Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette Review

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Hey guys! Long time, no see. I’m back today with a review on what I can boldly proclaim as the best drugstore eyeshadow palette on the market. While many drugstore brands have been stepping up their game lately, I can’t believe this one costs less than $20. Honestly, the quality is comparable to some of my high-end palettes such as the Too Faced Natural Love palette and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry palette.

Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette Review

The Catrice Basic Bae eyeshadow palette contains 12 neutral shades featuring a combination of matte and shimmer shadows. The eyeshadows are buttery and creamy to touch and blend with ease. They are also incredibly pigmented – I actually had to scrub my arm with a makeup removing wipe to remove the swatches. The only colors that didn’t perform 100% fantastic are the first and last shades (#basic and #TBT) as they were a little patchy. Otherwise, the texture and consistency is awesome.

Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette Review

Colors swatched left to right, top to bottom

I’ve been loving this palette for a quick, easy makeup look for work. The colors last all day on my eyes and I haven’t experiencing any creasing at all. The palette also has a large mirror on the inside which is super practical for touch ups throughout the day.

You can buy the Catrice Basic Bae eyeshadow palette at Shoppers Drug Mart for $16.99 in Canada. There are also two other variations – Badass Bae (warmer, red tones) or Self-Made Bae (cooler, pink tones). At such an affordable price point, you can even grab more than one!

Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette Review

* PR sample provided. All opinions are honest and my own.

Random Island Soapery Whipped Orange Shave Butter

Sunday, March 1, 2020

I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing me complain about my super dry skin lately. While this winter has resulted in dry, itchy skin all over my body, I’ve become accustomed to having dry legs. For many years, the skin on my legs has been itchy and flaky (attractive, right?) unless I moisturize every day. I’ve been searching for a moisturizing shaving cream for a long time and I picked this one up at the farmers market before Christmas.

 

Random Island Soapery

Random Island Soapery is a locally owned business that hand makes soaps, scrubs, moisturizers, lip balms, and more! It was started by the owner, Cindy, in 2011 after trying to find a product to treat her dry feet. After trying everything in store, she decided to make her own product – which totally fixed her feet! From there, she decided to make a product to treat her children’s eczema, and found success in that as well.

Random Island Soapery Whipped Orange Shave Butter

Random Island Soapery Shave Butter

The Whipped Orange Shave Butter is packaged in a small glass jar and contains just five ingredients: coconut oil, shea butter, avocado oil, essential and/or fragrance oil. It has the most beautiful orange scent and a delightful whipped consistency.

I’ve been using this product a couple times a week since Christmas and I’ve only used approximately 1/3 of the jar. A little goes a long way and it’s well worth the price tag, which I believe was about $15. Despite being in an open-lid jar that is exposed to water, I have not experienced any issues with mold, discoloration or bad odors.

So how does it perform?

Random Island Soapery Shave Butter

As I mentioned, I typically use this twice a week, and a different cream the other half of the week. There is just a little more effort involved with using this versus a traditional shaving gel due to the packaging, so I don’t use it on days when I’m in a hurry! However, my legs feel 100% better on days when I do use it to shave.

The shave butter doesn’t lather but leaves a buttery film on the skin. Even after getting out of the shower, my skin remains hydrated and soft to touch. In fact, I don’t even need to moisturize with lotion on days when I use this shave cream! Using it just a couple times a week, my legs are no longer itchy or flaky.

The only downside to this product is that you have to be careful as it can make the shower very slippery! I usually try to warn Jordan before he steps in but he has nearly slipped a couple of times.

Overall, I highly recommend picking this up if you’re local and love handmade products in eco-friendly packaging. I can’t wait to try more products from Random Island Soapery in the near future!

Random Island Soapery Whipped Orange Shave Butter

Spruced Up Labrador Intensive Hand Cream Review

Sunday, February 16, 2020

With every year that passes it seems that my skin gets a little drier. My job also requires frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer, which means that my poor hands are often really dry. Add in the cold winter air and I’m frequently left with red, cracked skin on my hands.

After many years of searching for the best hand cream, I can finally say I’ve found it. The Labrador Winter Intensive Hand Cream from Spruced Up Labrador is hands down (pun intended!) the most effective hand cream I’ve used. It comes as no surprise as Labrador is known for its brutally cold winters with average winter temperatures around -20°C/-4°F.

Spruced up Labrador is a small homemade business based out of (you guessed it!) Labrador. The products literally fly off their website as quickly as it is restocked, so your best bet is to join the mailing list to know when each restock will happen. I know they are planning another restock soon so keep an eye out!

Made of shea butter, argan oil and local spruce gum, this hand cream packs a punch of moisture. While the first two ingredients are commonly known, the spruce gum has a longstanding history. Typically referred to as “sap”, its history can be traced back to ancient Egypt where it was used to treat burns, wounds, ulcers, and more. Your average hand cream definitely doesn’t have locally sourced spruce gum in it, and that’s what I attribute the goodness of this one to.

Spruced up Labrador Review

I used to moisturize my hands multiple times a day but I only have to use this cream once every few days. My hands are soft, smooth, and have experienced no painful cracking thus far this year. I’ve also applied it to my arms and legs when they have gotten painfully red and scaly.Even Jordan swears by this hand cream and he hates using any type of cream. I will warn you though – it doesn’t have the prettiest scent. It’s very medicinal or herb-y, so probably best to apply it before bed.

I honestly wish I could buy a massive bottle of this! However, as I only need to use a small amount every few days, it will definitely last me through this winter. If you suffer from red, dry and cracked skin, I highly recommend trying it.

What I Bought in January 2020

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

January isn’t normally a month where I buy a lot of unnecessary items. Given that it falls right after Christmas, I usually don’t need anything or have any money left to shop. However, we actually made some big purchases this year. Obviously I’m not doing this to brag or whatever (I hate that I have to say that at the beginning). I personally just find these posts interesting & helpful! Post contains affiliate links.

  1. First of all, if you follow me on Instagram then you know I picked up this adorable hat which was locally made and looks like it cost way more than it did! Give her a follow on Facebook and enter her contest to win one of your own! Or you know, just buy one.
  2. We’ve needed a new sofa for a long, long time. Our animals absolutely destroyed our other sofa over the past five years but I really didn’t want to shell out the money for another one, especially as we paid a lot for the first one. Long story short.. we found a good deal on this one and bit the bullet. While I was initially quite resistant, I’m now very happy about it. Also, I don’t care if they are trendy or not – I don’t think I’ll ever not have a sectional. They are my favourite.
  3. If that wasn’t enough, we picked up a kitchen island as well. We first seen it at a friends house and actually thought they had it built, only to discover it was from Canadian Tire! It doesn’t match our kitchen so I’ve debated painting it but regardless, it gives us some extra storage space as well as counter space. Plus the leaf is extendable, which makes it great for parties. We bought it on sale and it’s totally worth the price. It feels much more expensive than it is! For Living Kitchen Island.
  4. I bought snowshoes (not this exact pair) from a coworker, however, I haven’t used them yet. Good intentions, bad follow through. Here is a similar pair from Amazon.
  5. I accidentally bought the regular Marcelle Face Powder when I meant to buy the illuminating version. I also accidentally bought it in shade “medium”. Surprisingly, it actually works as it’s still quite transparent, even on my ghost-like skin. You get a ton of product here – I’m convinced I’ll be using it for the rest of my life. So far I like it but I still want to try the glowy version.
  6. The L’Oreal Pro Glow foundation has been around for a while but it has taken me this long to try it. I love the Pro Matte version and I had high hopes but my initial thoughts were disappointing. I will definitely be testing it out again so fingers crossed that the second time is a charm!
  7. I can’t even find the NYX Bare With Me Primer on their own site and I’m not sure why as I believe it’s a new product. There is a jelly version, however, this is the regular non-jelly primer. I’ve only used it once yet as I’m trying to finish my other primer first.
  8. I was also in need of a new concealer, so I grabbed the Essence Camouflage + Matt Concealer for a change. This isn’t available on Amazon Canada so if you’re curious, go to your local Shoppers Drug Mart. It costs $5 or less and so far, I really like it.
  9. Not pictured, but I also picked up a few items at the thrift store. I’m planning to show those on Instagram soon, so follow me there if you are interested!

Okay, that’s it for January! If there’s anything that you’d like to see a review on, leave me a comment below. Most of the makeup (except the powder), I haven’t really used it as I’m trying to finish up my other products first (nearly there!). Also let me know if you like this type of post or not! I like to keep track of my purchases and share my thoughts & opinions so I’d totally be down for continuing this each month if you guys are interested.

The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Local in East Coast Newfoundland

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Following the Christmas season, January is a hard month for a lot of small businesses. Add in a weeklong state of emergency that forced businesses to close their doors and you can imagine the financial difficulties they may face this year.

I’ve decided to compile a list of local businesses on the east coast of Newfoundland as that is the area I am familiar with. If you can, pay an extra visit to one of these. Pick up a new outfit, take your significant other out for a nice meal, or grab a coffee from a local joint. If you can’t afford to do that, just give them a follow on social media, or recommend a business to a friend! Newfoundland really came together during the storm and I’d love to see that continue as we return to normalcy.

* I’ve placed an asterisk next to places where I’ve personally experienced great service and/or products

Dining & Drinks

Bad Bones Ramen
Bannerman Brewing Co
Blue on Water *
Curry Delight
Fabulous Foods *
Kimchi & Sushi
Landwash Brewery *
Mallard Cottage *
Manna European Bakery *
Newfoundland Cider Co *
Oh My Cheeses *
RJ Pinoy Yum *
Saucy Mouth *
Sushi Island *
Sushi Maki *
Sushi Nami *
The Adelaide Oyster House *
The Gypsy Tea Room *
The Indian Express
The Merchant Tavern *
The Sweet Newfie Kitchen *
Toslow
Waterwest Kitchen and Meats
Yellowbelly Brewery *

Coffee, Bakeries & Misc Food

Bare Mountain Coffee House *
Bonabooch Kombucha *
Bonavista Coffee Company *
Butter Bakery *
Coffee Matters
Dough Bys
Jacobean Chocolate
Jumping Bean Coffee *
Moo Moos Ice Cream *
Newfoundland Chocolate Company *
Newfoundland Salt Company *
Port Rexton Brewing *
Rocket Bakery *
Sugar Mamas
The Parlour *
Tulip Baroo Bakery
Volcano Bakery

Clothing & Accessories

Bellie Beth
Civic Duty
Clothes Minded
Dear Dawcy
Ethereal Boutique
Feather + Sprout
Figgy Duff Dory *
Fogtown’s The Side Shop
Hadley Rose Designs
Jewelry by Lori
Juniper Clothing
Melanie Jacqueline
Model Citizens
Opal + Onyx
Ragmaw
Relic
Saltwater Designs *
Screechin’ Youngsters
Sooley Designs
The Shop, SALT *
Twisted Sisters Boutik
Yellow Rose

Beauty

East Coast Glow *
Goldie Beauty Bar
Pure Bliss
Rocks & Roots Co *
Salt Water Bath Bombs
Simple Solution Aesthetics *
SKIN Aesthetics Lounge
Soothe Spa
St. John’s Soap Works *
The Studio Beauty Bar
Tval Skincare *

Pets

Brewkies *
Dudu Pets Plus *
Tag a Pet

Miscellaneous

Adora Boutique *
Driven to Ink
Lemon and Lime Health Shoppe
Rise and Shine Nursery
The Bees Knees
The Grapevine *
The Healthy Vibe
Topmdrn
Watercolours & Pens *
Whink *

 

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Leave a comment below if you decided to visit any of these places or place an order with them! I’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to comment with your local favourites as well!

I am planning to start a “Local Love” feature on the blog where I visit local places and/or try their products and provide a blog post/interview. If you are interested in working together, please send me an email at hello@janineallison.com.

Local Shopping in Newfoundland

2020 Bucket List

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

I can’t even jokingly say “New year, new me” because here we are on January 8th and I am only just posting my 2020 goals. I was actually inspired by a friend of mine (thanks Jill!) to create a bucket list for this year, rather than a list of resolutions. Let’s be honest – I’ve put “exercise” and “drink more water” on every New Years Resolution list for the past ten years. Have I done it yet? Nope. So rather than a generic list of things I should do, I made a fun list of things that I may actually accomplish (hopefully) (I still added exercise).

Also, hello. Long time no see. Nothing like the new year to do my annual blog revival. I’m not making any promises but I’m going to try posting at least once a week. It’s not my full time job, nor will it likely ever be, so I don’t want it to consume all my free time. However, I do miss sharing and writing so here we are.

2020 Bucket List

1. Read at least 12 books | This has also been an ongoing goal for me, one that I haven’t achieved in many years. One book a month should be totally attainable. I’m trying to read a little bit each night before bed rather than browsing on my phone. Follow me on Goodreads and hold me accountable.

2. Save $10,000 | I don’t like to talk about money on the blog, though I’ll happily discuss money with you in person! This is a lofty goal but I’m putting it out there anyway.

3. Try 2 new (local) restaurants | This should be easy to achieve in the sense that a) I love to eat, and b) it’s only two. However, we’ve found so many great places to eat locally that we just want to visit those all the time, rather than try new places. * Restaurants while traveling don’t count, obviously.

4. Try 2 new recipes a month | While I love food, I tend to cook fairly basic meals on a regular basis (protein, carb, green thing). I’ve taken a liking to cookbooks lately so I’m planning to try and change up our meals and try new things! (We’ve already achieved this for January as we have tried 3 new recipes thus far… killin’ it).

5. Go to the gym | I’m not specifying when I’m going to start or how often I’m going to go. I just need to go. Period.

6. Switch to locally made skincare products | I’m not saying my skincare will be 100% local, but I’m hoping that it’s mostly local, natural products by the end of the year. I ordered some goodies from Spruced up Labrador for Christmas, so expect some reviews on that soon! And feel free to leave me recommendations for your favourite Newfoundland/Labrador-made products.

7. Run a 5K | I walk-ran a 5K a couple years ago and haven’t attempted since.

8. Visit Twillingate | I’ve never been to Twillingate, at least that I can recall. We always travel outside the country each year but rarely spend any time exploring our own province. I’m dying to go to Split Rock Brewery as I’ve tried a few of their beers & they’ve been delicious!

9. Hike 3 new trails | I didn’t realize how many fitness-related goals I had on this list until now. We did one new trail last year, I’m aiming for three this year.

10. Visit 3 new countries | As long as our cruise this year goes ahead as planned, we should have no trouble accomplishing this one as we are anticipating stops in St. Lucia, Barbados and Antigua.

I stopped at 10 because quite frankly, that seemed like enough. Hopefully this blog will still be kicking by December 31st, 2020 so that I can come back and re-evaluate how I did.

Do you have any resolutions for the new year? 

Almay Spring 2019 Makeup Review

Monday, May 20, 2019

This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you if you click and/or purchase through my links.

Almay was kind enough to send along some of their new spring products for me to review. Designed with festival vibes in mind, the range is naturally quite bold and glittery. While I’ve personally never attended a big music festival such as Coachella or Osheaga, I love following people who are there. Festivals are the best for scoping out fun fashion and beauty trends that are anything but ordinary. Bearing in mind that festival makeup is definitely not every day makeup, let’s take a look at the new products.

Almay Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite in “24K Dreams” and “Unicorn Light”

Almay Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite

Naturally, these caught my eye immediately. With the halographic packages, enthralling names, and the premise of a jelly highlighter, I dug right in. Upon opening the package, they weren’t exactly what I was expecting. The consistency is definitely jelly-like, but more like actual Jell-O than I had anticipated. I expected it to be a thick, but somewhat fluid consistency. These look and smell like slime that I had as a kid. That being said, they aren’t all bad! They are extremely glittery. “24K Dreams” has a gold shift while “Unicorn Light” has a pink shift. These are not subtle, every day highlighters as they definitely leave a fine glitter on your face. However, they are perfect for a festival, music concert, or party.

Almay Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite

Left: 24K Dreams | Right: Unicorn Light

Almay Velvet Foil Cream Shadow in “Infinite Sky”, “Out of the Woods” and “Violet Eyelet”

Almay Velvet Cream Foil Shadow

Of all the products, these cream shadows are the standout for me. I received three colors – a rich chocolate brown, a metallic blue and a metallic purple. First of all, these are both incredibly pigmented and creamy. They swatch beautifully and the lasting power is crazy! I have to literally scrub my skin to remove them (which is a little painful around the eyes).

I tried creating an eye look using just one color and that was much easier than trying to use multiple colors. As much as I love the consistency, they are a little hard to work with in terms of blending and combining various colors. Therefore, I’d recommend using these for an all-over lid color. They move around on the eyelid quite easily at first but once dried, they are unmovable. I definitely want to pick up a couple more of these in more subtle, every day colors.

Almay Velvet Cream Foil Shadow

Left – right: Out of the Woods, Infinite Sky, Violet Eyelet

Almay Goddess Glosses in “Magic”, “Enchanted”, and “Cosmic”

Almay Goddess Glosses

I was pleasantly surprised by these lipglosses. While the colors aren’t necessarily what I would have chosen myself, they are actually super wearable. And despite being filled with glitter, they are extremely comfortable to wear. They aren’t sticky or gritty on the lips at all, and the color is quite pigmented. “Magic” is a bronzey-orange, “Enchanted” is a berry purple and “Cosmic” is a light gold with multi-color reflect.

Almay Goddess Gloss Cosmic

Almay Goddess Gloss Cosmic

Almay Goddess Gloss Magic

Almay Goddess Gloss Magic

Almay Goddess Gloss Enchanted

Almay Goddess Gloss Enchanted

Almay Eyeshadow Quads in “Less is More” and “Never Settle”

Almay Eyeshadow Quad

Initially, I thought these were little highlight cubes, until I noticed that they each contain a matte shade. Along with a matte, each quad contains two shimmers and one glitter. The swatches of these were okay, nothing remarkable, especially the mattes. The shimmers and the glitters are the best of the quad, but overall I would pass on these.

Almay also sent along a “Smoky Eye Trio”, however, it was smashed on arrival and therefore I was unable to test it.

Almay Liquid Lash Extenders Mascara in “Black”

I was hopeful that this would be a great drugstore mascara option, but sadly I was disappointed. It has a fibre and tube formula that supposedly wraps around your eyelashes. However, my eyelashes neither appeared overly longer, thicker or more voluminous with use. It is, however, a great everyday mascara. I didn’t notice any clumping or flaking, which is always a plus! But personally, I just prefer a mascara that offers a more dramatic look.

PR samples provided for review.

Almay Makeup Review

Pixi Beauty Rose Infused Skintreats Review

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The Rose Infused Skintreats line by Pixi Beauty* includes 10 rose-scented facial products that are sure to delight! Combined, these products remove your makeup, cleanse your skin, tone, hydrate, and boost your skin’s natural glow. My jaw literally dropped when this package arrived on my doorstep, complete with a customized toiletries bag that is oh-so-perfect for travelling. Now that I’ve been using this skincare regimen almost exclusively for the past month, I want to share my results!

Pixi Rose Infused Skintreats Review

Pixi Beauty Rose Infused Skintreats

Makeup Melting Cleansing Cloths: I never use makeup removing cloths at home, but I love to pack them whenever I am traveling. They are so convenient to throw in a bag for the weekend. I did use one of these at home for review purposes and I thought it did a good job of removing my makeup. It was a little dryer than I prefer but was moist enough to remove most of my makeup. For heavy eye makeup, you would need more than one. Oddly enough, I cannot seem to find these on the Pixi website.

Rose Cream Cleanser: I am impressed with how gentle this cleanser it. It is a very lightweight cleanser, but it lathers sufficiently. It does a great job of removing my eye makeup and leaves my skin feeling clean but never tight or dry. It’s truly a fantastic every day cleanser.

Rose Tonic: This is a product that admittedly, I haven’t used a lot. I’m still using my Pixi Rose Glow Tonic at night so I’ve been trying to use this one after cleansing in the morning. The problem is that I keep forgetting to grab it before applying my moisturizer! The Rose Tonic is different from the Glow Tonic in that it’s meant to hydrate and neutralize pH levels of the skin, where the Glow Tonic exfoliates. I definitely need to try this one out more! It did seem very gentle and balancing when I tried it, and certainly less harsh than the Glow Tonic.

Rose Caviar Essence: Essences became all the rage in 2018, a trend that I expect to continue into 2019. This Rose Caviar Essence actually contains concentrated flower oils! After toning, it instructs you to gently press this essence on to the skin of your face, neck and décolletage. It claims to soften and tone the skin while the fresh botanicals hydrate and restore radiance. I haven’t been using this product daily, mainly because I’m always in a hurry in the morning and I don’t have time to press this into my skin and let it absorb. I’ve been trying to use it on the weekends when I am not so rushed! It is extremely lightweight and doesn’t feel clogging or heavy on the skin.

Rose Flash Balm: This is a multi-use product that works as a moisturizer, primer, or mask! I’ve used it a few times in place of my regular primer. This is a thick product that is more like a moisturizing primer than say, a silicone type of primer. I didn’t find it quite as effective as my regular primer but it wasn’t too bad! Because it’s a 3-in-1 product, it would be really convenient to pack for a short trip, as opposed to taking a moisturizer, primer, and mask. It says it’s suited for all skin types but I think it would be best for someone with dry skin like myself. I haven’t tried using this as a mask.

Rose Ceramide Cream: I’ve been using this cream daily in the AM ever since I received this package. First of all – I love the packaging. I’m not entirely sure how to describe it, but it’s like a hard squeeze tube? They always seem so regal to me for some reason! Anyway, back to the product itself. It’s a lightweight moisturizer that contains rose flower oil, ceramides and probiotics. Thanks to that, it packs a moisturizing punch, despite not being a heavy cream. It is very gentle and calming on the skin and I haven’t noticed any breakouts or clogging of my pores.

Rose Oil Blend: This is my favourite product in the whole line! I’ve been using this nearly every night at bedtime and I believe this is the reason why my face is the only hydrated part of my body this winter. It’s a thick oil in a dropper bottle. I definitely couldn’t use this in the morning as it is quite heavy on the skin. In fact, my skin remains oily and glowy when I wake up in the morning after applying it at night. This is the perfect product for my dry winter skin, though it may be too heavy for anyone with oily skin.

Makeup Fixing Mist: This product claims to prolong makeup wear, while hydrating and balancing the skin. You can spray this before and after applying makeup. I’ve used it both ways and while I haven’t noticed a difference in the longevity of my makeup, it does create a nice, hydrated base to work with. I also like to mist a little on my face after applying my makeup to create a more dewy, glowy look. This is also great if your face is feeling a little tight or dry after all day!

Rose Glow Mist: Of the two sprays, this is my favourite. While they work similarly, the Rose Glow mist contains acids and antioxidants including rose oil, argan oil, and avocado oil. It is meant to calm and soothe the skin, add moisture and set makeup. Oddly enough, the actual mist is must finer on this spray than the Makeup Fixing Mist, which I definitely prefer. I like to spray this in the morning before applying my makeup and at nighttime before applying oil. I think this will be great in the summertime as a mid-day pick-me-up.

Overall Impressions

Pixi Rose Infused Skintreats Review

Overall, I am loving the Pixi Rose Infused Skintreats line for my dry, dehydrated winter skin. Since implementing this skincare line, my face is no longer dry. It feels plump and hydrated 24/7, which is amazing considering how dry and cold this winter has been. The line has a very potent rose scent in all the products which is not my favourite, but isn’t a dealbreaker for me. I will say that it smells like actual roses and not a fake-rose scent. I had a small breakout during the first week I used this line, but I’m not sure if that’s due to hormones or the change in skincare. I’ve had no issues since and in fact, my skin is looking better than ever. If you have similar skin, I’d highly recommend checking out this line!

The Pixi Rose Infused Skincare line can be purchased on the Pixi website or at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

Pixi Rose Infused Skintreats Review

Mary Kay Illuminating Drops Review

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Mary Kay graciously sent me a box of goodies from their spring line, so expect to see some posts highlighting those products in the next little while! Speaking of highlighting, one of their awesome new items is the limited edition Illuminating Drops*. I’ve been super into higlighted, dewy-looking skin lately, so naturally I couldn’t wait to try these.

Liquid highlighters have been on the market for a while, but these are not to be overlooked. The Mary Kay Illuminating Drops are available in three shades: Silver Sand, Golden Horizon, and Bronze Light.

Mary Kay Illuminating Drops

L-R: Silver Sands, Golden Horizon, Bronze Light

Silver Sand: a pale champagne-pink that is perfect for light skintones

Golden Horizon: a golden glow, ideal for tanned skin

Bronze Light: sunkissed bronze, best for medium to dark skintones

While all three shades are gorgeous, Silver Sand is best suited to my pale skin. Golden Horizon is definitely wearable but Bronze Light is a bit too dark for me personally. Keep in mind that the swatches above are simply that – a swatch. The colors are much more wearable when blended into the skin!

The Mary Kay Illuminating Drops can be worn on bare skin or mixed with your foundation or moisturizer for an eye-catching glow. You could also use them as a traditional highlighter above your foundation on your cheekbones, cupids bow, or collarbones. Personally, I’ve been loving them mixed into my foundation. With spring around the corner, I am looking for ways to “glow up”!

Do you prefer liquid or powder highlighter? Leave a comment below!

Mary Kay Illuminating Drops

* PR samples provided for review; all thoughts & opinions are my own!

Recent Purchases Volume 1

Monday, February 11, 2019

I’m obsessed with shopping hauls. Watching others, doing my own, etc. I love knowing what other people are buying! Do you feel the same way? I decided to start a “Recent Purchases” feature of my own. Initially I was going to post it as monthly purchases, but some months I shop very little. Typically January is one of those months but not this year! While I normally cut back after the holidays, there were a few items that I felt like I “needed” to start my year right.

Clothing

American Eagle High-Waisted Jeans

The first of those items was new jeans. For the most part, I only wear American Eagle denim. It’s easily accessible, relatively affordable, and comes in a short length. After discovering that I’ve worn a hole in the thigh area of one of my favourite pairs, I decided to order another pair to replace it. And because American Eagle was offering a “buy one, get one 50% off” sale, I actually bought two pairs.

The light wash pair is a little lighter than I anticipated (as a rule, I prefer a medium-dark wash) but they will be great for summer. Both pairs are slightly smaller and higher waisted than my current pairs, despite being the same style/size, which is a bit annoying.

Thrift Store Haul

I also stopped by the thrift store this month and walked away with some new shirts and a jean jacket. I got two shirts, two cardigans, a jean jacket and three plates (that match our current set of dishes) for $17.75. I didn’t “need” any of those things but a) I live in cardigans, and b) I figure it’s better to spend $5 on a denim jacket that I may never wear than $50.

Dynamite Haul

I received a gift card from Dynamite for Christmas and my original plan to hold onto it until spring. However, I caved and placed an order once I seen these pants pop up in the new arrivals section. To qualify for free shipping, I also bought this shirt that I had tried on in-store before Christmas. It’s not a color I would have ever chosen for myself but I really liked it.

Shoes

Shoes

In January I bought three new pairs of shoes which is more than I typically buy in a year. I found a pair of potential wedding shoes on ASOS but they went out of stock before I could purchase them. While shopping at Payless a few days later, I found another pair that I really liked. Payless had 40% off the entire store at the time so I ended up buying those (which cost me a whopping $11 as they were on clearance) plus a pair of wedges. Later, the ASOS pair came back in stock (just one pair!) IN MY SIZE, so of course I jumped on that purchase (not shown as they haven’t arrived yet).

Health & Beauty

Saje Pocket Farmacy

After falling in love with the Peppermint Halo from Saje (as discussed here), I couldn’t resist picking up the “Pocket Farmacy” during their 30% off sale. I can’t wait to test out all the new products – hopefully they work as well as the headache relief!

Makeup Haul

I’m making an effort this year to only buy beauty products that need replacing. Honestly, I have enough lipstick, eyeshadow and blush in my collection that I would never need to repurchase it in my life. However, I ran out of my favourite eyebrow pencil so I had to replace that. This eye cream caught my eye and because I don’t have a holy-grail eye cream, I snuck that into my cart as well. Luckily I had a gift card from Christmas so I didn’t pay much out of pocket!

I picked up a new Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Lipstick in the shade “Romantic” after seeing it on Sydney Hoffman’s Instagram stories (I know.. I just said I didn’t need anymore lipstick…). It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day and I love the formula of those lipsticks! I also grabbed a Sooae Unicorn Glow Hologram Mask while I was at Walmart.

Finally, I snagged the L’Oreal Infallible Concealer at Walmart when the light colors finally came back in stock. I’m nearly out of my holy grail concealer and this is supposedly a dupe. Perhaps I’ll dedicate a future blog post to that!

We’ve also bought a lot of wedding stuff recently, including my wedding band, Jordan’s wedding band, stamps for our invitations, gifts for the bridesmaids, candy bags, and more. I can’t believe it’s so soon and I’m kind of freaking out a bit.

What have you purchased recently? Leave me a comment below!

FabFitFun Winter 2018 Subscription Box Review

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you click and/or purchase through the links.

What is FabFitFun?

FabFitFun is a quarterly subscription box that features a mix of lifestyle, beauty, fashion, fitness, and wellness products. Each box costs $49.99 US + $8 shipping to Canada (free shipping to the US) and contains over $200 worth of product. FabFitFun gifts full size products which is a big reason why I love it! I don’t know about you, but I definitely have more than enough sample-size items kicking around.

You can read my review of the Fall 2018 subscription box here. If you want to subscribe to FabFitFun, click this link and use code “FIRSTBOX” for $10 off your first quarterly box!

Winter 2018 FabFitFun Box

This has been my favourite FabFitFun box yet! While it was heavy on the beauty/skincare products, I was a-okay with that.

FabFitFun Winter 2018 Hair Products

Moroccan Gold Series Argan Hair Mask ($49)

I’ve used this a couple times and while I’m not fussy on the scent, I do think it’s a good hair mask. It is incredibly thick but doesn’t leave my fine, thin hair weighed down or greasy.

Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo ($44)

Oribe is all the rage around here lately and I was shocked to receive the full size dry shampoo in this box! I definitely wouldn’t pay this price tag personally as I feel there are much more affordable options that work just as well. However, it smells nice and does the job.

FabFitFun Winter 2018 Makeup & Skincare

Sherrie Matthews Acupuncture Jade Stone Roller ($45)

I was able to select this product in my box and I decided to go for it because I was curious. Again, there are cheaper options available. I’m not sure that it does all that it claims, however it is said to aid in reducing the appearance of fine lines, reducing inflammation and puffiness, improving skin tone and lymphatic drainage. It feels nice and cooling on the skin so I will definitely continue using it.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in “Meringue” ($26)

Nothing better than receiving one of my favourite lip brands in my box! If you haven’t tried the Bite Amuse Bouch lipsticks, you’re missing out. The shade “Meringue” is described as a “peachy neutral” and is super flattering. Not exactly a “winter” shade but I’ll still get lots of use from it.

Thrive Cosmetics Briliant Eye Brightener in “Stella” ($24)

While this is a very pretty highlight, I haven’t found myself reaching for it. As a rule, I typically just put a bit of eyeshadow in the inner corners of my eyes as a highlight.

Blaq Eye Masks with Hyaluronic Acid ($29)

I tried these out for the first time a couple weeks ago. They were quite slippery and difficult to apply but once they were on my skin, they adhered fairly well. They felt really cool and my undereye area did appear less puffy after!

FabFitFun Winter 2018 AHAVA Skincare

AHAVA Hydration Cream Mask ($33)

I first tried AHAVA many, many years ago in a different subscription box. I really like both products that I’ve tried from them. You can leave this mask on for 10-15 minutes then rinse off, or you can leave it on overnight. I’ve been leaving it on overnight as my skin is really dry in the winter. It’s non-greasy and leaves me feeling hydrated by morning!

FabFitFun Winter 2018 Lifestyle Items

WAY OF WILL Elevate Essential Oil Set: Sweet Orange Oil & Eucalyptus Oil ($31)

Essential oils frighten me a little bit. I want to diffuse them but I’m also afraid due to their toxicity to animals. I haven’t tried to use these in any other way yet, but I may pick up some dryer balls to pair with these.

Mark & Graham Colorblock Throw ($49)

This is no longer available on the Mark & Graham website, but who doesn’t love an extra throw? I would have preferred to get this in the grey color as brown doesn’t match our color scheme right now, but I will hold onto it and likely re-gift it.

Don’t forget to click this link and use code “FIRSTBOX” for $10 off your first quarterly box!

FabFitFun Winter 2018 Subscription Box Review

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