July Favorites!

Guess what time it is again? Monthly favorites time!!!! YAY!!! Sorry I haven't posted in so long but hopefully you guys will forgive me >.<

Tea Tree Cool & Creamy Wash from The Body Shop

This face wash only recently came out from The Body Shop and so I had to try it! Everyone knows what a big fan of tea tree I am! The consistency, smell, and appearance is a lot like toothpaste. I liken this product to toothpaste for your face but man does it feel good on your skin! Use some water and a marble sized dollop on your hands for a refreshing, tingly clean that doesn't dry out your skin but leaves it cool and spotless.

Aloe Eye Defense Eye Cream from The Body Shop

More Body Shop goodness and this time, it's for my eyes. I've not ventured too deeply into the world of eye creams yet but out of the hand full I've ever tried, I must say I like this one a lot! It's very gentle and light so it doesn't make my already oily eyelids feel greasier plus it feels lightly cooling as it absorbs into my skin. Definitely a treat for sore eyes at the end of a long day!

NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent

This product is amazing at mattifying skin and it has absolutely zero color to it meaning a huge range of people with skin tones ranging from porcelain white to almost black can use it and not worry about looking too dark or washed out! Use it to set your makeup or just to de-slick an oily face and you're good to go. The one thing I really dislike about this product is that it is incredibly messy, if it came in better packaging that could control the amount of product dispensed each time then I would give it a full 10/10!

NYX Stick Blush in Tea Rose

The main thing I worry about with blushes is that they'l make me look sick if I put it on. I associate fevers with red cheeks (not to mention carbon monoxide poisoning also causes red cheeks before it kills you...) but this blush doesn't give you that sickly look, rather it makes you look healthy and the reddish pink color seems quite natural. Wonderful for hot summer days (which aren't quite here yet but I hope soon will be!) because it's cream based meaning it won't flake off and make your cheeks look splotchy over time. Not only is it a great blush color but it's wonderful as lip rouge! Multipurpose is the name of the game!

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

This is the main primer I've been gravitating towards this month. I've not found a primer that completely prevents creasing or my eyeliner from transferring to above my crease but I've noticed my Hard Candy Primer makes my brushes kind of icky since that primer has a more liquid consistency compared with Urban Decay's. For the summer days, you want your makeup staying in place because nobody wants to look like a sweaty drag queen...even drag queens XD.

Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash from The Body Shop

It has ground up apricot seeds to exfoliate but it's quite a mild exfoliator if I ever tried one! It makes my face feel incredibly smooth after and very cool (since it comes from the tea tree and tamanu oils inside). My issue with this product is that it doesn't lather very well but it does give a gentle clean without stripping all the moisture out of your face! I've noticed my blackheads fading away as well so true to its name, this exfoliating wash does zap away those nasty impurities lying around your nose!

elf Lengthening and Defining Mascara in Black Brown

elf, you are a god of makeup I swear! This mascara has great wear, lengthens, volumizes, and does't clump very much at all. It was also very inexpensive (even though I got it as a gift XP) but nonetheless, some more expensive mascaras I've tried don't give me the same effect as this elf one! My lashes don't flake or sag over time either! Apart from how banging it makes my lashes look, the slim packaging is great for keeping the clutter in your purse minimal when you go out! Kudos to you elf for another amazing product! 

NYX For Your Eyes Only Mysterious Brown Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

My first eyeshadow palette ever and it's up there on the list for one of my favorite palettes too. The pigmentation of most of the colors is phenomenal and the textures are extremely soft and buttery. It's got ten shadows that are great for making everyday looks but it also has a leaf green and some purple shades too if you want to vamp it up a little! The applicator it comes with it's great (I use it to clean the mirror inside and not for putting on makeup XP) but with a good brush or even your fingers, you can make miracles happen with this palette!

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine

I was naughty and bought three more Baby Lips lip balms...they're so cute (and not to mention packed with product!) so I had to get more! The color is a deep, purply red that gives lips that need a boost of color life again. It's great for taking out with you because you don't need to carry both lip balm and lipstick when this balm already has some pigmentation! It's not very strong color though so if you want bold lips this probably isn't the thing for you. The moisturizing ability is pretty decent but it does need to be reapplied often to maintain soft lips.

Vitamin E Hydrating Toner from The Body Shop

I never thought a toner could be this hydrating but true to its name, the Vitamin E Hydrating Toner from The Body Shop delivers skin softening treatment while balancing the pH of your skin. I also love the scent of this product, it's hard to explain but smells lightly of sunscreen and spa...weird right? XD

It's also alcohol free so no worries about your skin drying up there! You also only need a dime sized amount on a cotton pad to sweep or pat all over your face so this product is going to last me ages! Soft skin here I come!

Thanks for sticking around! Sorry I haven't made a post in such a long time, I've been focusing on my artwork which you can find here: http://melody-in-the-air.deviantart.com/

I'll try to post more often my blogging beauties!

Ciao for now!

Shopping Trip: Beauty and Fashion Haul!

Hello lovelies! I recently had some shopping fun with my lovely friend Resha and picked up some things when I should be saving money for Disneyland (and tuition...*cough cough*). I haven't spent a good day with her in years! You see, we had a big fight back when we were both in high school and 3 years or so have passed before we were able to forgive each other. I'm glad we were able to put all that trouble behind us because I couldn't be happier to see the girl!

We met up early in the morning just before the mall opened and went to nearly every store browsing shoes, clothes, and makeup! I tried on a lot of dresses H&M and places like the Montreal based store called Garage while Rehsa tried on next to nothing! Her excuse was she was losing weight so she shouldn't buy clothes if her size was in the middle of changing. I wish she'd try some more clothes on with me, it's always fun to play dress up together! 

Makeup-wise, Sephora was near the top of our list for places to hit but all the price tags made us faint. Pricey pricey...and it was the day after their Chic Week sale...*sob*. Next time they send me a coupon I'm definitely going to pick up some treats from there! 

We also stopped at the MAC counter in a department store called The Bay. Here's a shocker for you big makeup fans...I don't own a single thing from MAC! We perused the shelves filled with all sorts of goodies and swatched things on our hands until we looked like glittering disco balls. I was extremely tempted to get one of their paint pots since I hear people like Estee or Essiebutton on Youtube rave about them so much! The one I loved most when swatched on my hand was Rubenesque....it wasn't too glittery but felt so smooth on my hand! With an eyeshadow layered over it, the color was amazing! Though cheaper than most Sephora products, we walked away without purchasing anything.

Of course we just had to go to The Body Shop! They have body butters for $10 right now which is a pretty good bargain. I still have a ton of my coconut and mango body butter left though so I didn't get a new one. They have a Leona Lewis makeup collection there right now and the bronzer with an elk design on it made me fall in love. I wanted to get it pretty bad but Resha and I were so distracted...we kept spraying scents on ourselves and testing everything out. The satsuma/ clementine scent they have is lovely; dreamily citrus but like sweet candy at the same time! At this point neither of us had still purchased anything! Probably because we had shopping ADD being distracted by one lovely item after the next and because we were catching up on 3 years of missed gossip.

Getting nothing from the mall, we went to two stores I believe we only have in Canada called Shopper's Drugmart and Winners.

I couldn't believe it, the Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush was on offer for only $12! Of course we have extremely high tax here in Canada (12%...ughh) so it ended up being more like a $15 dollar purchase but still! I was so happy!

I've been dying to try this cute little blush for ages now and I didn't know that it had euphoryl in it that imitates the mood brightnening effect of endorphins! I wore it to work and definitely felt pretty happy after using it. Maybe it was the blush or maybe I was just in a good mood but either way, it gives me cheeks a beautiful flush and smells lovely!

Winners is a store I've only been to once and I thought it was only full of overpriced clothing. I was so wrong. It has everything from food to shoes to makeup to haircare to skincare and toys etc! It may seem overpriced, but that's because nearly all the stuff they sell is marked down brand name items! You can find Steve Madden, Ralph Lauren, Nine West, and other high end brands there. I'm not really one to buy things just for the brand but the quality of most brand name goods are better than places like Blue Notes or Old Navy. 

I picked up this lovely floral printed top by ONLY for a whopping $24. I know that may not seem like a lot to many of you but I rarely spend over $20 on any type of clothing EVER. As a poor student, this buy has burnt a small hole in my wallet but I love it! It fits like a glove and the spiked detailing with floral print makes me drool. I Love love love it and will probably be wearing this often in the Spring!

For cosmetics, I picked up this elf palette in the makeup section of Winners. I thought elf cosmetics were only in the States but it looks like Canada has them too! The best thing is that this 100 piece eyeshadow palette only cost me $13! I almost cried with excitement...they even had a Smashbox palette for only $25!!! That's unheard of! Affordability is great but again, as a student I didn't have the money to buy both palettes and ended up only getting the elf one. Still amazing! I am extremely happy! 

Wahhhh all them colors!!! *drool*

I can't wait to play around with different looks using this palette!

Resha is the kind of girl you can shop with and end up spending your life savings since she doesn't tell you to stop and and since both her and I are impulsive buyers. Ahh well, I may have spent well over $50 that day but I really enjoyed her company! If you're reading this girl we need to do that again sometime!

Look out for full reviews of the makeup products in the future!

Thanks for reading and ciao for now~!