M's Favourite Beauty Products of 2013

I really enjoy seeing the all stars line-up of beauty products from others, so I figured I would follow suit from my best of 2012 post and write one up for 2013:

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 674 Coralberry

It's almost Summer, which means coral galore!

Current Favourites

Do you guys find monthly favourites videos to be a bit of a misnomer?

The products featured in monthly favourites videos tend to be recently hauled products.  Often, beauty gurus fawn over these products immediately after purchase, but eventually find the products disappointing or not worth the hype after more regular use.   It's also funny when you hear them say they have been using the products for a 'long time', which usually means a week or so. 

Nevertheless, they're still fun to watch :D

My point is, I've had these products for over a year now (save for one; yeah, yeah, hypocrite), which is not a long time by any stretch of the imagination.  However, in the beauty community (like Hollywood relationships), that's considered pretty loyal, is it not?

Anyway, the products I have listed below are reliable, predictable, and foolproof. 

And they are:

Valentine's FOTN

Valentine's makeup tutorials have been abundant on Youtube, and Rachel's (spoof) is my favourite hahaha.

This will be on my FOTN:

MAC Archie's Girls Collection (Pictures & Swatches)

Today's the official launch date for the collection!

As mentioned in my preview post, I had placed Betty Bright, Daddy's Little Girl, and Prom Princess on hold for pick up today.  Go to that post if you want to see pictures of the displays.

First of all, the packaging is adorable.  It's super cute and very fitting for Valentine's Day.

The inside of these boxes is a solid red

MAC Archie's Girls Collection - Preview

I popped into my local MAC store today, and had the opportunity to preview the Archie's Girls collection before its official release date on Feb 7, 2013.

When I saw the sales lady take out the display, I almost died.  It was brand new and nobody had touched anything yet.  The lady said that she didn't even put the powders onto the display yet.

It got really busy at the counter after my arrival, so I was left alone to devirginize the collection.  I went mad, trying on all of the lipsticks first.  I swatched everything... even things I wasn't interested in, lol.  I almost felt the need to light a cigarette after that euphoric experience... too far? haha

I managed to snap some photos with my iphone4, but I would refer you to MBB's amazing post for HD pictures and swatches.

The powders won't taken out yet.

Betty Collection

Veronica Collection

I will give my opinion on lipsticks.
(I don't know my MAC foundation match, but in their MSF Natural, I'm in Medium.)

Betty:
Girl Next Door - super sheer cool-toned lavender. it was not flattering me at all.
Betty Bright - bright pastel coral pink. it looked great on me with one application and dabbing.
Oh Oh Oh - deep deep brown red. I looked like I had smeared blackberries all over my lips.

Veronica:
Daddy's Little Girl - super bright berry fuschia. it was very bright on me, but I think it would be beautiful for the spring.
Ronnie Red - tomato red. it looked like a strawberry red on me.
Boyfriend Stealer - sheer vampy deep blueberry purple.  I looked like a goth haha.

In the end, I shortlisted the lipsticks into these three:

Betty Bright, Oh Oh Oh, Daddy's Little Girl

I pre-ordered Betty Bright (Betty lipstick), Daddy's Little Girl (Veronica lipstick), and Prom Princess (Veronica powder blush).  I'll be picking them up next week, on Feb 7th.

Let me know if you picked up anything from this collection.  I know that it was released online this afternoon and a lot are already sold out!

- M

Estée Lauder Peach Nuance Blush

Ever since I saw essiebutton's post during the peak of the coral hype last year, I've been feverishly combing through every single Cosmetics Company Outlet and Estée Lauder counter I came across.

Of course, Estée had been talking about a peach blush.  This particular one was called Witty Peach, and was supposedly a shimmer version of EL Peach Nuance.  EL Peach Nuance had been all the rage, because it was argued to be the ultimate dupe for MAC Ripe Peach.

Anyway, as you may recall from my Portland Haul (post here), I managed to finally track down EL Peach Nuance.  I was overjoyed when I found at least 10 of them in the CCO.

classic EL packaging

sorry about the fibers...

I swear I didn't photoshop lol

gorgeous

For professional shots, check out Temptalia's post here.

Do you need this?  No.

Is it gorgeous, and do you want this?  Yes.

As someone who exclusively uses Tarte blushes, this is definitely nowhere near the pigmentation.  I would compare this to MAC sheertone pigmentation.  It's definitely light, but gives a decent flush of colour.  It's perfect for me right now in the dead of Winter, when my skin is basically white.

Peach Nuance retails for $25 USD.  I got it for $18.50 USD at the CCO in Portland, Oregon (sweet, no tax!).

- M

REVIEW: MAC Mineralize SkinFinish (Soft and Gentle)

As mentioned in my haul post, I picked up the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle at the duty free shop going outbound from Canada. yes, already started hauling shit before I even left the country, haha.

Aside from Benefit Highbeam and Dior Amber Rose, this is all the shit highlighter within the beauty youtubing world.  So, naturally, I've been eyeing this for a while.

its ingredients

the closeup

the swatch

How I wear it:
I lightly press against it with the Tarte blush brush that came with the Carried Away with Tarte collection (see post here), and brush along the tops of my cheekbones.  I also dab a finger against it and lightly apply along the length of my nose and on my cupid's bow.

How it wears:
I've only worn it in the evening/night, and it had lasted up to 8 hours without any setting spray or touch-up.  Even though it's a dry product, it didn't dry out my skin or enhance any dry spots.  I like that it's not a wet application product (see:  Benefit Highbeam), so it makes it hard to overdo the highlighting.

I can see that it may be easily duped, and I wouldn't doubt that there's probably tons of cheaper alternatives out there.  Please do note that this highlighter is super finely milled so there weren't chunks of glitter all over, and it didn't appear obvious that I had used a highlighting product.  Additionally, once applied, it didn't budge on my face, so I didn't end the night looking like a discoball.

Verdict:
It adds a nice finishing touch, especially during the colder months when my skin gets even more pale.  Soft and Gentle hides some of the Winter dullness and enhances any definition in the face (as should any highlighting product).
Overall, I really like it.  The pricetag ($29 USD) isn't too bad considering you're getting an insane amount of product.

- M

M's China & Taiwan Beauty Haul

Hello Strangers!

It's been a while since the last post.  I went on holidays to China and Taiwan for a month, and R is a lazyfuck.

I wanted to share (cough showoff cough) my beauty haul from the trip (cue photos galore):

Please note that the currency in China is RMB (1 CAD = 7 RMB), and the currency in Taiwan is NT (1 CAD = 28 NT).  In other words, I bought a lot of shit.

from duty free
I will be doing a full post on this later

it's supposed to whiten your pits lol

this was 29 RMB for 2!
I gave one to R

floral AND fruity scent!
this was 109 NT for 2! (I gave two to R)

I bought a box to try since they were only 100 NT!

velcro sheets to keep your hair up without creasing it
20 NT for a pack (2 sheets in a pack)

my beloved lip ice
(see R's post here)

they come in a pack of 4
80 NT for two packs
These are my favourite makeup wipes (see my post here)

stole the two cherry blossom scented ones from my mom's duty free 6-piece assorted hand cream pack
the 6-piece pack contained 2 cherry blossoms, 2 dry hands, 2 lavender - a complete steal at 269 RMB (~$6 CAD each!)

I was completely out so bought one from duty free for 180 RMB ($25 CAD!)
they're normally $40 at the North American counters... wtf

MSF in Soft and Gentle from duty free
I have no idea how much it was... Mom got it for me

$24 CAD from duty free
Normally $27 CAD at Canadian counters
(see my review here - clearly, I lied about not running to buy it. it saved my skin in China and now I'm hooked lol)

I bought a shitload of these grapefruit scented oil blotting films
I think they were 20 RMB each

My Beauty Diary face sheet masks (each box has 10 individually packaged masks)
389 NT for 2 boxes, which is ~$7 CAD per box
they normally retail for $15 CAD per box here!
I will probably do a full post of these later

I stocked up on Asian pads!
they fit me a lot better, so I always stock up whenever I go (they're also a lot cheaper at 14 RMB per pack of 16 pads)
I spend about 1000 RMB on just pads every time I go to China and it lasts me about 2.5 years
(imagine me strolling around Carrefour like no big deal, with a shopping cart filled with bright pink pads lol)

- M

Is Tarina Tarantino peacing out of Sephora too?

I went into Sephora today to repurchase my Smashbox liquid liner, and got distracted by the sale signs all over the Tarina Tarantino counter.  Brain went "40% off?! HOLLA!"

I was only interested in the lip sticks ("Conditioning Lip Sheen") because everything else belongs in Tinkerbell's house.  If only their buttery eye shadows came in matte colours too.

After swatching every single shade, I went to the cashier with Pink Elephant and Cameo.  So tempted to grab a few more...

Heavy packaging - would've felt more luxurious without the bejeweling

Left:  Cameo.  Right:  Pink Elephant

Cameo is a brown neutral nude with slight pink.
Pink Elephant is a light dusty rose pink.

Smell:
None; unscented.

Texture:
It's sooo creamy and smooth.  It reminds of a less melty MAC cremesheen.

Pigmentation:
Pretty good.  Colours are true to the bullet.

Price:
$16 CAD each. (Originally $26 CAD each.)

- M

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

After much pestering from R and 1.5 weeks of randomly appeared blotchy redness on my face, I finally caved.  This is my third ever MAC product and first ever MAC face product.

I didn't get matched at the MAC counter or anything... I figured that my skin tone was pretty much identical to R's, so I just grabbed the Medium - Turned out to be a perfect match; I can't tell it apart from my skin.

I wore it for a full 10 hour day today, and I'm quite pleased.

Before I begin, I want to inform that I've never worn foundation in any form; at least, not for the function of foundation.  When I use foundation (in liquid form only), it serves as a spot concealer.

After washing my face, I applied my usual Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner (my post on it here) to my T-zone.  Then, starting from my T-zone, I buffed the MSF all over my face with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush (my post on it here).  I found that it was a light coverage that was build-able to reduce redness and even out my skin.  The MSF isn't enough coverage for my under-eye darkness and dark pigmentation spots, so I used my Chanel Perfection Correcteur Concealer; however, I found that I didn't need as much of my concealer as usual.  After I applied my concealer, I went over my face with the MSF once more, really lightly, to just set everything.

Normally, I would apply my pore refiner to my T-zone, conceal, and apply my Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Translucent Finishing Powder all over.

Even though I didn't apply any moisturizer today, the MSF didn't enhance any dry patches (I have combination skin, but within the last couple of weeks, I've been having more dry-normal skin).  Sometimes, if I haven't moisturized, I've found that my Tarte finishing powder will slop up the little oil on my skin and make my top of nose and chin look like a flaky mess.

Also, the MSF was able to even out my complexion and keep it matte without making me look like a powderpuff.  Even after a full day out, I felt like it handled the accumulation of oil pretty well.  The MSF seemed to just slightly soak up the excess oil, leaving my face looking semi-dewy matte.  My complexion actually looked better as the MSF blended with my natural oil (as gross as it sounds haha).

Overall, I'm quite impressed and am pleased to have purchased it.  It functions like my Tarte powder, but seems to be better at handling my combination skin's oil and dry patches.  Considering I paid $36 CAD for my Tarte powder, $34 CAD for this MSF isn't bad.  My Tarte powder still looks full and brand new, so I'm sure the MSF will last forever too.  I will be travelling quite a bit for vacation this Autumn, and starting in January, I will be travelling twice a week for work, so the MSF is perfect - It will be a more travel-friendly option.

- M

My name is R, and I am addicted to nail polish.

Nail polish has been my cure for nail-bitingitis.  I've always envied girls who have naturally beautiful hands and nails (Jen, I'm looking at you, even with your crazy pinky! ;))  My nails were so chewed-down, I never thought that I would be one of those girls who wore pretty nail paints.  One fine day, I decided enough was enough: I applied clear polish on what was left of my fingernails.  Since I had no desire to eat nail polish, I stopped biting.  My nails, bless their souls (because they do have souls), are actually in decent shape, given the beating they've taken.  

And so it began.

This was what I had after roughly two years of hoarding nail polish.  (My apologies.  I took this picture with my first-generation iPhone.  I'm still using it, but you probably won't see it anywhere else other than an antique store or a museum.)

This is how it currently stands, a year and a bit later:

As much as I love nail polish (and cosmetics in general), I always laugh at how they are photographed in blogs.  I mean, these inanimate products are photographed with such reverence: propped up on a pedestal against a backdrop of lush, vibrant foliage whilst glistening under the sun's golden rays.

The pictures below will be just as absurd.  That is, I have photographed them in a ridiculous fashion that would cause any normal person to think, "You know you're taking pictures of...nail polish...right?"  Except, instead of a pedestal, it's my bookshelf.  And instead of foliage, it's my stark-white wall.  Oh, and it's lit by my desk lamp, rather than the sun.

So, yeah.  As I mentioned in my Vegas Haul, my holy grail base coat is Deborah Lippmann's Turn Back Time and my cuticle-remover of choice is Butter London's Melt Away Cuticle Eliminator.

This is a brief overview of my experiences with a handful of brands.  I haven't tried other favourites, such as China Glaze, Orly, or Zoya, so I can't comment on how they compare to the below.

The Red-headed Stepchild.
MAC - $18 CAD

Let me just say that I don't understand why redheads get such a bad rep.  I think girls with red hair are hot.  Still, it doesn't stop me from using this hilarious expression.  In fact, I learned this expression for the first time on an episode of Survivor: Redemption Island, in which this guy was the pariah of the island and referred to himself as such. 

I digress.  MAC is the red-headed stepchild of nail polishes because, well, no one really likes their nail polishes.  They're often too runny/sheer and require a fragillion layers for the colour to show.  I myself only own this duochrome number, which came out with their Venomous Villains collection.  Honestly, it's cool, but I've never worn it.  I've applied it on a couple of nails with the intention of wearing it.  In the midst of application, however, I'd think, "Not feelin' it," and choose another colour.  Sorry, kid.  Maybe next time.

Blame YouTube/Beauty Blogs.
ILLAMASQUA - 14 USD

The brand is not available in Canada, but I was curious about their polish because Christine declares their formula to be one of her top five favourites.  I don't tend to reach for these.  I can't remember for what reason.  I think it was a combination of the brush being flimsy and not being able to evenly distribute the somewhat runny consistency.  That was helpful, wasn't it?
BUTTER LONDON - $17

The Bay just started carrying Butter London during Christmas and I was pretty excited.  Then again, I'm not sure why I was.  I bought this bottle about a year ago from Nordstrom, and I wasn't particularly impressed by the flaccid brush.  It's not terrible, but I'm not sure if a $17 bottle of nail polish that's just 'okay' (to me, anyway) makes sense to me.  They do have some awesome colours...

I Hate the Brush.

DIOR - $24 CAD  

To be fair, Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book finds that the tapered brush makes for an easier application,  although it was a challenge at first.  Cafe Makeup also appreciates it in all its tapered glory:

Seeing as I haven't found the magic technique to master this stupid thing, I hate it.  I find it impossible to apply evenly across the nail bed above the cuticle.  And really, I'd prefer not having to work very hard at it.  Ergo, despite all the gorgeous colours with which Dior have come out recently, I have not been tempted by them.  If the brush don't work for me, it don't matter how pretty the shade is.

Um, HOW Much Is This?  And yet I have 4. 
CHANEL - $27 CAD

I think these were still $24 CAD when I bought them.  Why they decided that this was not sufficiently expensive such that they needed to tack on three extra dollars is beyond me.  Maybe these have unicorn tears.  Nevertheless, the Chanel reds are quite beautiful.  But one has to be in a certain mood for them, as they have an air of maturity to them.

By the way, with these fancy pants brands that are double-capped, the inner cap is often quite difficult to unscrew with your bare hands.  I've found that an easy solution, no matter how tightly it's screwed on, is to place the outer cap halfway over the inner cap (so that its ridges lock with the inside of the outer cap) and then twist.  That probably did not make any sense.  I tried. 
Best I've Ever Had.
KIKO MAKEUP UP MILANO - Varies

Hands down the best nail polish I've ever used.  My mom got these for me when she went to Italy.  There is no comparison.  Their brush is easy to manoeuvre whilst being equally easy to control.  Their formula is everything that other nail polishes wish they could be.  Namely, they are opaque in one coat, they are saturated with colour (the cobalt is freakin stunning), they dry quickly, and when they do dry completely, they are extremely smooth and rock-hard.  Best of all?  They're affordably priced.  My mom said she got them for a few dollars only.  I wish they ship to Canada.

Favourite Colour Selection.
ESSIE - Varies

Love their colours, but their formulae are hit-and-miss.  Some have really poor colour payoff, while others are beautifully opaque in one coat.  Nevertheless, there is something about their colour selection that reads more 'modern' than OPI.  I can't put my finger on it.  Perhaps OPI's colours are too 'literal', if you know what I mean. 

Favourite Brush.
OPI - Varies
Y'all know where to find OPI.  I know many have voiced their distaste for the width and overall girth of their brush.  I, for one, appreciate it and find that it makes for easy, no-fuss application.  Large stroke down the middle, then two small ones on each side--OF THE NAIL.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  Anyway, like I said earlier, I wish their shades were more...I don't know!  Innovative?  There is something that holds it back from having that certain je-ne-sais-quoi, that complexity and breathtaking quality that cause a stir of beautyblogasms.  They certainly achieved that with Mad as a Hatter (in the last picture below) from the Alice and Wonderland collection.  Maybe I just wish they had more of the pastel variety, à la Essie.  That must be it!  OR NEON!!  I'd really like to have colours that are neon to the power of 30 highlighters.

One last thing: if you've been having trouble removing glitter nail polishes, Allison came up with the genius idea of using scrap pieces of felt instead of cotton pads.  I haven't used glitter polish for a long time because it's just too much of a pain to remove, fun as it was to not only discover the glitter to be stubbornly unyielding, but to have strands of cotton stuck to the nail.  But, if you're a frequent glitterholic, you may do well to buy some felt from the dollar store, soak it in nail polish remover, and removing the glitter that way.  I haven't yet tried it myself, but it sure sounds helluva lot more logical than cotton.

- R