FOTD: New Display Pic

Finally! A new blog post. I have been meaning to get this posted for many weeks now. Sorry for the wait!
I have a new display picture for my blog and this is the makeup I was wearing the day that I snapped that shot. 

the new display pic

I was in a blogging/photographing mood that day. I'm really happy with how all the pictures turned out and I am also very fond of how "natural" looking my makeup was that day. 

I'm not one to get all decked out in makeup everyday, I'm not joking. I always like to have a flawless base, i.e. my foundation and concealer, but in terms of eye makeup, on a day to day basis I like to keep it neutral with a subtle shimmer. The look that I'm wearing in this picture is SO ME it's not even funny. 

Face:

My Soleil Tan de Chanel and I have been inseparable all summer long. It has been a key product for me to even out my tan and tone down a bit of the redness in my face, inevitable from hours of sun exposure. I then used my handy dandy Bobbi Brown corrector in Porcelain Peach to get rid of the look of dark circle under my eyes. To even out my skin tone, I used the new Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream in the shade Light-Medium. I've only used this product a handful of times so I don't yet have a good feel for how much I do or don't like it. My typical concealer routine consisted of Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in shade 52 to cover any blemishes and discoloration. Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Light to add another layer of concealer to my insanely dark circles; and finally Rimmel Match Perfection highlighting concealer in shade 003 to add some brightness to my face. I set that all with my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in the shade Medium Plus 

Cheeks:

I have been loving my new blush, Well Dressed from MAC (full review of this blush can be read here). This blush just adds the nicest hint of colour to my cheeks. I then contoured and warmed up my face a bit with Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in the shade Medium Dark. 

Eyes:

I found some NYX eyeshadows stashed away in my collection that I brought out to use for this look. Ever since then, they have been a staple in my makeup bag.

The lighter shade on top is Champagne. I used this shade on the inner third of my lid. The darker shade on the bottom is Iced Mocha and I used this shadow on the outer part of my lid to add a little bit of dimension.

I used Almay's One Coat Nourishing Triple Effect mascara (what a mouthful of a name). It's decent enough, but it didn't provide me with enough length or volume, but I do really like the wand and brush - full with natural bristles. 

Lips:

I decided to keep the lips pretty neutral, glossy, and feminine. I chose this pink gloss from Dior that I've had lying around forever (Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade #257). This was just a simple and clean way to finish up the entire look. 

xoxoDarlingBuds

P.S. this little gem came out of all the pictures I took for this FOTD. I couldn't resist, I had to include it. It's so funny! 

Empties

Hi everybody!

 I cannot even tell you how long I have been holding on to some of these products. I wanted to have enough empties for a decent blog post, but now it's just gotten a little out of hand. I needed to get these empties photographed and blogged and then into they trash they go!


I'm actually very impressed by how many empties I have accumulated over the past 2 months. In the past, I was notorious for never finishing products. I've made it my new mission to always finish whatever I start, and that doesn't just limit itself to makeup and skincare products.
Here we go...

Skincare:

• Bath & Body Works Country Chic Body scrub - I love this scent, and I like the scrub. I like how it comes in a squeeze tube thing so you don't have to unscrew a cap or lid. I already have another B&BW scrub on the go right now, just in a different scent
• Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup remover - this is my go-to eye makeup remover. Ever since I used this up, I've just been using Bioderma to remove my eye makeup
• LUSH Cosmetic Warrior fresh face mask - I bought this a while back (Shoppers & Lush Haul). My skin was really acting up at the end of May and this helped to subside any flare ups. It smells horrible, though. It has garlic in it which acts as a natural antiseptic, but when you apply it to your face and let it sit, the mask starts to smell like a wet dog. Nasty smell, effective product.
• LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask -  This mask is supposed to be a soothing one (some of the ingredients include chamomile and calamine). After my skin started behaving itself again, I used this mask to try and soothe any redness. I actually really really like this mask and I would definitely repurchase it. Here's a pick of me using it (haha)

• Neutrogena All-in-One Make-Up Removing cleansing wipes - another one of my favourite makeup removal products that I've used up. Because I've also use this up, my Bioderma has been doubling as an eye-makeup remover and a face makeup remover. I've also started using the Olivella daily facial cleansing wipes that I featured in my Optimum Points haul
• LUSH Mint Julips lip scrub - I didn't actually get a chance to use this all up because the product actually expired before I could use it all up. That's the only thing about Lush products is that they do have an expiry date. I don't think I'll be repurchasing this scrub anytime soon because I've just been using my toothbrush and this lip scrubbing method from The Beauty Department
• La Roche Posay Toleriane lotion - this is the facial moisturizer that I featured in my skincare routine post. I will definitely repurchase this product later on in the year, for the colder months.
• Boscia Luminizing Black Mask - also a product I featured in my skincare routine post. Won't repurchase it. It didn't do anything and it's way too expensive to just have lying around. 

Makeup, Hair, Nails:

• Mars Anthony 2nd Day Clear Dry Shampoo -  I actually really liked this product! This came in a continuous spray aerosol can; it doesn't leave a white residue, and it does a pretty darn good job at keeping oily roots at bay. I have a couple of other dry shampoos on the go right now, so I won't repurchase this year, but I definitely will in the future. There are also so many other dry shampoos on the market that I have yet to try
• Rimmel Natural Bronzer - I mentioned in a previous post that this bronzer finally bit the dust. I dropped it and it completely shattered. Oops!
• Seche Vite - I have use this top coat to its very last leg. It has now come to the point where it is impossible for me to get anymore product out of it. I will definitely repurchase! I did notice that towards the end of its life, it got very gloopy and it got a lot more difficult to paint onto my nails. It still dried evenly and made my nails look perfect, but the texture was off-putting
• OPI My Chihuahua Bites - I don't think I was very careful the last time I used this product because I guess I left the cap unscrewed a little bit so all the polish inside is all gloopy and dried out :(
• NYC High Definition Volumizing mascara - I did a full review of this mascara (read it here). I didn't particularly like it, so now it's time for it to go 
• NYC High Definition Separating mascara - Another mascara fail, full review here.
• Maybelline Lash Discovery mascara (waterproof) - This is the best bottom lash mascara you could possible get at the drugstore. The wand is super tiny and dainty which allows you to coat every single lash perfectly with mascara. Unfortunately, I can only find this mascara at Walmart so as soon as I get a chance, I will re-buy this mascara! I also featured this is a mascara problems post, read it here
• YSL Touche Eclat - I initially said I didn't think this was worth the hype or the price, but recently I have been dealing with the worst dark circles ever and I just want this back. I have a few other under-eye concealers on-the-go right now, and then I have a backup of this product which I cannot wait to dive into again
• Revlon ColorStay liquid eyeliner - felt tip, black eyeliner - pretty standard. I'm really enjoying my  Physician's Formula eye boosting liquid eyeliner right now, so I'm in no need to replace the revlon one

Hooray for empties!

xoxoDarlingBuds


p.s. On another note, for the next couple of weeks, I will be in a place without an internet connection. I am working as a lifeguard at a children's overnight summer camp. So if you were wondering why I wasn't posting as much, that's why. I will be back to a regular blogging routine in about a month. 
I hope you're all enjoying your summer so far :)

FOTD: TAN!

I love summer. 
It's such a good excuse to get out into the sun and be a bronze goddess. 
Over the past few weeks, I've managed to build up a pretty good tan so I can safely say now that bronzer has become a staple product in my everyday makeup routine. 
During the colder months when I'm more pale, I really only use bronzer to add some warmth to my face or to contour a bit. In summer, I put my bronzer everywhere! I always put sunscreen on my face, so in contrast to winter, my face now is actually lighter than the rest of my body (no orange face for me)
I've been really into using my Chanel's Soleil Tan de Chanel (or Bronze Universal, whatever you want to call it) cream bronzer to add an even bronzed tone all over my face. I use it lightly with a kabuki brush to give my complexion on even bronzed base
Here's the final result

And y'all know me, I used my newly bronzed visage as the perfect foundations for a summer makeup look.
Here are all the products I used to achieve this look: 

In typical ME fashion, I used a lot of products to get a fairly simple look. To me, it's all about having the most flawless base and then building up the extras (i.e. eyes, lips, cheeks) around that perfected complexion. One day, I swear, I'll have to do a FOTD using minimal products. I promise I can do it! 

A Collective Haul for Y'all

Shoppers Drug Mart had another points bonus on and I actually needed a few things (not pictured) so I did a bit more damage.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - seriously a miracle product. You can use this anywhere you have any dry patches for extra refreshment. 
Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil - I gotta be tan this summer, and this is a good starter. I use sunscreen on my face and shoulders, but the tanning oil goes everywhere else to make me nice and bronzed
Speaking of bronzed...
Physicians Formula Bronze Booster - another powder bronzer. My rimmel bronzer finally died (I dropped it and it shattered). This bronzer was super duper on sale (more than 50% off) so I decided to give it a try since I've heard good things
Biore Deep Pore cleansing strips - for those pesky blackheads. Biore's new packaging really threw me off, I was looking for the usually green and pink packaging. Not anymore!
Q-Tips - I prefer the life brand cotton buds, but Shoppers was all sold out. Q-Tips are seriously the best beauty tool: clean up eye makeup, clean up lipstick, sometimes I even use Q-Tips to apply liquid concealer. Definitely a product most people don't think about as super useful, but I could not live without them
Maybelline MEGA PLUSH mascara - a newbie mascara from the drugstore. I've been using this for a couple of days already; I also used this mascara in my latest FOTD. This mascara is already up for review (mascara problems)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


On a different day, I ended up making another trip to the drugstore to pick up a couple of necessity items. I strayed a little bit and also picked up these...

• Two essie nail polishes: Navigate Her (green) and A Crewed Interest (peachy-pink)
• The new Maybelline BB cream. I haven't had a chance to try this out yet, but I'll definitely let y'all know what I think about this
• Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush foundation. I've used this once already and my first impressions were not that great. The colour is super orange/yellow tinted and I had a lot of difficulty blending it out. On me, it clung to any dry patches or imperfections on the skin. It also has a really funky smell. I'm going to keep using it to see if I can make it work
• L'Oréal Perfect Blondissima hair bleach. I want to dye the ends of my hair bright blonde. I'm going to start off with this bleaching kit and then see if I need to top it off with a platinum blonde hair dye over top

I hope everything works out 


xoxoDarlingBuds


p.s. I think my new favourite word is "peachy-pink"

FOTD: New Products!

Featured in a recent haul, were a bunch of products from theBalm that I picked up from Hautelook. Using a bunch of products from that haul, I came up with this look:

As I mentioned above, a great deal of the products I used for this FOTD were from that Hautelook haul of theBalm. I got a good deal of the quality of the products from this FOTD and I've been using them more frequently as of late. I'll try and give y'all an idea of what I think of these products 

click below to read/see more

Mascara of the Week #6

Maybelline Volum'Express The Mega Plush

The 6th mascara in my Mascara Problems series

there are just so many mascaras from Maybelline that need to be tested! This is the brand's newest mascara release. Right off the bat, I really love the colour of the packaging but who knows what the product on the inside is really like. 

I've been using this mascara for a few days already so I'm going to give it another week and then conduct my scrupulous review :P

until then...

xoxoDarlingBuds

Mascara of the Week #5: NYC High Definition Volumizing mascara

Week #5

Yet another post in my Mascara Problems series. My mascara week #4 post revolved around another mascara from the NYC brand: NYC High Definition SEPARATING mascara. I didn't particularly like that mascara. Knowing that I still had another NYC mascara to review, I decided to just do them one right after the other; get it over with. 
So here it goes...


click below to read/see more

FOTD: More like "the same makeup I have been wearing all week"

Is it a makeup rut if I've been following the same makeup routine for the past few weeks? Or does it just mean that something has finally contented me enough to not want to change it. Call is laziness, inspiration, perfection or whatever, but THIS is the makeup that I have been wearing...

Holla!

click below to read/see more

Mascara of the Week #4: NYC High Definition Separating Mascara

WEEK #4

Week #4 of my Mascara Problems series. Up for review this week was the High Definition Separating Mascara from NYC (New York Color).

FOTD: Lazy Weekend

Mascara of the Week #4: NYC High Definition Separating Mascara

On trial this week is a mascara from NYC (New York Color). I've never tried a mascara from this brand before so I'm interested to see how it fairs. It was super cheap, less than $4 at Wal-Mart. I've heard some people talk about this mascara on youtube and other beauty blogs. I want to give it a try myself and put it through my rigorous testing process (sarcasm).

Will have a full review on this mascara soon


xoxoDarlingBuds

Mascara of the Week #3: Maybelline Duet

I stated in a previous post that I may have actually found a way for me to make Maybelline Falsies better! Or at least more wearable. When I decided I don't like a mascara from the drugstore, it's not a total loss because it's not like I spent an arm and a leg on it; but that's still $$ down the drain. I wanted to see if I could make the Falsies mascara work for me. I didn't like how this mascara literally did NOTHING that it claimed: in no way did it look like I was wearing false lashes, or have 70% thicker lashes. Anyways...I came across a tip a couple of weeks ago on some random beauty blog (can't remember which) that said this: if you want to make the curl of your lashes last while wearing mascara, use a thin coat of a waterproof mascara underneath your regular mascara. 

Mascara Problems *Update*

I'm currently in the process of moving and all of my makeup is packed away; therefore, I won't be using a new mascara this week to review. However, I think I may have found a way to make Maybelline Falsies more desirable to wear. So instead of a new mascara review, I'm going to write an update for the Falsies. 
I promise I'll have a new mascara to review for next week 


xoxoDarlingBuds

Mascara of the Week #2: Maybelline "The Falsies Volum' Express" Mascara

WEEK #2

Week 2 of my Mascara Problems series. I'm starting to get a good feel for what I should be looking for in my perfect mascara. Up for review this week was Maybelline "The Falsies Volum' Express" mascara. This mascara has been on the market for a couple of years now and it gets a lot of hype from bloggers, youtubers, and "common folk" alike. I decided to put this mascara to my vigorous (sarcasm) testing to see what I thought of it.

Mascara Problems Week #2

MAYBELLINE "THE FALSIES VOLUM' EXPRESS" MASCARA
Just as I did with my first Mascara Problems post: L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes, I will do a full review of this mascara at the end of this week; once I've had an opportunity to get a good idea of how it wears throughout the day. 
Stay in touch!


-DarlingBuds

Mascara of the Week: L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes

WEEK #1

This past week, I've been using L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. This mascara is pretty neat. It's a dual-ended mascara; the first wand is a primer, while the second is the actual mascara. L'Oreal claims that using the two formulas in tandem extends the body of your lashes. Not only are you supposedly going to get super long lashes, but the other super neat thing about this mascara is that to take it off at the end of the day, you just hold a warm water soaked compress to your eyes and the mascara just slides off in 'tubes' - hence the "beauty tubes" aspect of this mascara. 

wand #1 - the lash primer

wand #2 - the mascara

no mascara!

According to the packaging, this mascara claims to give "80% visibly longer lashes." On the packaging, it also promises that the benefits of tube mascara is that it's long wearing, smudge proof, flake proof, and clump-free. Let's test those claims...

one coat step #1 - the primer

one coat step #2 - the mascara

I have to admit, this masacara wears really well throughout the whole day. I didn't have any problems whatsoever with smudging or flaking. However, I did notice that on a couple days, this mascara applied a little clumpy, which I do not like at all! It also looks really hard and spikey AND it does not hold a curl very well at all. In fact, I noticed that after applying the primer, I still had a semblance of a curl to my lashes, but after applying the second step to the mascara, the curl was completely gone. I don't know if this mascara formula is heavier because of the "beauty tube" aspect but it definitely didn't hold a curl and that is something that I'm looking for in my perfect mascara. 

The wand itself was okay - it was a on the big-ish side, and awkward to get to the lashes in the inner corner but it wasn't overly difficult to use. It's your basic typical, spooley mascara wand. 

People may think that the dual-ended primer + mascara aspect of this product is probably just a gimmick. I honestly think that using the mascara in conjunction with the primer did add a bit of length to my lashes. And the primer also plays a role in the ease of taking the mascara off. Other primers may be a waste of time and packaging, but in this case, it's the purpose of this product.

after being removed with water - the mascara comes off in "tubes"

I'm going to rate the mascara now based on the categories initially mapped out in my "How I'll Conduct a Mascara Review" post

1. Lash separation: 4 out of 5
2. Lash volume: 3 out of 5

3. Lash length: 4 out of 5
4. Holds curl: 1 out of 5 
5. Staying power: 5 out of 5
6. Mascara wand: 3 out of 5
7. Taking it off: 5 out of 5

8. Overall appearance: 3 out of 5

9. Overall score 28 out of 40

I think this mascara is really good if you need a mascara that you know will last throughout the whole day without flaking or smudging. For staying power alone I would repurchase this mascara. The fact that it doesn't move until you soak your eye with water is also a plus. It's a tried and true stay put mascara, but the hard, spiky appearance and its poor performance in holding a curl is a big disappointment. For a night out or a long day, I would wear this, but it's not a go-to everyday favourite.

The search continues...

xoxoDarlingBuds

Mascara Problems Week #1

L'OREAL DOUBLE EXTEND BEAUTY TUBES MASCARA
Full review coming at the end of the week so stay tuned


xoxoDarlingBuds

A Beauty Haul for Y'all

I've been shopping. These products are not all from one shopping trip. What kind of person do you think I am?? Haha...but seriously, I could do so much more damage in one day. But I'm getting better.

I'm starting a new little series type thing. My Mascara Problems post hinted at this new idea. I'm going to start a series on my quest for the best mascara. I'm starting with drugstore brands first. So when I was at Walmart and Shopper's Drug Mart, I picked up some mascaras to help me dive into this new endeavour that I will be taking on. I've heard good things about all the mascaras pictured above and I can't wait to try them out and see how they wear. Stay tuned for full reviews of these mascaras coming soon...

Also from Walmart, I picked up this random blending brush I found in the cosmetics section. It's from a brand from SOHO London and it was under $10. I've used it a couple times already and so far I really like it. I mean, it blends...so it does its job accordingly. I wasn't about to fork out over $30 for the MAC 224 blending brush, and this one suits me just fine for now. 

I couldn't go to a drugstore without getting some nail polish. I HAVE A PROBLEM! But look how pretty they are...I picked up: (from left to right) Essie "Sand Tropez"/ Essie "Tart Deco" and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Lacey Lilac". Look for these coming to a NOTD post near you!

I also made a stop into Sally's Beauty Supply a little while back and picked up this donut hair thingy. You use it to create the perfect high fashion bun, or I guess you could use it for a  chignon like the label says. Comme ci, comme ça! Maybe I'll post it in a HOTD post (hair of the day)!


And now for the grand finale!

So many beauty gurus on youtube, especially Tanya Burr, or pixi2woo, RAVE about this highlighting powder from Dior. When Shopper's was having their 20X the Optimum Points event, I jumped at the chance and finally got this product. I feel as though, if I'm going to buy this product at some point eventually, I might as well collect a bunch of Optimum Points in the process. 
I haven't had the chance to use it yet, nor have I wanted to make that first sweep into the product because it's just so beautiful and glamorous!

High-end cosmetics are such a luxury, I know. The packaging on this is beautiful! It comes with a little velvet pouch to keep the compact in, to avoid fingerprint and scratches I guess. It just seems like such a beautiful little item to have in my possession. I'm treasuring it like a baby!

The product itself is an absolutely beautiful array of golds, peaches, and whites. I can't wait to actually use this product for the first time. And y'all know that I'll be using it for a makeup look sometime soon :)

That's the end of my haul! Until next time...

xoxoDarlingBuds

Mascara Problems

I have a problem. No the problem is not that I buy too many mascaras. The problem is that I haven't found a good mascara! I can estimate that I have been wearing mascara since I was 13, that's 6 years. If I go though 5 or 6 mascaras a year, plus the other randoms I buy in between...that's roughly 40 mascaras. And a lot of money. Not one has been 100% successful. That's why I'm in the hunt for the BEST mascara. I've taken it upon myself to test not every, but a lot of them. I'm only going to be testing drugstore mascaras. I don't think that I will have to spend upwards of $30 to go the best mascara so I'm sticking with the more affordable ones. I'll update y'all on my findings. Wish me luck!


xoxoDarlingBuds