January Favourites

This months favorites are short and sweet. If you read my blog these should come to no surprise, if you don’t well prepare to be surprised!

Urban Decay Naked Pallet

I think with all the hype surrounding the Naked 3 pallet I’ve come to realize I absolutely love my original Naked pallet. Not only does it contain a vast selection of beautiful shades it can create any look you want. From the skanky smoky eye to the angelic barely there this pallet has it for you. Each and every color is super pigmented and blends effortlessly too!

Blistex Lip Medex

Its like a breath mint for you lips! If you love that cooling sensation you will love this. It’s like Soft Lips but 100 times more amazing. I must say I always have one of these kicking in my purse around the winter.

Revlon Balm Stain in Romantic

I am feeling romantic about this!

I am well aware how weird that sounds but back to the topic on hand Revlon’s Lip Stain…Its sheer, moisturizing, minty and lasts forever. It can also be built up to a really intense color too! I have been absolutely adoring this lip product this month, I can’t recommend it enough.

MAC’s blush in Springsheen

Pigmented, slightly shimmery, super blendable and lasts forever this blush has it all. I’m not sure how this blush escaped by ‘blush week’ series of posts but it some how slipped away. While searching through my collection earlier this month I stumbled across this one and wore it for 3 weeks straight. While I have a selection of coral blush’s this one might just be my favorites. Sorry NARS Orgasm!

Yup, told you it was going to be short and sweet.

But good things come in small packages or blog posts. 

Someone needs to make a phrase, small blog, big ideas?

Small post, big impact...

Lets just say I'm going to keep working at this!

Hope you are all having an amazing week, and a huge thank you for stopping by! 

French Skincare Must Haves

I have dry sensitive skin and all I can tell you is that French skincare works incredibly well for my skin. This could be because European skincare regulations are stricter then there North American counter parts. Maybe it’s because a lot of them are botanical based (like NUXE and Clarins)? Whatever the reason my skin loves it!

So I thought I would pull some of my all time favorite French skincare products in hopes they might be miracle products to you too.

Avene Cold Cream

This thick cream works perfectly as a treatment for my eczema or any dry skin areas I have. I can’t even being to explain how much of a miracle worker this has been for me. Not only does it helps me moisturize dry areas it also helps calm irritated skin instantly. When people don’t believe I have eczema I have this product to thank.

Avene Thermal Water

Yes, this is a bit of a diva product, but it comes in so handy. The fine aerosol mist works amazingly to give a glow, moisturize skin, remove masks, set makeup, tone skin and the list goes on and on. What separates this mist from the others its instant ability to sooth the skin. Its also great on sunburns and even safe to use on damaged skin.

Bioderma

Yes, if you have been reading my blog now for a while you will know I have eczema that runs through my forehead and even my left eye lid at times. Most makeup removers irritate this area and the ones that don’t take off my makeup. So when I found out Bioderma felt like water but removed makeup effectively I was all over it. 4 years later and never going a day without I am a huge fan, to say the least. Bioderma has a huge cult following and I have to say it 100 percent lives up to the hype. It’s literally magical water that removes your makeup as far as I’m concerned. 

For you Canadian readers, Shoppers usually has bundle packs of these that are a great value.

Clarins Blue Orchid Oil

I’m sorry ladies I have a tendency to talk about this every other week. So I will keep this short and sweet. Clarins oils help rebalance your skin and they really work. I find my skin sometimes lacks luminosity this helps me get it back instantly. It’s the kind of product that people ask you  “Have you been doing something new”. They have one for every skin type so ladies with oily skin do not fear.

NUXE Reve De Miel

Yes, I blog about this every week too. One of my favorite discoveries of last year Reve De Meil! I wear put this on before bed every night. I have yet to met a lip balm that rivals this one in terms of hydration and texture. If you don’t like greasy balms you will love this.

In addition it’s also great for men too!

The French excel in the skincare area in my humble opinion. If you are some one who has similar skin to me I’m sure you will agree. If you don’t each one of these brands makes huge skincare ranges for every skin concern, ever.

Well ladies that is all for today, I hope you are having a good start to the week. 

I would love to hear what some of your French skincare favorites are in the comment section below. 

Thanks for visiting,

Tanya

Take a Peek: Mom’s Makeup Bag

I love looking through people’s makeup bags. I don’t know about you but I love seeing what people decide to tote around with them. So I thought what better makeup bag to share then my Moms! So keep reading if you want to know what her essentials are. 

Brush

While I keep my hair flowing and often knotted my mom on the other hand likes to keep a portable brush in her purse at all times. This way her hair is “smooth” and you can also 
“tease it” too.

 Dior Lip Glow

My mom goes through these like no ones business! She is gravitated to the balm like texture but also loves that it gives a little color too. I’m sure everyone who loves these has to agree they are amazing.

Mini Disposable Tooth Brush

“Sticky breath is gross and offensive. I like to carry these around because there better then mints and the closest thing to brushing your teeth you can get”.

Chanel Concealer

My mom has been loyal to this concealer for a little over a year now. What she likes about it is the olive undertone blends effortlessly into the skin.

Lip Stick

“I like this Shiseido one because it’s enough color to go with every look, but still looks very much like a lip stick”

L’occitane Hand Cream

Something I always have with me too. We both came to the consensus that these not only smell nice, work wonderfully, but small enough to fit in even the smallest purses.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Coco Mademoiselle actually reminds me of my mom so when she whipped out this bad boy it was no surprise. This travel friendly tube is not only light but also doesn’t leak in your purse.

Eyeliners

Surprisingly my mom carries two eye liners with her one of them is the NARS eyeliner in the blackest color while the other one is a smokey green Bourjois Kohl Eyliner. Why both you ask “one gives a little color while the other is good at defining your eye”

Note to self: get grey green eyeliner

Note to Mom: big thanks letting me snoop around your makeup bag.

Leave a comment on what some of your essentials are in the comment section below.

Cozy Weekend Scents

It’s the middle of winter; you’re at home relaxing, maybe in your pajamas drinking a tea and re watching Game of Thrones. I don’t know? All I’m trying to say is there are places to smell like a ‘lady of the evening’, there are places to smell like a sugar cookie but on a day like today I just want to smell cozy. So girls put that bottle of Brittany Spears down and read my favorite perfume’s to relax with.

Philosophy Inner Grace

Inner Grace smells like lavender, clean bed sheets and white musk. There’s something instantly warm and soothing about this fragrance. If Baby Bed Time Bath had an older perfume mother this would be her. The first thing you will notice about this is the high alcohol content followed by a mellow lavender scent. Don’t be alarmed the boozey undertone goes away in a few seconds. After that you enter the white musk roller coaster, except it’s not like a heart pounding roller coaster it’s laid back kiddy ride. In the back seat there’s Baby bedtime bath saying “hey”.

At this point this explanation is getting too weird so I will leave you this it smells like a relaxing weekend in bed.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her

For Her is a your skin but better scent. It’s classy, subtle, charming without being overdone. This perfume features notes of white musk and white floral’s. While Inner Grace is something you would wear to relax in bed with, Her is deferent. The kind of women who would wear this would own 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, burn Dyptique candles and only wear the best cashmere pajamas. While I don’t own any of the three this perfume makes me feel like I could.

While during the week I love wearing sweet or sometimes spicy fragrances, it’s nice to switch it up during the weekends. Now the only thing missing is the fancy bed sheets, expensive candles and a pair of luxury pajamas. Oh yeah and a bottle of baby bed time bath saying “hey”.

4 makeup products I love under $4!

 I love getting a good deal! So when I find something that works well and it’s inexpensive I use it for years and years to come. Some of these are old time favourites that I’ve been using for years others are recent discoveries over the previous year.

So keep reading if you want to know 4-makeup product’s I love under $4.

Essence Extreme Crazy Volume

Best mascara I’ve hands down tried EVER.

This mascara a discovery I made last year, since my first tube I’ve been genuinely happy with the quality and performance of this product. It a nice black formula that makes lashes appear long and voluminous, but without looking spidery or weird. The tube doesn’t dry out overnight and the slim wand makes it easy to apply. I love this stuff and I highly recommend it!

$3.99 Shoppers Drug Mart

the thin miracle wand!

ELF Professional Studio Eye Brow Kit

Another discovery made last year!

This kit comes with a medium brown powder and a darker wax shade. I like using this by mixing the two colors together. I often fill in my arch a bit darker then the rest of my brows; I find it looks more natural. Both products don’t smudge or fade thought the day like previous brow products I’ve tried. This is definitely one of the best brow products I’ve tried. If you see one of these you should definitely give it a go.

$3.00 Target

Maybelline Great Lash in Clear

I have been using this to set my eyebrows for years. It has a way of taming my brows but without making them look too stiff or too crunchy. Even on days where I don’t wear makeup I always grab my Great Lash to tame my crazy brows.  This is one of those products that I will continue to purchase for years to come.

$3.99 Amazon.com

Wet and Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking on Eggshells

Solid little pallet because each and every color performs brilliantly! My favorite from the three is the brown color but each shade is beautiful in it’s own right. The packing is light and small which makes this a perfect little pallet for traveling. My only dilemma about this is it makes me want to try more of the Color Icon’s.

$2.99 Wal-Mart

Well those are my top four under four dollar products. I would love to know what your favorites are so feel free to leave me a comment below. 

Thanks for reading,

Tanya

I love minty lip products!

Minty lips products are a love or a hate. There something about the cool tingly sensation that just puts a smile on my face. So weird, right? But I know there are more then one of you that has to agree. So keep reading if you want to know what some of my favorites are to get my tingle on.

Yes, I am well aware on how weird that sounded too.

 Blistex Lip Medex

I can’t even tell you how many of these I’ve used over the past few years, but I’m thinking we are in the double digits. Bottom line is it helps relieve chapped irritated lips efficiently and the cooling sensation is like no other. It might not have the most luxurious ingredients but I just can’t help my self I like the feeling. If you love super minty lips balms your going to love this one.

Baby Lips Dr Rescue

There are so many mixed reviews about this one. I have this in Berry Soft, which is a pretty sheer glossy berry. I love this color but it also has that really nice minty feeling that I enjoy too. While it’s not tingly as the Lip Medex I like the fact that this adds some color to the lips.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

I have just fallen head over heals for this! I don’t know where to even begin. The sheer red color, the ease of application, the minty tingle… love it! If you like Lip Medex but also love the YSL Sheer Candy Lip Balms, you might want to consider this!

Well there you have it my top three minty lip products!

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what your favorite minty lip products are!

Thanks for reading ladies.

Two Product Mini Haul

Yes ladies I showed some constraint this weekend! I went to the mall for two products and just those two I came out with. At one point I had 3 blushes in my hand and 3 ambient lighting powders but I resisted and got what I needed. This is the kind of haul that makes my mother proud.

Tarte Amazonian Blush In Exposed

I found it very alarming that my name is “Tarte” Tanya but I did not own Exposed blush. Especially since it seems to be the Holy G

  
rail item from their entire makeup collection.  The packaging indicates a bronzy color inside, which isn’t completely accurate. Yes, it’s bronzy but it also has a beautiful pink undertone to it. I’ve only worn this for two days but I think I’m really going to like this one.

Body Shop Shea Body Butter

I have not used body butters in a while. I’m not sure why I ever stopped to be honest? So when I saw the huge tube of Shea on sale for $15.00 I thought it was worth the ticket to memory lane. Plus, with the crazy cold weather we’ve been having in Canada, you can’t go wrong with some body butter.

Well that’s it!

Told you it was a small haul. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you have bought over the weekend!

Thanks for reading and hope you all have a great week!!

Revlon Balm Stain and Lacquer Balm

After many trips to the drug store I could not find these in stock (and non opened) anywhere. It wasn’t until a spontaneous trip to the grocery store last week that I was able to find a display that was fully stocked and marketed down to 5.98 a tube. So I quickly picked up two and on I went. 

So confession… I had every intention to review both Lacquer Balm and Matte Balm, but I picked up the complete wrong product and got the Balm Stain instead. So here we go!

Lacquer Balm in Vivacious

So I thought this was going to be a sheer glossy product, so when I looked in the mirror and saw bright fuchsia I was shocked to say they least. Shocked in a very 
good way!

Vivacious is a pigmented bright pink with reddish undertones. The pigmentation in this is fantastic and Vivacious wears beautifully. The biggest shock was how lightweight this feels. This doesn’t feel any thicker then a lip balm and although is shiny it doesn’t feel sticky either. The scent and taste is kind of minty which isn’t strong or overpowering. Overall an excellent product that I think I’ll get great wear out of this summer. Can’t wait to try more!

Kind of regretting not buying another color to be honest.

Vivacious on left Romantic on right

Balm Stain in Romantic

This was a complete mistake so when I tried it on I was like its not matte it’s a sheer stain, yessss!

I am such a sucker for sheer red lip colors, like you have no idea! So while the lacquer was beautiful, balm stains are more up my alley. The minty tingle, the ease of application, the ‘I just ate a cherry Popsicle’ sort of look …amazing! To be honest I have worn this everyday since I’ve purchased it.  And will continue to wear it day to day into the foreseeable future. The Balm stains are not new but I’m happy I grabbed the wrong thing. 

Overall Revlon’s Balm’s have completely surprised me. The ease of application and the quality of these defiantly lives up to all the hype. My only predicament now is which color and finish to try next!

Skincare Basics

I’m not here to cause controversy, or any sort of makeup scandal but these are the skin care pieces you actually need. While some of us skincare veterans boast skin treatments for every skin condition this post is for the girl who is new to the whole skin care game. So lets not scare her, instead lets welcome her with 3 easy to use products!

Plus us veterans have lazy days too, right?

Cleanser

I am one of those people that make my friends all wash there faces before bed. Yes they hate me but when they wake up looking fresh, I like to think they thank me for it. Over any other skincare product you need a cleanser. Not only does it feel nice, but also it removes makeup and any kind of grime built up during the day.

Personally I like cleansers that I can use on my eyes, that leave my skin moisturized and most of all clean. Favorites of mine are Philosophy Purity and NUXE Comfort Cleansing Milk.

Moisturizer

Weather your adding moisture, clearing hyper pigmentation or controlling acne there’s a moisturizer for you out there. The thing about moisturizer is you need to know your skin, which can be tricky because it’s always changing. The best advice I could ever give someone is to out moisturizer before you buy it. If your lucky enough to get a sample great, if not try it out on your hand or face in store. I am always reluctant to purchase anything before trying it and you should be too!

In addition also be aware that perfumes, mineral oils and high alcohol contents because they can irritate your skin more then moisturize.

Exfoliate

It basically comes down to this…

Do you want glowy skin? Exfoliating gets rid of all the dead skin cells and shows the beautiful skin underneath. It also helps your makeup go on smoother, your cleanser clean better, your moisturize moisture deeper and 100 other things. No matter what your skin type there’s an exfoliator for you. If you’re not a fan of scrubbing your skin there are chemical exfoliator’s that do the same thing too. I usually exfoliate 3 times a week but what it really comes down to is, I use it when I need too.

Yes, these very three basic products for great skin, but I thought I would do this post for the average girl who is bombarded by skincare. Because I mean we all were that girl at some point!

Treats Before you Sleep

Truth is these are my favorite blog posts to read. So while I’ve done a sleep time routine post I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the extra’s I’ve been enjoying, especially as of late.

Bath and Body Works Sleep Lotion

I have been freaking loving this! The combination of the vanilla with lavender makes it sweet yet spa like. If you like Johnson & Johnson’s bedtime bath baby scent you will like this, because both are very similar. If you don’t like baby lotions to be afraid you will not smell like a baby.

I even like the bottle, it looks cute beside my bed!

NUXE Reve de Miel

I am usually prone to dry cracked lips especially in the winter. I am happy to report that I have not had dried lips since I’ve started using this. This is the last thing I put on before I fall asleep and don’t go a night without it. I know I’ve gone on about this balm for ages now, but it really does live up to the hype. If hate slimy lip balms you might want to consider this one.

Aveda Hand Relief

I use to use a very thick Bert’s Bee’s hand cream before bed. While it did moisturize I didn’t like the fact it left my hands greasy for hours. Like hours upon hours of thick grease, yuck! On the plus side this hand cream is the opposite although the formula is thick is soaks in right away. And the scent is  a spa like escape, which helps you unwind at the end of the day.

TAZO Rest Tea

Lastly something new to my nightly routine is having a cup of tea. If you like roses and sleeping try this tea. I don’t know much about tea’s, but it has something that helps you unwind in it. Oh boy does it ever work! There isn’t a night where I don’t drink this! The scent, the taste … amazing stuff.

 I love hearing what people use before bed, so please feel free to leave me a comment on some of your favorite items, routines or teas!

I have been on a crazy tea kick as of late… random fact but true fact!

Anyways thank you all for reading and hope you are all having a good week.

Tanya

Another Sunday Another Mask

Sundays are my favorite day to indulge in skincare. With the weather being crazy cold my skin has been extra dry as of late. Not to mention the alcohol I consumed last night also didn’t help my dry skin case either. So I thought today would be a great day to do a hydration mask. 

Today’s mask is the Arbonne FC5 Intense Hydration mask. Would I say this mask is Intense … No, but this mask smells nice and leaves my skin looking glowy. The part I really like is the fact that this looks clear on the skin so you can wear it out if you need too. With that being said too I wish this didn’t have alcohol in it, it kind of makes the hydration thing counter productive?

While I enjoy using this and will finish the bottle happily. I would have to say I would not repurchase this in the future. While this hasn’t caused irritation to my skin, I don’t like some of the irritating ingredients inside.  

5 MAC Must Haves

I have not bought any MAC products in a year. What really drove me bananas was the constant flow of limited edition products. Don’t get me wrong I love the collections but I hate that every time I fall in love with a product it leaves me high and dry when its discounted shortly after. It almost makes me feel guilty for using the products I love so much.

This story gets brighter trust me…

So while going through my collection I realized there are a ton of permanent products from MAC that I love! With that in mind this post was born… ladies here are 5 awesome products that are permanent at MAC.

Mineralized Skin Finish Natural

I always avoided powders, because they emphasis dry areas in my skin.  On the other hand I always wanted a powder because they take seconds to buff on with a kabuki brush. So I was in a dilemma to say the least. I’m not sure what lead me to this powder but holy does this ever look beautiful, even on my dry skin. I would describe this powder as light to medium coverage, with a natural finish. Which is great because you can use it as a finishing powder or a quick powder foundation. Since I bought this I have probably gone through 5 of these and will continue to purchase in the future.

Mac Fluid Line in Black Track

I can’t do a cat liner with out this!

This is the blackest, most opaque, non-shiny, non-flakey gel liner ever (well in my opinion). If you love gel eyeliner try out the fluid line it’s definitely worth the hype.

Blush in Springsheen

I have bloggers regret when I didn’t mention this color in my blush week, because it has to be one of my favorites. Springsheen is a beautiful coral with tons of gold shimmer running through it. It’s very similar to orgasm but swings a bit more orange. Basically its one of those colors that instantly brightens up your face … pure magic.

Mac Painterly 

Mac Painterly is a cream base that neutralizes the crazy colours that happen on your eyes. 

I love this as a base because it's increases the longevity of shadows but also looks great worn alone too!

Eye Shadow in Shroom

Last but not least Shroom! Shroom is my most used eye shadow in my whole collection. I don’t know what better way to say this but this is the only color I have finished three times and continue to use on a regular basis. Shroom has an ability to make your shadow look shimmery yet natural at the same time. It’s the kind of eye shadow that looks convincingly natural, but shimmery.

Yes, that made no sense unless you’ve tried it!

Don’t let the weekly limited editions ruin your MAC experiences there are some solid products in between. My collection has been lacking permanent MAC lipsticks so I would love to know what your favorites are!

As always thanks for reading!

Tanya

Winter Blues and Pale Hues

The holiday season is officially over. While a part of me loves golden eye shadows and crimson lipsticks nothing looks more fresh then cool and pale toned products. So I thought I would share with you some of my favourite fresh makeup picks for this cold winter season.

Try a pale pink gloss!

I love red lipsticks and do continue to use them no matter what the season, but there’s something to be said about a pale pink gloss. MAC’s Oyster Girl and Chanel’s Bonbon have to be some of my favorites to achieve this pale pink icy look.

I guess that’s what I like about it … it looks icy, but in a sexy way!

Charcoal Grey Mascara

Grey mascara is a nice switch to the normal black. In fact playing around with the YSL Shocking mascara has really made me like the softer color. While it still adds definition it looks more natural against my pale skin. It’s been years since I’ve owned a non black mascara but it’s actually something I would like to keep in my collection at all times.

Shimmery Pinks

Yes, you can wear icy blue color eye shadows but in all honesty that’s not my scene. So instead I’ve opted for MAC’s Jest. Jest is a frosty light-medium color that borders between a champagne tone and a pink tone. This shadow is smooth and richly pigmented and great for one-color eye shadow looks. While champagne color really pops on my skin the pink tones really bring out my blue eyes.

Sub-zero Blue Polish

Readers for the past 4 months I’ve been wearing darker polish’s and I’ve honestly been missing pastels. So on a whim I grabbed this polish and I to my surprise it really works with winter!

Does anyone else match nail polish to the current weather conditions?

 Or is this just me?

Rock the Boat is a pale icy blue with silver mirco-shimmers that honestly looks blue icicles. I have been loving this color and highly recommend you try a pale blue this season.

Whatever the season I always like keeping my makeup simple, natural and quick. But after months of wearing bold colors and golden toned shadows I always find it refreshing to switch to something completely different. So shop your makeup collection and switch things up this winter.

Faking Radiant Glowy Skin

She is twirling outside while large beautiful snowflakes touch her dewy cheeks. She looks cute and luminous and perfect for a scenic snowy day. Mean while in normal girl land, it’s more like a wintery mess.

 I have to admit it I am not a snow angel. Between my eczema breakouts and constant dry skin I don’t glow in the cold, I crack. But ladies and gentleman don’t let that put a stop to your wind there’s help. So get your snow bunny outfits on, these are my 3 cheats to faking glowy skin.

Moisturizing Primer

Primers don’t just prolong your foundation; they can also moisturize and give luminosity to the skin. For those of us who are not blessed with the glow the first step is adding a primer that does. My long time favorite has been the Makeup Forever HD Primer in 0. This is one of those miracle products that hold your foundation together but still gives you that glow. The best part is this product has no shimmer or glitter so it looks very natural/convincing.

Luminous Setting Powder

Ditch your mattifying powder if you want luminous skin. Instead try something with some light reflecting properties. The hardest part is finding a powder that catches light but doesn’t give you a disco ball look. A favorite of mine is the Guerlain Metorites, they give your skin a glow but without any detectable shimmer. I’m telling you this product is magic and essential to bringing out your inner snow goddess.

Make Up Mists

Nothing looks more beautiful then dewy skin and there’s no better way to get it then a facial mist. Not only is this the most natural way to get your glow on but they typically have great skincare benefits too. I’m a huge fan of the Avene thermal waters, which come in big and travel friendly purse sizes. With that being said I’m using my Dermaglow facial mist at the moment. I have to say this spray is more luxurious, but both get the job done.

I know these products help my skin not only retain moisture but also give me an incredible glow. Again there are tons of different variations of all three products and at every price point. So this winter get your dancing boots on and be the snow angel you really are.