Life is Stressful

I know I haven't been especially active on the blog recently. Life has been kicking me in the butt and honestly I'm struggling to keep up with everything. There is a lot going on in my personal life that I won't talk about here, but balancing it and school and work is proving nearly impossible. I shouldn't complain because I have an absolutely wonderful life that I am extremely privileged to have, but some days just suck.

That's it. They suck.

And you move on.
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Makeup Memory Lane

Anna posted this video the other day and it made me nostalgic so let's take a trip down memory lane (it'll be just as cringey as that sentence). These pictures make me laugh, I can't believe how different I look after only a few years. The three on the left are from the first blog I ever had, Cloud of Blush and Rivers of Lipstick (lol what?) and I thought I was hot shit.

First makeup item purchased? I think technically this was a yellow-green Miss Sporty nail polish (why?) and the Maybelline Clear Mascara, but I remember begging my mum to let me buy a green eyeshadow palette in Boots when I was about 7. She let me, and I walked down the high street swinging that bag, the next day I went to school with a green smudge on each eyelid and I thought I was the coolest girl in school.

First MAC item? I must have been around 11, it was the first time we went back home to England after moving to the states and I spotted the MAC counter in the airport. We didn't really have time but my parents let me look quickly. The catch was I had to look by myself. As an 11-year old, this was absolutely terrifying. I remember this really heavily made up woman telling me I should buy the Myth lipstick, which I did. I then loaded that stuff up on my lips everyday for years. I remember cringing handing over $11 for a lipstick, little did I know I'd soon become addicted. I'm pretty sure one of my little sister's sneaky friends pilfered this when I did her makeup for prom a few years ago though because it's gone, sad.

First MAC/Other Brand Collection? I think I told this story a few weeks ago but MAC once had a collection you could only buy in Duty Free so I begged my grandparents to pick me up a set when they came to visit. I think they were called Look in a Box or something? The box I got came with Grand Entrance, Smoke and Diamonds, a mascara, lipgloss, and and iridescent pressed powder and I was over the moon. Probably more excited for the makeup to arrive than I was my grandparents, oops. I found a video I did about it oh my god, I can't believe I'm going to let you see this. Why is my voice so annoying?!?!?

First High End Makeup Splurge? Other than those MAC things, I distinctly remember the day I bought the Benefit You Rebel Lite and I thought I was so cool walking around with my orange, way too dewy to look good face. I still have this because I'm nostalgic and love aluminum packaging, gross.

I also remember my first trip to Ulta and convincing my dad to let me spend $45 on the Naked Palette when I saw they actually had one in stock, haha sorry Dad, I've spent much more than that now!

First Makeover Experience? When I was about 13 my parents worked a lot because we had a bit of a money struggle, so this older lady Mrs. Edna used to watch us some days. She was quite rich so it was a bit of a treat if we got to spend the day with her. One day she took me to Belk or Macy's or something so we could get makeovers. I was excited about this for a week straight. Little did I know the ancient makeup artists would give me an orange face, a green smoky eye, and bright red lipstick. This kind of made me distrust makeup artists in stores forever. That and the fact that they always OVER apply everything. I'm determined to work at a Sephora at some point in my life and make people look natural.

First Makeup Brush? I'm sure I had a few from elf but after a month of begging my Dad let me order the Sigma Essentials set when I was maybe 16. I paid $100 for it which was a lot, but it's now $160 what?! Craziness. Anyway the day those brushes came I'm pretty sure I cuddled the packaging I was so excited.

There's a few of my Makeup firsts! Leave me a comment and tell me yours!
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The Staple Outfit

Okay I'm one of those weirdos who can't stand wearing bum clothes. If I'm not in my house, you will never catch me wearing sweatpants. Not because I want to impress other people, but because I like to look nice for myself. Some days though, I just need to wear a super comfy outfit that I don't have to worry about. Enter my two favorite pieces in my wardrobe.

First is a pair of black jeggings from American Eagle. I actually found these at Buffalo Exchange with some awesome custom rips. I'm not usually a fan of really ripped up jeans, but these are done tastefully and add some edge to the outfit. The pair I've linked are pre-ripped but they also have regular black ones. This pair is also gloriously worn in and incredibly comfortable.

Another staple is my beloved white linen shirt from Banana Republic Factory. It's not on the website, but it's definitely still in our store (I work there hehe) so should be in others. It's a beautiful lightweight material that is uber-comfortable while still looking professional. It's cut perfectly with a slightly longer tail, and it's flattering while still being floaty.

Throw in my everyday jewelry and a pair of nude flats (or colourful ones if I'm feeling crazy) and my perfect outfit is complete!

What do you wear on a comfy day?
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Lashes

A few months ago I lost a huge chunk of lashes on one of my eyes (no idea how honestly), and they took so long to grow back I started filling the hole with individual lashes. Fast forward and I'm still in the habit of wearing them often. They do add a few more minutes to my makeup routine, but it really does make such a big difference. Even adding a few to the outer corners makes my eyes look more open and defined.

The plus of individual lashes is that they look much more natural because there's no band and you can customize how dramatic you want them to be. I use the Ardell Duralash ones but I tend to mix the Short and Medium lengths to make them look really natural. I do have VERY long lashes and the Medium are quite long on me so keep that in mind. Glue is also really important. If you don't use a quality glue your lashes can unadhere during the day and trust me it's embarrassing when someone plucks a false eyelash off of your cheek. I use the Duo Adhesive in clear because it's inexpensive and it works. It's also not too hard on the sensitive skin on my eyelids when I take them off. I think a pack of lashes retails for around $5 or $6 but they can last quite a long time before I need to buy a new one.

Do you like false lashes?
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The Brow Edit

Doing my eyebrows is probably my favorite part of putting on makeup. I have super pale, sparse brows which compared to my thick, dark hair looks pretty silly. BUT, as soon as my brows are done it completely changes my face. A well done brow really frames your face and can pull an entire look together. I'm pretty much obsessed with mine so I have bunches of different products that I use on them, these tools are my essentials.

First of all, you need a good shape. You can get them waxed, threaded, whatever. I recommend going to the Benefit Brow Bar as they are really going to listen to what you want your brows to be like and help shape them. Waxing at nail salons is cheap, but let's be honest they just remove some stray hairs or make your brows look like toothpicks. I got my brows shaped by Benefit about two years ago and I just pluck regularly to keep up with the shape. I don't have them pictured but the elf tweezers are the BOMB and only $1. They're much sharper than Tweezerman tweezers and for that price how could you not? My brows also grow crazy long crazy fast so I have to trim them pretty often. I just use these barber scissors that I found at Target because they're sharp and precise and were cheaper than eyebrow scissors, hehe.

Now onto the products! On a day that I'm wearing a full face of makeup, I use my beloved Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Chocolate. You've heard me waffle on about this for years but I absolutely adore it. It gives me perfectly sculpted brows and is so versatile. If I use a really light hand I can get super natural looking brows, or I can go crazy and get a dramatically defined look. I usually settle for somewhere in the middle. I also recently picked up the Brow Wiz in Dark Brown. I decided to pick it up mostly to add definition to the tail of my brow since it's so precise. However, I find on quick makeup days I can do a really fast brow that still looks clean. I did get it in the darker shade because I like my tail to be darker than the front of my brow and the cooler tone is very flattering on my skin. Most of the time I'll add a bit of Bobbi Brown's Espresso eyeshadow on top just to make sure everything is even and blended. I also run through my brows with a spoolie to blend it all (the Brow Wiz has one attached yay!). I happen to use this one, but any matte shadow the right colour for you will do. I always always always set my brows with the elf Clear Lash & Brow Mascara because again it's a dollar and it's the greatest. If I feel like it I also use the NYX Wonder Pencil in Light under my brows to really define them. It looks beautiful but most days I'm lazy. Don't judge.

So those are the babes I use to get my brows looking normal, what are your favorite products?
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NailsInc Nail Kale in Victoria

This is the result of another one of my oops walked into Sephora and bought something I shouldn't have trips. I've heard a lot about the Nails Inc NailKale line, and I love the Nails Inc line so when I saw this gorgeous deep cherry colour I snatched it up of the shelfs. Victoria is gorgeous, creamy, and pigmented and it's surprisingly glossy before a top coat! I'm the worst person to comment on wear because I work in retails so no polish stands a chance. Apparently the NailKale line's ingredients are supposed to keep your nails healthy, I'm not too sure about that but I guess we'll see! The brush is kind of the perfect shape, it's just rounded enough to fit against my nail beds without getting everywhere. It also dries pretty quickly which is a plus! And can we talk about the packaging because it is beautiful. I was a bit worried about the weighted, square cap because that sucker is HEAVY but it pulls of to reveal a normal handle underneath.

This gorgeously chic colour is a whopping $15 unfortunately, so I think if you've got money to blow, go for it. Otherwise, don't be like me and keep your money in your poor wallet.

Have you tried any of the NailKale line? What do think about them?
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Too Faced Hangover Rx

HAHA FINALLY!!!!! This has seriously been the week from hell guys. I've had tests galore and my gallery show went up so I had to finish that piece. THEN I tried to post and Blogger would freeze no matter what I logged in from. Ugh. So glad it's the weekend and I can relax for like 3 hours haha!

Anywho, today I want to talk about my new love (I say that in literally every post) the Too Faced Hangover Rx Replenishing Face Primer. Everyone and their mother is talking about this baby, specifically Nikki and Nicole because they are my faves. So you know I had no choice but to try it out right? Sorry bank account. My skin has been really odd lately. It's been SO dry, like flaky around my nose which NEVER happens. And it's been depressingly dull. So we had to fix that ASAP. Too Faced claims that this is a revolutionary makeup primer that's infused with coconut water, a probiotic-based ingredient, and skin revivers which work together to boost skin’s radiance, promote elasticity, and help hydrate while locking down makeup for fresher, longer, and more flawless wear. 

Good news for dry-skinned girls, this stuff is moisturizing. It definitely feels more like a moisturizer than a primer and I think that the ingredients really help to plump the skin and make it look more radiant. Regardless of what foundation I put on top, I get a lot of compliments on my skin now which I rarely did before. I don't really know how to explain how wonderful this is, but if you're not willing to take a leap on the $32 price tag, try asking for a sample so you can see the magic for yourself! This is probably better suited for dry-normal skin, I haven't found any reviews from oily girls, so if you love it let me know in the comments. It's also worth mentioning that it does have a slight coconut scent, I'm not a coconut person and the scent doesn't bother me but I just thought I'd let you know!

Have you tried out this primer-moisturizer-miracle?
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February Favourites

My birthmonth is officially over (sad) so now I have to deal with the fact that I'm 20. Anyway, this has been the month of attempting to get perfect brows and glowy skin.

As you all know, I absolutely adore my Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Chocolate, but I decided to pick up the Brow Wiz in Dark Brown for days when I don't feel like carefully sculpting them with the pomade. This baby still gives you perfect looking brows, it just takes a bit less work. I also like to use this to define the tail of my brow as it's slightly darker than Chocolate. I've been seriously rotating foundations this month, trying out a bunch of different combos, one that I've found to work really well on bad skin days is the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch mixed with Laura Mercier's Silk Creme Foundation. I have the shades Porcelain Ivory and Rose Beige respectively, the outcome is a bit too dark so I mix in a bit of my precious Manic Panic Dreamtone Foundation (the packaging is hideous so I left it out of the photo). This combo provides flawless coverage, while still looking natural and glowy. On better skin days I love using the LUSH Jackie Oates Colour Supplement. Not only does it feel AMAZING on the skin, it provides a good bit of coverage and matches my pale, cool skin tone perfectly!

I'm still in the matte eyeshadow phase, so I've of course been using basically nothing but the Tartelette Palette. I've also found the NYX Nude Matte Shadows to be really nice, specifically Bare My Soul is almost a dupe for Power Player! My precious Clinique High Impact Mascara has just reached the perfect dried-out stage where is gives you INSANE volume. I get compliments on my lashes almost daily at work so shout out to this baby. On my lips I've honestly mostly been wearing nothing but a bit of foundation and a glossy lipbalm. But, on days where I want a bit of extra colour I'll pat on my old favourite, MAC's Syrup.

Those are my favourites this month! What products have you been loving?
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Lush Love Lettuce

I can't believe I've never done a post about this because it's the love of my life. Yeah, seriously. I love LUSH masks in general, but a few months ago my skin started getting really dull. The associate recommended the Brazened Honey mask which I loved, but it smelled so sweet it made me feel sick wearing it. So I decided to try the Love Lettuce mask because it has a similar feel. I swear I put this on my face and the clouds parted and angels sung.

I know, I'm dramatic. But really, this thing is a skin saver for me. I love the Fresh Face Masks because they contain fresh, natural ingredients and so need to be kept refrigerated. This means they feel wonderfully cool on your face, especially in the summer. Love Lettuce has little almond pieces that exfoliate your face and make it seem bright and glowy. After removing the mask my skin feels uber soft, but a little tight so I always apply a light moisturizer. My only gripe is that LUSH needs to open a store closer to me! You obviously can't order online because of the fresh ingerdients, so I drive 45 minutes away to buy this like a crazy person. But my skin loves it so I suffer.

You can buy the LUSH Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask at LUSH stores for $6.95.

Have you tried any other masks from LUSH? Which is your favourite?
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Colourpop

We're gonna have to excuse the massive amount of pictures in this post, but my ColourPop goodies were so gorgeous I couldn't resist and I couldn't narrow them down any more (trust me this was a lot of narrowing). For those of you who don't know, ColourPop is a Los Angeles based cosmetics company that sells high quality, cruelty-free makeup for an insanely low price. All of the eyeshadows and lip products on the site cost $5 and the new blushes cost $8. And let me tell you, the quality of these amazing products will blow your mind.

I wanted to try everything, so I ordered four Super Shock Shadows, a Super Shock Cheek, two Lippie Stix, and a Lippie Pencil. I spent $43 and received an overwhelming amount of product. I was so excited when they came I literally ran down my driveway in pajamas and probably freaked the heck out of our poor mailman. Everything comes packaged in a cute little ColourPop box and the products are safely wrapped in cushy material. They include a hand written note a la Beautylish which is my favourite thing for companies to do. The products themselves are boxed in beautifully designed white and holographic packaging (see above) with cute reminders to "Keep the magic in, close jars tightly after use." This warning is because of the insane texture of the ColourPop 'powders.' I read about it beforehand, but nothing could prepare me for how COOL these feel when you touch them. You can see in the photo of the blush, it's almost clay-like or gel. You definitely have to feel it to believe it.

So, onto the actual products. The Lippie Stix I ordered are in Creature and Skimpy, probably the most boring out of the insane shade range, but definitely the ones I wanted the most. The Lippie Stix come in five different formulas; Glossy, Satin, Matte, Hyper Glossy, and Pearlized. Skimpy, a pale nude beige, is a glossy finish. It is rather full coverage on the lips but provides a beautiful shiny nude that I adore. It's pretty rare that a nude truly looks good on my pale skin, so I love this. It wears pretty well, lasting for about four hours before it's pretty much gone. That doesn't sound very long, but for a glossy finish it's pretty good! Creature is my kind of colour. It's a matte 'deepened black burgundy red.' This is the PERFECT vampy red. Speaking as a lover of Rimmel 107, Creature knocks it out of the park. This thing lasts so long it's scary. I apply it in the morning and eat and drink without worry and it still looks perfect! The formula on these is beautifully moisturizing and they smell good enough to eat. The Stix are packaged in white tubes and are retractable, which I love. The bottom of the stick also has a swatch. I decided to pick up the Lippie Pencil in Dalia instead of Creature, because it was more of a warm brick-red instead of a cool tone, and I thought it would make a different lip look. The pencil is not as creamy as the Stix, but goes on well and definitely prevents feathering. I do wish it was retractable as well, but I still love it!

The Super Shock Shadows are absolutely beautiful. They're incredibly pigmented and their strange texture means no fall out, oh yeah. I picked up Girly, a creamy vanilla shimmer that puts my beloved Nylon to shame. Bill is a matte plummy beige that's perfect for that Linda Hallberg-esque grungy look. On the Rocks is so beautiful it kind of makes me want to cry. Is that weird? Probably. Anyway, it's a super pigmented bronze with gold and purple shimmer that makes my eyes so green I just stare in my mirror all day. That's definitely weird. ColourPop says it'll bring all the boys to the bar and I don't doubt it. Last but not least is Mittens, the name of which I love so much I want to hug it. It's a satiny deep warm brown that pulls a tiny bit purple, so again looks lovely on green eyes. It is slightly satin, but almost matte so it makes for a gorgeous crease colour. The Super Shock Cheek I picked up I also intend on using as an eyeshadow. Aphrodisiac is a soft beige brown that I originally purchased for contouring. Hopefully it still works for that purpose (I haven't tried yet) but it is the PERFECT crease blending colour, oh my goodness. It also has that crazy wet-but-not texture that I just wanna poke.

I think it's pretty safe to say I am completely over the moon with my products. I've gotten over the super long shipping process (12 days to process and be shipped BOO) because I know it's still a small company and the products are THAT good. I'm going to go play some more now. And make a wishlist for my next order.

Have you tried ColourPop yet? What are your favourite products?

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