• Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect
• Benefit They're Real

What are YOUR favorite mascaras?
Are you into drugstore mascaras, or more high-end?
Have you tried out this Avon Mega Effects Mascara?

p.s. Like my nails in these pics? See more of that mani here!

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Annabelle Chai Chai Chai Eyeshadow Quad

About a week before Christmas, an unexpected package arrived in the mail for me from Groupe Marcelle Inc. (maker of Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle) - a bundle of beauty goodies!

Inside the package of stooooof was an eyeshadow quad (in the color Chai Chai Chai), a retractable eyeliner (in the color Chocochip), and three of Annabelle's fun TwistUp Retractable Lipstick Crayons (in colors Plump It Up, Fuchsianista, and Cherry). I'll have a separate post soon dedicated to those lipsticks because those are pretty fabulous.

The first of these products that I actually took for a spin in public was the eyeshadow quad, which I rocked for a night out in Vancouver last Saturday with my friend Rose. {She posted an Instagram pic of us here.}

So firstly - it's difficult to pop this quad open because the package is very smooth, and there's no "lip" to latch onto or push upwards on. I always feel like I'm going to break a nail getting into these shadows. If I had on fresh nail polish and tried to open this, it would surely end in disaster. Also, if you've recently applied hand lotion - good luck getting into this quad.

BUT! Once you get the quad top popped open, things are smooth sailing from there.

The eyeshadow quad comes with two small shadow applicators, but I'm pretty sure most people don't use these little foam things and opt to just use their own eyeshadow brushes - right? That's what I did anyway. Chai Chai Chai contains a cream shadow, a gold, a bronze, and a brown. Beautiful colors for blue eyes!

There's a handy little diagram on the back of the package that shows where you should place each color:

I more or less followed that guide for my eye look when I went out in Gastown with Rose last week, but I went light on the brown color. Cue the bathroom selfies: 

These shadows are quite decently pigmented, but beware of fallout! Make sure to tap off the excess shadow before you bring your applicator up to your eye.

If you're curious, here's what other beauty products I'm using on my face in these pics:

- Aveeno + Marcelle DD Cream combo on my entire face (read about that here)
- eos lip balm in Pomegranate Raspberry (my favorite eos balm - find out why here)
- Benefit Cosmetic's Watt's Up highlighter on the very highest part of my cheekbones, as well as on my brow bone and in the corners of my eyes (this was part of my birthday present from Sephora)
- Mary Kay mineral cheek color in the shade Sunny Spice (also very nice for fair-skinned, blue-eyed girls!)
- Maybelline's The Rocket mascara
- In the above pics (but not the below pic) I'm also wearing the new eyebrow makeup that I picked up a couple weeks ago from the lovely ladies at 4 Angels Beauty Care
- Before I went out that night I also added a swipe or two of Revlon's Sunbaked ColorBurst Lip Gloss to my lips. That product was part of my #blogvancity swag bag and it's my FAVORITE lip gloss now.

An Annabelle/Marcelle Cosmetics associate emailed me back in late November, asking if I'd liked to be placed on their media list. I didn't become a blogger to receive free stuff, but if blogging about the things I love ends up getting my name put onto a list of people who should be sent gifts.... well then I'm not going to argue.

I'd sent Groupe Marcelle some information about myself - my skin tone, eye color, products I like - to help guide their discretion about any products to send me, and they did a great job with these picks! This Chai Chai Chai quad is great if you've got fair skin and blue eyes - and the color options in this eyeshadow quad are versatile enough to make lots of different kinds of looks. I look forward to playing around with it more! There are some other color options of these palettes, too. You can find them at London Drugs for $10.99 (not an affiliate link).

Do you ever use any Annabelle or Marcelle Cosmetics products?

If you're light-skinned or blue-eyed, do you have a go-to eye look?

How are you feeling today?

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Disclaimer: I received some of the products mentioned in this post for free, but all opinions are mine, all miiiiiiine!!!! MUAHAHAHAHA! See my Disclosure Statement for more information.

New Favorite Eye Makeup Remover!

Confession, err'body:  I've never been a big fan of using eye makeup remover.

And by that I mean... I did not use it. Or own it. Or even look at it in the stores, really. It's supposedly awful practice, but I've always taken the more straight-forward and rough approach of using a wet washcloth in the shower to remove my mascara from my lashes. "Manually," if you will.  I'd grasp my lashes between my washcloth and basically pull on them from root to tip, removing mascara along the way. Pretty sure it's the best way to prematurely make your eyelids go bald, but WHO HAS TIME FOR REMOVING MAKEUP THE GROWN-UP WAY?

Well, apparently I do now.

I blame my new need for eye makeup remover on Maybelline's The Rocket Volum' Express mascara. Do you guys use this stuff? It's awesome - it really is... but good god it's difficult to remove! It acts like it's a waterproof mascara or something! (It isn't, I swear... I triple-checked.) So now that The Rocket is my everyday mascara and it refuses to just be muscled off, it's become time to re-evaluate my removal strategy. Maybe even actually use some of those eye makeup removers that I'd been gifted at the #blogvancity event back in September. (Read all about it here.)

So what did I discover?

THIS STUFF RIGHT HERE: 

.  and yeah, there's french all over it.  welcome to canada, y'all!  .

It's the Almay Longwear & Waterproof Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, and I was generously given a full-sized, 4-oz bottle of it in my #swagvancity #blogvancity gift bag. It is oil-based (which I know some people don't like), so you do have to gently shake it before each use to mix it all up. You can see in the pictures above that the oil separates and sits on top when the bottle has been left sitting.

In the month following #blogvancity, I tried out this product a couple of times... but since I wasn't in the habit of regularly using eye makeup remover, it didn't really catch on with me at first. However, the more I realized that The Rocket is seriously a biatch, the more I warmed up to the idea of using something gentler to remove it. Beauty requires some sacrifices, you know. Like giving up a long-standing practice of abusing your poor eye lashes with a washcloth.

I'm happy to report that, while it's still not a daily habit, I've started using this eye makeup remover a lot more lately. It's really gentle, just like the package says. After applying some of the product to a cotton pad (enough to soak the cotton pad through slightly), I just place the pad over my closed lid and move it in small circles over my lashes. And guess what? The Rocket slides right off! NOT SO HOT NOW, EH ROCKET? #TakeThat! (#ReallyGently!!)

Have you used this particular eye makeup remover before? I've tried a few brands, but this one is definitely my favorite so far. I'm going through this bottle pretty quickly though, so if there's a holy grail of eye makeup remover that you think I ought to know about, tell me in a comment!

I received this product fo' free in a gift bag from a blogger event, 

but all opinions are MINE! ALL MIIIIINE!!!!! MUAHAHAAHAH!

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