I Switched My Fancy Cleanser for Makeup Wipes and This is What Happened

Hello, lovelies!

I adore makeup wipes. I use them frequently to remove makeup and gently cleanse the skin. I began to wonder how my skin would react if I only used makeup remover wipes for a week, and ditched my cleanser.

Background

My skincare routine is fairly complex. I’ve relied on Tatcha’s The Deep Cleanse to ensure that my skin remains clear for ages, so I was apprehensive to take my makeup remover wipes to the test. The makeup remover wipes that I use nightly are from Costco – Kirkland Signature Daily Face Towelettes. With a new batch of wipes in hand, I began the challenge.

The Results

On the first day, my skin felt hydrated owing to the moisture in the wipes, but I didn’t feel like they actually did anything to benefit my skin. By the third day I noticed extra texture around my chin, cheeks and nose but my skin felt soft and radiant. At the end of the week, to my surprise, my breakouts did not increase yet my skin remained smooth. Despite my apprehension, the makeup wipes actually didn’t disrupt my skin!

REVIEW: Huda Beauty New Nude Eyeshadow Palette

Hello, lovelies!

Huda Beauty released a beautiful new eyeshadow palette last month. The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette is the perfect palette to create versatile nude eyeshadow looks with pops of glitter and sparkle. I adore the neutral, yet colourful, combination of shades within this palette and how the shadows can quickly transform my look from day to night!

The Packaging

The packaging of this palette is beautiful and sophisticated. The outside of the palette features a graphic of Huda Kattan’s eyes along with a monochromatic eyeshadow look. I love that the light colours used on the palette – a combination of baby pink, light beige, and peach are reminiscent of the shadows within. The palette bears the ‘Huda Beauty’ logo, features a large mirror and contains 18 shades.

The Eyeshadows

Each eyeshadow is pigmented and blends easily. The palette contains a unique mixture of versatile duo-chrome, matte, glitter, and pressed pigment finishes. I wear these shadows for 10-12 hours without experiencing any fallout. I blend the matte shadows with a brush and apply the duo-chrome and pressed pearl shadows with my finger for maximum colour payoff. The pure glitter shadows apply best with a glitter glue.

The Shades

Huda Beauty’s New Nude Eyeshadow Palette contains 18 shadows:

• Bare – Matte cream
• Crave – Multi-reflective pink champagne
• Play – Matte peach
• Fantasy – Multi-reflective rose
• Love Bite – Matte purple with a pink undertone
• Spanked – Matte cranberry
• Lace – Matte pale pink
• Daydream – Multi-reflective pale pink with silver undertone
• Tickle – Matte salmon
• Excite – Deep red glitter
• Infatuated – Golden copper glitter
• Kinky – Metallic cranberry
• Concealed – Creamy concealer base
• Secret – Matte burnt orange with pink base
• Tease – Matte taupe
• Raw – Matte warm rose
• Charmed – Multi-reflective rose gold
• Teddy – Matte warm caramel

Huda Beauty’s New Nude Eyeshadow Palette is versatile, eye-catching and sophisticated. It offers a combination of shadow finishes to create an array of eye looks. The palette retails for $85 at Sephora.

Inside Erin Angela’s 5-Minute Beauty Routine for Busy Mornings

Hello, lovelies!

We all have mornings where there’s simply no time to complete a full makeup routine. On these types of mornings, I simplify my makeup routine. This simplified routine still feels polished, but takes less than five minutes to complete!

Face

I apply moisturizer every morning, regardless of how rushed I may be. Moisturizer gives my skin a boost of hydration and brightens my complexion. The main moisturizer in my routine is GlamGlow’s WaterBurst Moisturizer – it is lightweight and leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed. I complete my face makeup with a few swipes of concealer. The concealer I love right now is Tarte’s Creaseless Concealer.

Eyes

A simple winged eyeliner does wonders to widen and brighten my eyes. I apply Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner because it is waterproof and lasts all day. I then apply two coats of mascara to lengthen my lashes.

Lips

Lipstick is a staple in my daily makeup routine. On days when I am wearing minimal makeup, I apply a brightly coloured shade. Two shades that I wear regularly are Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Sarafine, a gorgeous deep red.

REVIEW: Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon

Hello, lovelies!

I adore Bite Beauty. I recently bought a Matte Creme Lip Crayon from Sephora and instantly enjoyed the lightweight, creamy formula that differs from the drying matte lipsticks I usually wear. Bite Beauty’s Matte Creme Lip Crayon is a unique product that unites the best aspects of matte and creamy lipstick!

The Packaging

The lip crayon comes in a sleek, matte black tube with the Bite Beauty logo embossed on it. It is lightweight and portable. The crayon itself has a precision tip for easy application. The crayon twists upward when the bottom of the tube is twisted, but it is not self-sharpening.

The Lip Crayon

I love the creamy texture of the lip crayon! It glides onto the lips and is highly pigmented. The lip crayon feels weightless when applied to the lips, and dries down to a demi-matte finish. I adore that this product doesn’t fade or feather with extended wear. When I wear this lip crayon with a matching lip liner shade, the longevity of the colour increases.

The Formula 

The formula is nourishing and creamy. The texture feels lightweight and comfortable. As with other Bite Beauty products, this lip crayon is formulated without parabens or sulfates. The lip crayon is water-resistant and feels smooth and hydrating on the lips.

The Shades

Bite Beauty’s Matte Creme Lip Crayon is available in an array of 23 shades:

• Blanc – Stark white
• Cava – Lilac beige
• Amaretto – Peachy nude
• Leche – Dusty pale pink
• Glace – Dusty mauve
• Tatin – Pink rose
• Pink Lady – Bright pink
• Frambroise – Vibrant rasberry-red
• Blood Orange – Intense red with orange undertones
• Peche – Warm peach
• Sucre – Warm pink
• Rose Hip – Vibrant red with blue undertones
• Fraise – Jewel red
• Red Velvet – Rich, deep red
• Brandy – Muted raspberry
• Pastille – Dusty mauve
• Aubergine – Eggplant purple
• Truffle – Deep brown
• Cognac – Chocolate brown
• Liquorice – Oxblood
• Black Truffle – Blackened violet
• Molasses – Rich toffee
• Sugarcane – Pale pink

Bite Beauty’s Matte Creme Lip Crayon is a great product if you like a creamier lipstick formula. It is lightweight and feels delightful on the lips. Though it is not long-wearing, the formula is one that I favour when I’m looking for a lightweight, creamier product! Bite Beauty’s Matte Creme Lip Crayon retails for $28 at Sephora

3 Tips You Need to Know If You Wear Eye Makeup

Hello, lovelies!

Eye makeup can be tricky. Whether you’re a seasoned pro when it comes to winged eyeliner, or you’ve never applied eyeshadow before, there are always new tips you can learn to enhance your eye makeup. Here are three key tips you must know if you wear eye makeup!

Instantly add volume to your eyelashes

Apply mascara from the roots of your lashes and gently wiggle the wand toward the tips. This will instantly add volume to your lashes without weighing them down or resulting in clumped mascara.

Balance your eye makeup with your lipstick

If you are planning to wear bold eyeshadow, opt for a subtle lipstick shade and vice versa. It is always best to emphasize one feature at a time. My favourite combination is a red lip paired with nude eyeshadow shades.

Add height to the arches of your eyebrow

Blend highlighter directly underneath the brow bone to add height and definition to the area. This will also brighten your eyes.

3 Face Masks I Use Weekly to Achieve Clear Skin

Hello, lovelies!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that my skin is constantly changing and so is my skincare routine. I love rotating the face masks that I use based on the season and select masks in the winter that will hydrate and clear my complexion. These are the three masks that I apply weekly to maintain clear skin!

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

I am a devoted fan of Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask but never tried the brand’s Water Sleeping Mask until receiving a sample at Sephora. After a single use, I fell in love with the mask. While this mask didn’t directly reduce my breakouts it adds an extra punch of moisture into my skin to leave it feeling soft, plump, and hydrated. I apply this mask every Sunday to give my skin a boost of hydration and even out any texture.

Olehenriksen Cold Plunge Pore Mask 

This detoxifying and cooling mask from Olehenriksen not only has a fun mint-green appearance, but it also clears my acne-prone skin. With each use, the mask works to minimize the appearance of blemishes on the surface of my skin. I typically experience oiliness throughout my t-zone, and this mask works wonders to reduce excess oil!

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask

Clinique’s  Moisture Surge Overnight Mask  is oil-free and has a creamy texture to retain moisture in the skin. I use this mask overnight to give my skin a more hydrated, dewy appearance. This mask works to restore and rebalance the moisture barrier in my skin and gently exfoliates any dryness while I sleep!

REVIEW: Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette

Hello, lovelies!

Anastasia Beverly Hills released another eyeshadow palette as a part of the brand’s 2018 holiday collection. When I first saw the colour story within this palette, I was instantly drawn to it. Unlike other palettes from the brand, this one has the most unique selection of shimmer shades, which was a key selling point for me. This is a completely cool-toned palette and ideal for creating winter-ready eyeshadow looks!

The Packaging 

Out of every Anastasia Beverly Hills palette, this one has the most beautiful packaging. The palette comes in the brand’s standard 14-pan cardboard package. Inside the palette is a dual-ended brush and the eyeshadows. This palette’s beauty comes from the gorgeous sparkly rose-gold packaging.

The Shadows 

What drew me to this palette is the cool-toned shadow selection. I love that this combination of colours is perfect for the holidays or winter in general! The matte shadows are soft and buttery. They apply easily to the eyelid and have no fallout or patchiness. Each of the shimmer shadows are pigmented, bright and smooth. I’ve applied the shimmer shadows with both a brush and my fingertips and noticed no difference in pigmentation between the two methods.

The Shades 

This palette contains a variety of smoky, bright, and glittery shades:

• Fresh – Matte ivory
• Pearl – Metallic pearl-white with a soft pink undertone
• Steampunk – Metallic bronze with topaz flecks
• Rose Quartz – Metallic soft peach with a pink shift
• Ember – Metallic bronzed khaki
• Bloom – Matte coral-pink
• Birch – Matte mid-tone yellow taupe
• Cinder – Metallic cool-tone beige taupe with gold flecks
• Twig – Matte cool-toned taupe
• Teak – Metallic golden-brown
• Dystopian – Matte dark brown
• Cyborg – Metallic silver with a violet undertone
• Slate – Matte slate-grey
• Noir – Matte black

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette contains an ideal combination of smoky and sparkly eyeshadow shades that are perfect for the season! I adore the versatility and wear of the shadows. If you are looking for an eyeshadow palette that is wearable for daytime, nighttime or holiday-party looks, I’d definitely recommend this one. Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Palette retails for $59 at Sephora.

3 Tips to Easily Apply Red Lipstick

Hello, lovelies!

Red lipstick is a makeup chameleon. The shade is classic and can transform any modern, edgy, bright, or romantic makeup look. Despite the beauty of red lipstick, it can be a pain to apply thanks to feathering, smudging or streakiness. If you’re planning to rock a red lip this season, here are a few tips you need to know!

Powder the lips to prevent feathering 

This is a unique trick that I rely on when my lip liner is running low. To prevent feathering or bleeding lipstick, apply powder to the lips before applying lip colour. The powder gives the lipstick a base to adhere to which helps the colour stay in place.

Prep your lips first

Red lipstick adheres best to smooth and hydrated lips. Apply a lip scrub to exfoliate, then follow up with a balm to hydrate before selecting your favourite shade of red to ensure maximum colour payoff.

Apply a lip liner that matches your lipstick shade

Red lipstick is not forgiving when it comes to lines or mistakes. If your lipstick bleeds often, apply a lip liner to your pout to prevent lipstick from fading or emphasizing lines or texture.

What are your top tips for wearing red lipstick?

3 Surprising Reasons Why Your Skin is Breaking Out

Hello, lovelies!

We all know the importance of maintaining a skincare routine, but what happens when your skin still breaks out despite the care you give it? For all of you who suffer from acne and blemishes, I empathize with you because I continue to experience regular breakouts! Before you toss your beloved skincare products, check in with yourself! The causes of your breakouts may not be what you imagined. Here are four surprising reasons why your skin continues to breakout:

You don’t change your pillowcase regularly

Just like your cell phone, your pillowcase can contain bacteria that causes breakouts. Even if you wash your face every night before bed, the natural oils from your hair and skin can accumulate on your pillowcase. Once they build up over time, they lead to breakouts. Pillowcases should be changed or washed weekly to keep them clean.

You skip moisturizing 

It took me a long time to realize that moisturizer is actually good for my acne-prone skin. It is easy to assume that too much oil causes breakouts, but this actually is not true. Excessively cleansing the skin removes natural oils, causing rebound dryness that can further irritate acne. Applying moisturizer reintroduces natural oil back into the skin and balances it.

You never clean your makeup brushes

When was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? It is important to clean all your beauty tools at least once a week to prevent makeup, oil, and bacteria from causing breakouts. If you don’t have a fancy makeup brush cleaner, a small amount of water and soap will do the trick!

REVIEW: Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

Hello, lovelies!

I love trying new products to hydrate my skin during the winter months. I recently bought a travel-sized jar of Laneige’s Water Sleeping Mask and immediately incorporated it into my weekly skincare routine. I’ve loved every Laneige product I’ve tried, and this unique mask is no exception!

The Packaging 

The first word that comes to mind when I view the packaging is calming. The mask comes in a rounded jar that is a gorgeous pale blue. The jar bears the Laneige logo and is lightweight and travel-friendly. I love that it is lightweight and can be easily carried in a purse.

The Mask 

The mask is lightweight and hydrating. It feels cooling when applied to the skin and does not dry down completely. It smells faintly of fresh flowers, owing to the orange flower, rose and sandalwood that the mask is infused with. After wearing the mask overnight, my skin feels supple, smooth and hydrated. A small amount of the mask goes a long way, and you only need to apply a few dabs to the skin to achieve the full effect of the mask.

How to use it

I apply this mask 2-3 times per week. I apply it evenly to my face and leave it on overnight. I then rinse the remaining residue the next morning and apply a moisturizer to lock-in hydration from the mask. It absorbs into the skin without feeling sticky.

Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask is a unique product to add to your skincare routine. It is hydrating, easy to use, and lightweight. The mask leaves my skin soft and plump after each use. Laneige’s Water Sleeping Mask retails for $33 at Sephora.