Review: Nars Eyeshaddow Duo in Bellissima

I have always had my eye on the Nars eyeshaddow duos and I was so pleased when received the a Nars duo in Bellissima as a gift from a friend. The colours are a beautiful shimmery bright white and a matte taupe.  The bright white transfers onto the eyes very sheerly and is not overly pigmented which is nice. It is the perfect shade for under the brow bone or in the inner corner. The matte taupe has almost a purple hue which is really pretty on the eyes. The taupe is well pigmented and looks really nice blended into the outer corners of the eyes with the bright shimmery white in the inner corner. I am really pleased that the made the taupe matte because it balances out the shimmer of the white very nicely. It would have been too much of both colours were shimmery. The packaging of the shadows is so sleek! It looks so nice in my makeup bag. But then again, I expect no less from Nars!

Review: Essence Superfine Eyeliner Pen

A while back I purchased the Revlon Colourstay eyeliner pen. This was when pen eyeliners were just being introduced into the drugstore market. I loved the concept although I absolutely hated the Revlon eyeliner pen. The colour on the eyes was a really unflattering washed out grey and it did not stay put in the least. Although since then eyeliner pens have come  long way and I have been hearing so many good reviews, but I was hesitant to purchase another one after wasting my money on the Revlon eyeliner pen. But this Essence eyeliner pen caught my eye, mainly because of the incredibly low price tag of $3.99. I swatched it on my hand and the tip seemed very precise and the product was a very intense black. So I figured with a price of $3.99 I didn't have much to loose so I decided to try it out and I am so glad I did! This eyeliner pen is amazing! It is by far the easiest application method and the line it creates is super black and precise and it stays put all day! If you have trouble with applying liquid liner I especially recommend this eyeliner because it is so easy to use. I highly recommend trying this eyeliner out and for $3.99 you can't go wrong!

Review: Benefit POREfessional

After hearing numerous raving reviews I decided to finally try out the Benefit POREfessional primer and I am so glad I did! It completely lives up to its expectations! You smooth this products on to you T-zone and it minimizes pores and controls shine. I like a matte complexion and I have trouble with shine and this worked perfectly. The consistency of the primer really silky and smooth and when applied to the skin it is transparent (but it comes out of the tube with a slightly peachy hue) and it instantly smooths and makes my skim feel soft and silky. While this doesn't  control the oil on my face all day (I still have to touch up with power mid-day) it does a very good job and it is the best primer that I have tried that works to control shine The only downside is the high price tag of around $30 (depending on what store you go to) although If you have oily skin and want to minimize pores and have silky skin I definitely recommend indulging and purchasing this product! 

Whats in my Bag?

Hey everyone! I love seeing "whats in my bag" posts so I thought I would do one myself. The bag I am currently using is a leather cross-body bag from Coach and it is called the Legacy Penny Shoulder Purse (more info here). I really love it because it goes with everything and even though it is small it is really compact and fits everything!

Keys, Phone, and Cards

 BareMinerals Mini Kabuki brush

 Bourjois pressed powder

Bosica Oil Blotting sheets (love these!)

Benefit Posie Tint

Mint and Cherry Chapstick

Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfume

Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer in Orange Sapphire

L'Occitaine Shea Butter Hand Cream 

Dentyne Ice Gum

Listerine Breath Strips

Review: Crest 3D Whitestrips with Advance Seal

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Hey everyone! Today I have a review on the Crest 3D Whitestrips with Advance Seal! I was still on the hunt for an affordable way to whiten my teeth after I was still not satisfied with the results from the Glo whitening treatment (my review here). I had read tons of great reviews on Makeup Alley and I asked my dentist about the safest, most effective, and affordable way to whiten my teeth and she recommend Crest Whitestrips. There are five different levels of whitening power to chose from. The package I purchased was level five which it the most powerful (and expensive) level of whitening that the Crest strips offer. The product comes with 7 packages  which contain a top and bottom strip. You wear one package of strips for two hours for seven consecutive days. 

As for initial my reaction to the product, I didn't find the usage of this product as convenient as I thought it would be. Even with the  "advance seal technology" I still found the strip to slide around a bit and I could taste the whitening product which was very uncomfortable and I am sure it cant be very good for you. Additionally you had to have the strip on for two hours which is quite a long time. You can leave the house, it is difficult to talk with the strips in, and I really wouldn't recommend drinking water with the strips in like advertisement says you can. Although I put up with the inconvienice in hopes of seeing significant results.

Some of the reviews  had said that this product gave then temporary teeth sensitivity. As someone who has never had problems with sensitivity before I was not really expecting to experience the same problem although after two treatment I was experiencing bad sensitivity! It was very uncomfortable. So I went out to the store an purchased sensitivity toothpaste which made a significant improvement. The disclaimer on the product warned that with the stronger the whitening power the more chance of sensitivity. So I recommend anyone who plans on starting this treatment to switch to a sensitivity toothpaste. About 4 days into the treatment my gums got really sore and the strips began to really burn towards the end of the two hour treatment. I looked online and it turns out this is not uncommon. The package said if irritation progresses to give your teeth a few days break so I decided to stop using the treatment for a few days to let my gums recover and after that I finished the treatment.

Despite the unpleasant process I was really happy with the results, my teeth were significantly whiter. If you really want to whiten your teeth affordably and are willing to go through this process  then this is the product for you. If you have any other questions about this product and my experience with it just let me know!



Clinique Even Better Concealer

I am a big fan of Clinique's face makeup. It always looks so natural and has a great amount of coverage. I also find that the shades of Cliniques face makeup are really good. They are natural looking (without any weird orange undertones) and they also have shades that are really great for cancelling out redness which is what I have issues with.  I was excited to hear they were coming out with a pot concealer (which is one of my favourite formulations). The concealer is said to be infused with Vitamin C which helps to cover dark spots and discolouration and creates an overall brighter and even complexion. The concealer has SPF 15 and is available in 12 shades. 

Clinique Even Better Concealer
Shade: Bisque
$23.50

Unfortunately I was really disappointed with this concealer. It looked a little bit cakey and looked terrible under the eyes. Its lasting power was pretty good but it didn't give a very nice finish on the skin. I am usually a big fan of Clinique products but this was a letdown. It wasn't absolutely horrible and I will try and use it up but $23.50 is pretty pricey and there are much better concealers out there. 

Mac Eyeshadow Haul

Hello everyone! I have been needing a few nice crease colours so I though I would pick up the shades Mulch and Tempting from Mac. I love the consistency of Mac eyeshadows and they have such nice shades!

Tempting

 Tempting

Mulch

Mulch

Left: Mulch          Right: Tempting