Eyes Lips Face Haul

Recently I discovered E.L.F. products (eyeslipsface.com) and went a little crazy ordering products from their website, since everything was so cheap (either $1 or $3, note all prices are in US dollars).
Below are pictures of everything I bought. Also make sure to check out my YouTube Channel (TheMakeupAddict86) to see my reviews on the products.

My Eyes Lips Face purchases:


Fake Eyeslashes. ($1 each)
I got the two of the natural ones and one package of the dramatic ones.


Blush. ($3 each)
I got the blush and bronzer kit, which is said to be a dupe for NARS Orgasm Blush and NARS Laguna Bronzer and I also got a single blush in the colour Mellow Mauve.


Nail Polishes. ($1 each)
I got two pink shades, the lighter one is called Light Pink and the darker one is called Bubble Gum Pink.


Eye Primer & Liner Seal and Eyebrow Treat & Tame. ($3 each)
The eye primer sets your eyeshadow so it won’t fade, blend or crease. The liner seal transforms your eyeshadow into waterproof, smudge-proof liquid eye liner. (For the liner seal, make sure to wipe off the applicator after using so you can create multiple shades of liner and can keep the liquid clean.)Eyebrow Treat & Tame - Use the treat side to treat your eyebrows with a re-growth vitamin infused gel formula. Use the tame side to tame eyebrows with a fibre enriched mascara formula for fuller and more natural looking brows. (I got mine in medium brown, it is lighter than my brows but I like it because I use it to lighten my brows and make them match my hair colour better.)


Liquid Liner and Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara. ($1 each)
The clear mascara is enriched with protein conditioners combined with rapid-dry technology create healthy looking lashes instantly. Glossy, wet look finish. Wear alone or over mascara.


Eyelash curler. ($1)
Comes in pink or black.


Shimmering Facial Whips. ($1 each)
I got the shades (from left to right) Golden Peach, Toasted and Spotlight.


Corrective Concealer Kit. ($3)




My Free Gifts: Mini-Makeup Collection and Candy Shop Lip Tin.


Brushes (Black brushes from the Studio Line $3 and white brushes $1)
From top to bottom:
Powder Brush – creates a professionally sculpted look with full coverage colour. Use with powder or blush for perfect contouring. (Can use this brush with wet or dry products, so you can use this to apply foundation as well. Make sure to apply foundation in stippling motions for the best coverage and most natural look.)

Dome Brush – the domed bristles pick up a lot of colour and deposit it onto the eyelid for extra definition. Adds dept close to the lash line in the corner of the eye. Use to sweep colours along the lash line for concentrated colour.

Eyeshadow “C” Brush – creates the perfect smoky eye and gives more control for specific blending needs. Use with any powder eyeshadow product for colour blending.

Smudge Eye Sponge – create a dramatic, smoky eye look with this soft tapered applicator that blends liner and shadow perfectly.

Blending Eye Brush – expertly blends multiple eye shades while softening dramatic edges and fine lines. Brush can also multi-task - use it to set powder or liquid liner (I would NOT use it for these purposes, but for blending it does the job.)

Caryl Baker Visage Review

On Friday I went to get my eyebrows waxed at Caryl Baker Visage and ended up leaving with a few items.

I've been wanting thicker brows for a while, but years of waxing has caused them to not grow as much as they used too. I was using an eyeshadow to try and fill them in. I prefer a powder rather than a pencil, as a pencil can appear harsh and fake. I ended up picking up a Brow Blend Kit ($19.50 CAN). (See picture below). It came with three colours and you can blend them to create the right shade for your brow. I take a mix of the darkest brown and the medium brown and apply it with an angled taklon brush (I use one from the Coastal Scents line that was around $2.00 USD). I'm really impressed with how well the colours blend into the brow and how well they stick on the hair.


(Brow Blend)

The second product I picked up was the Mineral Pressed Powder ($28.50 CAN). I was told this could be used as a substitute for liquid foundation. I was quite sceptical about this but it did look good over my foundation so I purchased it (in the shade Peaches and Cream). I tried it out this weekend instead of foundation and it looked amazing! I would only recommend it if you have decent skin already. If you suffer from acne or really uneven skin I don't think it would cover red well. I have a few areas that are red but the powder covered it well enough. The powder allowed my natural skin to shine through and brightened my face up a lot. I am so impressed with this product. I still like wearing my foundation but I think I will just wear less foundation and put this on top. It is definitely good if you are in a rush because you can easily sweep it on in a few seconds and be on your way!


(Mineral Pressed Powder Casing)


(Mineral Pressed Powder in Peaches and Cream)

Caryl Baker products are really well made and they will test out all the products on you to find the right shade for you and what products work best. They sell everything from facial cleansers to eyeshadows, foundations, blush, nail polish, etc. They also do waxing, facials and makeup applications. I've been going there for my makeup applications and waxing for about seven years now and it is a place I would definitely recommend.

Check out my review on these two products and a demonstration on how to apply brow colour:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Review

Yesterday I went to the MAC Store and purchased the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW20 and a pump to go with it. I immediately came home and made a video review and tried it out!

There were a few things I missed in the video that I want to add:

- I got the prices a bit wrong. The foundation was $31.00 and the pump was $5.50. You don't need the pump but it does make the application easier and will conserve the product as you won't have to keep tipping the bottle over to get the foundation out (and probably ending up taking out more than needed).

- A little really goes a long, long way. I used 1/2 a pump today! One pump would probably cover a whole face but I just put it on my problem areas, as I said in the video.

- I find it looks better with time. When I first apply it I find it a bit darker but then after about 15 minutes, it sets into the skin and looks like my actual skin and not like makeup.

- I wore it from 6:15 am until 7:30 pm and it looked almost the same as when I first put it on in the morning. No creasing or fading (my skin did look a little oily on my forehead but that just tends to happen by the end of the day and would have been easily fixed with some powder or a blotting paper)

- Overall, I knew this would be a good product. MAC gets rave reviews from most. I really like the foundation and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to spend the money. I do provide a cheaper alternative in video as well, which is almost as good.

- If you are considering this product I really suggest going into the store and asking the MAC makeup artists to find your colour and test it out. They will be happy to try it out for you. I walked in and the makeup artist just said, "Oh you are NW20" and put some on my chin and it was a perfect match. They know their stuff!

I'm looking into getting a better recording device. I'm not happy with the quality of these videos and I'm starting to get into doing them!

Hopefully the next you see me, it's in HD, or at least something less grainy. xoxo.

Contouring the Cheeks Video Companion

Hey everyone,

Due to encouraging comments from a few people ("I would comment, rate and subscribe" and "you have skills and personality") I decided to start a YouTube channel: TheMakeupAddict86.

I've been watching YouTube makeup gurus for a few months now and I find them so helpful, but I didn't (and still don't really) think that I had the personality to capture an audience.

The first tutorial I did was a companion to my post below on contouring. Watch it if you get a chance and comment, rate, subscribe if you enjoy it! Also, let me know if you have any ideas for future posts.

If anyone has any good (free) video editing software they can recommend, let me know. Windows Movie Maker made my video appear more grainy, which I did not like at all.

Stay tuned, xoxo.

Contouring - Two Finger Method

Contouring the cheeks is a really good way to create the illusion of more defined cheekbones and a slimmer, sleeker face shape...when done right. When done incorrectly it can look harsh and messy and can draw attention to the wrong areas of the face.

Here is a really easy two finger method I learned a while back. I will be using the Coastal Scents Contour & Blush Palette for this look (from www.coastalscents.com).


Keep in mind the numbering as this is the order you shoud be applying the products. The brown acts as the contour shade, the pink as the blush shade and the white as the highlight shade. Use an angled blush brush to apply the shades and then take a powder brush to blend it all together and buff out any harsh lines. (Brushes are from Sephora).


1. Take your index and middle finger and place them diagonally under your eye, drawing a line to the end of your nose.



2. Using either a bronzer, dark blush,or dark complexion powder, take a blush brush a draw a light (i repeat, light) line under your middle finger. I am using the dark brown contour colour from the coastal scents palette (labelled #1). It is important to start light and build the colour up. You do not want this line to look too visible, it is supposed to look more like a shadow. Concentrate the majority of the colour towards your hairline and not near your nose for a more natural look.

3. Take a blush colour and sweep it just above the brown contour line using a blush brush, or exactly where your middle finger was. I am using a medium shade blush from the coastal scents palette (labelled #2).

4. Take a highlight (a white eyeshadow or other light shimmery shadow)and sweep it above the blush colour, or exactly where your index finger was. Make sure to take the colour up towards your temple and brow to highlight the face and bring some light to it. I am using the white shade in the coastal scents palette (labelled #3).

5. Take a powder/complexion or kabuki brush and buff the colours together. Just sweep the brush over all three colours going side to side and making circular motions with the brush to blend them together and remove any harsh lines. Blend more where necessary.

Let me know what you think of this look. I do this now most days when I have time because I find it creates cheekbones that I tend to lack!

Xoxo.

Coastal Scents - Review

I can't say I stumbled upon Coastal Scents (www.coastalscents.com) myself. I had heard a few people mention it in passing and had seen a number of YouTube tutorials using the palettes, in particular. Since it was so affordable and, for the most part, was getting good reviews I decided to order some stuff a couple weeks ago.

To my surprise, my package of goodies came in only three days. I was concerned about shipping to Ontario, since the product was coming from the States and it was the holiday season so I got the FedEx International Priority shipping option. It was $19 but it was definitely worth it, since I got my product so fast and I heard the standard shipping could take up to three weeks.

Based on the quick service alone I would order again. I got a tracking number to follow my package, and within hours it was already ready to be shipped out.

Listed below (with pictures and prices) are the products I ordered and my reviews on each product. If you have these products, comment and let me know your thoughts as well.

1. 88 Piece Makeup Palette (Matte) $18.95 USD



I find a lot of times when you order cheaper palettes you get a lot of useless colours, ones more suited for clowns. However, most of these colours are wearable.

PROS: Highly pigmented colours - you only need a little bit of shadow, so even though each shadow is small in size a little will go a long way. Mixing colours - you can mix two or three colours together to create newer, darker or softer shades. Blending - these colours are very blendable which is good for creating a cleaner look. Matte - I opted for the matte palette instead of the shimmer because I find matte shadow is more appropriate for daytime and as some of the colours are brighter or more dramatic to add a shimmer on top of that can look almost too much, if you catch my drift. Packaging - simple and good size palette. Thin and sleek with a big mirror. Comes with two double-ended shadow sponge brushes, however I would recommend using a shadow brush rather than a sponge for a better, more even application.

CONS: Shipping - one of my brown shadows was broken in the kit and had left little bits of brown shadow on the mirror and in some of the other shadows. More bubble wrap and better packing would have easily solved this. Although it wasn't a big deal, just more of a pain to clean up. Not pressed enough - also not too big of an issue but when you use the shadows you will find excess bits of shadow will be left on top of the shadow or around the shadow on the casing as the shadows aren't pressed hard enough and separate a bit when you put your brush on them.

Overall this is a great palette, especially for beginners. It has a wide selection of colours and is very affordable. I would recommend this to anyone.

2. Contour & Blush Palette $18.95 USD



I had recently been introduced to the concept of contouring from makeup gurus on YouTube and this is why I purchased this palette. I think I am going to do a separate post on contouring and show you how to get the most out of this palette.

PROS: Similar pros to the 88 palette, it is convenient to have these colours in one palette and there are useful colours for most skin types. I also like that you get a lot of each shade.

CONS: I find colours to be a bit too pigmented, when you are applying things like powder and blush you want to start with less and build the colour on so it doesn't look harsh or clownish. You need to be careful with this palette because starting out with a little is sometimes too much already and you will need to blend it out to make it look more natural. The two blush options I find to be almost identical and the powder options I find to not be that good of a match for my skin. They are alright but I still stick to my Cover Girl pressed powder because it's not as heavy and the colour matches me better.

3. Brushes (note: the names on the brushes are different than the names on the website)



From top to bottom:
a) Tapered Crease Eye Brush $2.24 USD - This brush is good for the crease. It is soft and the bristles are fairly compact so it can hold a lot of shadow and can create a precise line for defining the crease neatly.

b) Italian Badger Pencil Brush $2.96 USD - This brush I use for the "outer V" or the outer corner of the eye. I like that it has a pointed tip (that holds its shape well) so you can do precision work with this brush and I would use a dark shadow here just to create more depth in the outer eye area.

c) Italian Badger Blender Brush $2.65 USD - This brush is basically junk. The bristles aren't dense enough and they are way to soft to be doing anything with. I bought it to use for blending but its so soft it doesn't blend anything. When you use the bristles just separate and do absolutely nothing. Waste of money, do not buy.

Taklon Liner and Brow Shader Brush $1.97 USD - I bought this one to use for filling in my eyebrows (I use a medium brown shade from the 88 palette). This is a great brush, would consider getting another to use for actual liner. The bristles are nice and stiff which allows you to draw steady lines, so it would be really good for doing liner with eyeshadow. (tip: turn any eyeshadow into liner by putting some water on the brush and dipping it into eyeshadow, but try not to get too much water in your shadow, this will ruin it. Just dip your brush on the edge or corner of the shadow).

Overall, I was really happy with the service, quality and price of the products. I will definitely be ordering again. I was just on the site and saw some new brushes that look pretty good! Please let me know if you found this useful and if there are any tutorials/demos you want me to do using the kits or brushes. If you have any questions post them in the comments section and I will be happy to answer them.

Thanks for reading, stay pretty xoxo.