Today was my last day of second year (tears up*). This year went by super fast but on the plus side its Spring/Summer time! I thought I'd lift my spirits with a POW (not a pop) of colour. I think you either love or dislike this bag. The ones who dislike it complain that I'm blinding them haha. But it makes the ones who love it happy and all giddy for summer. I picked up this neon yellow satchel (cambridge knockoff) from call it spring on sale for $29.99! It also comes in a bright pink. I recently picked it up in store just last week so I will leave the link below for anyone interested!
I took a trip to Rochester and Buffalo in New York this weekend for a conference
called Winterfest. It's this amazing christian event with many performances and preachings for youth. After this weekend trip I felt so enlightened and even more in tuned with my faith. Aside from the spiritual enlightenment we all had a bit of money to blow and stopped at a mall in Rochester and the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls mall. I only picked up a few items because these malls mainly show case brand names (Ralph Lauren, Nike, Juicy Couture, etc) and I'm not really big on brands. Where was the UO, h&m, or F21? A better mall would have been Walden Galleria, but hey I ain't complaining as the trip was not meant for shopping.
I had wanted a basic gold chunky chain for a while now and was completely shocked to find one in Claire's. As I think a lot of the accessories sold there are marketed to very young teens. But I now make it a habit to purchase from this store when I'm in the U.S seeing as us Canadians are teased with the cheaper U.S price on the tag. I also plan on purchasing the silver one for less of a "Run DMC" vibe.
Gold chain Necklace - Claire's ($10.50)
Cross chain Necklace - Claire's ($3.12)
I wanted an affordable setting powder for my foundation but its quite hard to come across darker powders in drugstores I find. So I came across this matte pressed powder from the Queen (Latifah) collection at Family Dollar, although it was not a dollar (FAIL!).
Matte Pressed Powder in Golden Medium (Q415) - Family Dollar ($6.25)
Turbans can look super chic when styled right. I love how these two have texture through the ribbing. They are also super soft and silky and I could not pass up getting 2 of them from family dollar (especially that vibrant red my goodness!). They are actually meant to be head wraps for a bad hair day or for sleeping but they look like fashion turbans to me! I plan on buying a few cute broaches to stick on the front of them for more glamour.
Red Turban - Family Dollar ($2.50)
Black Turban - Family Dollar ($2.50)
From Love Culture I picked up this sleeveless metallic cropped turtle neck (a mouthful I know). I thought is was so unique compared to the basic ones from American Apparel. I was super stoked to also find this in clearance for a price even cheaper than most thrift stores these days (thanks for the influx of thrift shoppers and prices Macklemore). I plan on revisiting Love Culture more when I travel as its similar to forever 21 with better pricing.
Cropped turtle neck - Love Culture ($3.99)
So I totally have an outfit planned already and here it is!
Skirt - Forever 21
Cropped turtle neck - Love Culture
Black Turban -Family Dollar
Gold chain Necklace - Claire's
Wanna see a BIGGER haul? I just recently did one on my youtube channel!
Love your Friendly Neighbourhood Fashionista (Is this lame cause I think I will begin to end my posts this way haha?)
This Winter Luxe box is my second seasonal box. Let's see if this one is better than the last!
I thought this pouch packaging inside the original box was so creative. I will surely be using it while I travel.
Keratase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide (I used it up!)
Eyeko Mini skinny brush mascara
B.Kamins Laboratories vegetable cleanser
Blue Lagoon Skin Care Algae Mask
Essie Nail Lacquer in Leading Lady
Prada Infusion D'Iris Eau De Toilette
Prada Infusion D'Iris Perfumed Body Lotion
Loose Button Kabuki Brush
The Essie polish and Prada scent are definitely my two favourite products out of the box. The Prada Milano has a very pretty light lilacy scent (yes I suck at describing scents). Although it is a winter box I think this eau de toilette will be a nice transition into spring. May I also add that I enjoy the bottle of this sample as well. It's a nice change from the ordinary tiny spritzer bottle.
As for the Essie nail polish this was a gorgeous colour to compliment my nails during the christmas season. The glitter gave a pretty tinsel effect to a plain red manicure. Although red is quite overdone for valentines day I will definitely have this on with a matching red lip!
I also thought the Eyeko mascara did an AMAZING job at lengthening my lashes without sacrificing too much volume. I am also excited about trying the Blue Lagoon mask and Loose button kabuki brush. I love hair masks and I really want to try a face one as well. I plan on painting my nails (with leading lady), deep conditioning my hair, and using this mask all at once for a full out spa day. I also do not own a kabuki brush and I think they are absolutely adorable (yes makeup can be cute haha)! I plan on using it to set my foundation with a powder.
Overall I really did enjoy this box and have to say it had some amazing products. I love how these items are very versatile ranging from hair, skin, and nails. Keep up the good work Loose Button!
Unfortunately I can not lie to you all and I did...cancel my subscription (BOOO!). At the moment I am a student and I must be saving up for university. This beauty box is something I can live without for now and I look forward to resubscribing in the future (*wipes tears*)
Now that the year is over, I'd like to share my favourite beauty products of 2012. I usually like to spend my money on clothing so I tend to stick to beauty products I love. Therefore you can all trust me that these are some pretty darn good products!
Tresseme Naturals conditioner in Vibrantly Smooth
Last april I began to straighten my hair less and wear it naturally curly. This conditioner helped a ton! It is super moisturizing as it contains coconut and jojoba oils while also being silicone free. I use this for detangling, conditioner-washing, and just recently deep conditioning. It literally leaves my hair "vibrantly smooth" and moisturized for about 2 days without any other moisture product! I seriously believe this conditioner deserves a holy grail badge!
Wal-mart $6
Naked Skin Foundation by Urban Decay
2012 was the year that I began to wear foundation. I've never had a problem with blemishes but I've always had a slight discolouration. In order to even out my skin tone I was on the hunt for a sheer, semi-matte foundation. Luckily I came across Naked skin! Wearing this foundation feels weightless and it lasts all day (I have combo-oily skin and only blot once throughout the day). I remember one day at work I received many compliments on how good my skin looked and when they asked what it was, I told them to "get Naked" !
Sephora $45
Neutrogena Moisture for combination skin
Let's just say that this product deserves a holy grail badge as well! I have combination to oily skin. While the more oils in your skin help you age more gracefully, it's also hard to wear a foundation for more than 8 hours. But I have to say this moisturizer has significantly reduced my oily T-zone and "normalized" my skin! My foundation lasts a lot longer and my eyelids no longer glisten. I have been using it since the beginning of April 2012 and the product is still not finished (and I have a big head alright)! It is lightweight and super afforable. The Neutrogena Moisture line also makes moisturizers for dry and sensitive skin.
Wal-mart $13
Elf Powder Brush
By now you probably realize that I am a makeup newbie. So because I am new to the game I do not own many makeup brushes. Therefore again I was on the hunt for a foundation brush that was affordable (Ain't Nobody got Money for Mac!), did not shed too much, and again more affordable so that I could learn the basics before splurging. I had heard about the Elf Powder Brush from many other beauty Youtubers (who were pros in makeup) who loved the brush. Elf is sold online but I really did not want to pay shipping for a 3 dollar brush. So one day last spring I found this brush along with an 11-piece set at Winners! Ever since then we were inseparable. This brush is dense, has little to NO shedding, washes well, and creates a flawless finish. Although it is a powder brush it works amazingly with my liquid foundation.
Amongst the craze of pastel colours last spring (especially mint green) I sought out this pleasantly calming colour in lilac. At work I received many compliments on my nails from young and old about how pretty it was. I think this colour looks graceful on any skin tone and should be in your collection for this upcoming spring!
Wal-mart $5
Revlon in Vixen
Let's vamp it up now sha'll we? Fall 2012 was all about the wines, burgundys, and oxblood colours and this polish was far from shy of that. This colour gave a sophisticated feel and complimented much of my toned down wardrobe for fall. It looked amazing with grown out nails for that witchy vibe (that's a good thing). Overall this polish was very on trend, durable, and affordable.
Wal-mart $5
Essence liquid ink eyeliner
Where my winged eyeliner girls at!? This liner is very pigmented, has nice precision, and is SUPER affordable. It is not waterproof but still lasts all day once no one hurts your feelings. I will definitely be repurchasing this bad boy!
Shoppers Drug Mart $3
L'oreal Double Extend mascara
I am so sad that this product is finished. It contains everything you need in a mascara. The primer side gives length and primes your lashes so that your lashes hold a curl all day (although my lashes are naturally curled). The primer also helps your mascara not to flake away and it also protects your lashes from direct contact with the mascara (I found that my lashes fell out less). Once the primer is applied, the mascara side applies very smoothly. This end then gives volume to the lashes leaving them soft and not crispy (cough cough Maybelline). I don't want to seem big headed but again I received compliments (opinions from others help reinforce my view). Friends told me my lashes looked long and even my sister went out and bought it (her lashes are longer and just gorge!) I definitely recommend L'oreal in the mascara department.
Wal-mart $12
Revlon Super Lustrous in Mink (left)
Lipstick is hands down my favourite makeup item. I tend to go for simple looks (foundation, eyeliner, and mascara) so lippy just pulls it all together. But on a day when I am wearing bright clothing I apply this nude shade to my lips. On my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/eyefourstyle) in my "5 Fall drugstore Lipsticks" video (which I will link below) I raved about this. It is super moisturizing, and the perfect nude for tan/darker skin tones.
Wal-mart $7
Rimmel London in Asia (right)
At one point I thought pinks would never look good on me, but boy was I wrong! Asia is a subtle browny-pink that I believe would compliment everyone!
Wal-mart $6
Swatches
left - Mink
Right - Asia
So I hope you all enjoyed the products I had to share and I'd love to hear what your favourite products of 2012 were!
