A Christmassy Sunday

Is it just me or do the colors of Christmas inspire you? So while decorating the Christmas tree I got inspired to share with you some of my all time Christmas inspired make up favourites.

  

Red Lip

December comes and I can’t wait to start rocking a red lip. In my opinion Chanel do fantastic red lipsticks, because they literally have one in every shade and finish. My favorite is Gabrielle, which is a matte classic true red color. For the days that I don’t feel like a rocking a full on lipstick color I like to use the YSL Sheer Candy in 6 Luscious Cherry.

Golden Eye shadows

During the weeks leading up to Christmas things start to get crazy busy. So I always try to use products that give the illusion of this ‘took me forever to do’. Golden eye shadows have a way of brightening up my eyes while still adding glamour to the area as well. One of my favorites is the gold color in the NARS Alhambra duo.

Chanel Coco

Last but not least Chanel Coco. With notes of mandarin, clove and vanilla this smells like Christmas in a bottle. Chanel Coco has been my go to Christmas scent for years because not only does it smell like Christmas, it also smells sexy yet elegant. If you love warm spicy scents you might have to check this one out.

Well I hope all of you are having a great Sunday evening.

Let me know what are some of your Christmassy makeup items in the comment section or if you gravitate toward a certain look during this time of year?

Thank you all for stopping by,

Tanya

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish a Review!

I love nail polish so when I saw Revlon had new perfume inspired polishes that were in vintage looking bottles I was sold.

Anyone else?

I picked up three colors from this collection so keep reading if you want to hear my thoughts.

Bordeaux

This color is a gorgeous dark raspberry color that applies to opaque in just two thin coats. The scent of this polish lasts on me for a couple of hours and smells like black wine gums. Yummy!

Espresso

This is a black color that applies to full color in almost one coat. This has to be one of the best black nail polishes I’ve tried because the formula applies evenly and without streaks. As for the smell…it starts of by smelling perfumery and ends up smells a kind of weird. Kind of like coffee breathe to be honest. With that being said it luckily only lasts a couple of hours.

Italian Leather

This is a dark green color with specks of gold, its absolutely beautiful! This doesn’t smell like leather but more like a lovely perfume.

All three colors applied easily in two coats and here’s the best part … last for four days.

YUP, FOUR DAYS NO CHIPS.

While some of the scents might be a little doggy these have to be some of the best wearing nail polishes in my collection. For fewer than 10 dollars a bottle they’re well worth every penny. 

I picked up my polishes at Shoppers Drug Mart for $8.99.

Let me know if you’ve tried these and have any color recommendations in the comments section.

Thanks for reading and hope you are all having an amazing weekend.

Tanya

REN Skincare Overview

I have to admit I am a skincare nerd. So when I saw REN products popping up blog after blog, it was something that went on my radar.  While on a shopping trip a few months back I bought a REN trial size set from Sephora. So over the past month I’ve been testing it out and I thought I would share with you my experiences.

Glycol Lactic Renewal Mask

I love this mask! It smells great, leaves my skin looking amazing and most importantly doesn’t irritate my skin. This product has a lot of hype online and I truly think it’s worth it.

Both this and Glam Glo are radiance boosting masks and for my skin type (which is sensitive dry) I hands down prefer this. 

Bio Retinod Anti Aging Concentrate

Usually retinols and retinods irritate my skin like crazy. I am happy to report that this luxurious serum does not. This has the feel of thick oil so it’s very moisturizing but it absorbs instantly. I can truly it’s something I look forward to using each day.

Mirco Polish Cleanser

Again another great product! This leaves my skin smoother then any other scrub I’ve ever used. I credit that to the physical and chemical exfoliation this product gives. It also smells like fresh peaches…

Hydra Calm Global Protection Day Cream

While I probably won’t go out and repurchase this right away this it’s defiantly something I have enjoyed using. This day cream is both soothing as well as hydrating. If you fall into the dry skin category I think you would really see benefit from using this. However, this cream might be a little too emollient for those with oily skin.

Purity 1 Cleansing Blam

This product was a freebie with the kit and to be honest I don’t like cleansing balms. I think I’m just so use to products that lather that it feels weird washing my skin with something different.

BIO Lipovector Soothing Eye Cream

This was not included in the kit but having good luck with the concentrate I thought I would purchase this. 

So typically anti aging eye creams burn my eyes and break me out in millia. So I’m always on the search for something anti aging but delicate. This eye cream works by hydrating and replenishing the area as opposite to increasing cellular turn over. Granted I don’t have deep wrinkles around my eye are, but I would say this has definite firming qualities. If you react poorly to anti aging eye creams I definitely think you should try it out. Also for all you ladies with sensitive postmenopausal skin, I think this product is genus for you!

Overall I think the mini kit was an excellent way to try out some of REN’s best selling products. The eye cream was exactly what I was looking for and have been thoroughly enjoying that too!

Feel free to leave a comment I would love to know if you’ve tried anything from REN!

Thanks for reading lovelies!

Tanya

What’s in my purse? Kate Spade Edition

A couple of weeks ago I got a new purse. I’m not one to buy purses on a whim but when I saw this little Kate Spade purse I fell in love.

While I carry a lap top bag to work I like the idea of having a mini purse that I tag along with me too.

So I have to warn you there is literally not an interesting thing in my purse. With that being said I seeing what people have in their purse, so keep reading if you’re interested.

Orbit Sweet Mint Gum

This gum is hands’ down my favorite gum ever. In case the name didn’t give it away it’s a sweeter then your average mint gum flavor. The only problem with this gum is you can’t get it in Canada.

Makers of orbit I hope you are reading this!

My makeup Bag

YUP! I am able to fit this in my tiny bag with no problem at all. Things in my makeup bag have honestly not changed since my last what’s in my makeup bag. If your curious about what’s my makeup bag here’s the link to that post.

whats in my makeup bag!

Quilted Coin Purse

I got this change carrier at a Marc Jacobs store YEARS ago in Vegas. At that time they has these on promotion for around 10 dollars! Actually, they lots of things at a lower price point from a Jacobs by Marc by Marc Jacobs line… I have not seen anything from this mini collection since. But with all of that being said for a 10-dollar coin purse this has lasted me forever. Although I have to admit

Vespa Credit Card Holder

This little cardholder drew me right away by the color, when I checked the price it was only 3 dollars. So I thought why the heck not? I got this at Winners and they had plenty and they were in the men’s department… just a quick shout out to all my Canadian readers!

Silver thing peeking out of the bag… A classic Ipod!

Yup, it should actually be called more like vintage at this point. This has all my favorite music on this so I don’t dare leave the house without this.

While I have this with me everywhere I go, lets just say its seen better days. And for that reason it didn’t look cute in my picture.

Well sorry to bore you all at this point, but this is everything I carry in my purse.

Except for a tampon I keep in the back pocket… that I think is pretty standard.

Let me know what you keep in my purse in the comment section.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are all having an amazing week.

Tanya

Sunday DIY Manicure

There’s just something about lounging in bed while watching your favorite movie and painting your nails. It has to be one of my favorite things to do and its something I try to fit in every Sunday. Personally I love doing my nails, I find it relaxing and even quite therapeutic.

No Tanya those are just the nail fumes getting to you!

So I thought I would share with you my key products to giving yourself a luxurious at home manicure. I like to keep all my products together for easy access so I keep them together in a chocolate box I got last year for Christmas.  

Moisturize

For me my hands are the first place to get dry, so this is my first step to manicure.  I first start with cuticle oil right now I’m using the Arbonne FC5. The FC5 is a great multi-tasking product, which you can even use on your face. If you don’t have a cuticle oil its okay because olive oil or coconut oil works wonderfully too.

My second part of my moisturizing is to apply a good hand cream. In my kit I use the L'occitane hand cream. This is probably one of my favorite hand creams because it’s hydrating, absorbs instantly and doesn’t feel greasy. There are tons of great hand creams out there and at every price point. I would avoid anything with petroleum, mineral oil or alcohol, because trust me over time they will dry out your skin.

Nail File and Nail Cutter

Lets keep things very real here. I would be lying to you if I said I file my nails each time I paint them. I simply file when I need to! A nail cutter/trimmer whatever you call it is great to have floating around your kit too.

Base Coat

After letting all the moisturizers dry it’s now time to paint your nails. While some people swear by it I always skip base coat. I always find base coats make my nail polish peel off… so on to the next step!

Nail Polish

I sucked at painting my nails. Not going to lie, I actually think sucked is an understatement. Over the years I’ve gotten better so I thought I would share with you some of my tips.

-       Resist the urge to bring your nail polish right to your cuticle

-       Take your time

-       Use thin coats

-       Start with the center of your nail and work your way to the sides

-       Avoid dark colors, since they can be unforgiving if you mess up

-       Practice makes perfect

Today I’ve used Revlon’s Parfumiere Nail polish in Bordeaux. I have a total of two of these and I am eagerly planning a review for you.

Top Coat

Do not miss this step!

If you’re like me not sitting still for a half an hour is impossible. Top coats can be your best friend because they make your nails dry quick and make your nail polish last longer. For years I used Essie’s Good to Go Top coat over the past 6 months I’ve been using Seche Vite. Both are great at getting your nail polish to dry quickly but I find the Seche Vite makes my nail polish last a bit longer.

I think if you use these steps your set for a good manicure.

Let me know if you have any tips or tricks I would love to hear.

I hope you are all having an excellent Sunday!

Thanks for reading,

Tanya

Blush Haul

After taking a good look at my collection I noticed I was don’t have many drug store blushes. So like any good makeup addict I thought I would venture out to the pharmacy and grab some.

ELF Blushes

I have always wanted to try more from ELF because everything I’ve tried thus far has not disappointed me. So while going on a trip to the states I thought I would grab a couple to try. I settled for Tickled Pink which I would describe as a natural dusty pink and Pink Passion which is a hot Barbie pink. I have not tried these on the cheek yet but they are very pigmented and bendable. For three dollars these seem like a great deal.

ELF Complexion Brush

This was another 3-dollar wonder.

I contract my previous statement saying I’ve tried has not disappointed me. I bought an ELF brush a while ago and it was honestly shit. The bristles instantly frayed and it felt scratchy on the skin. The Complexion Brush right off hand I can tell is not as high quality as MAC brushes. BUT its really really soft. This brush picks up powder like a dream and feels great brushed across the skin. I have been using this for the past couple of days but so far it's a love and a great brush for the money.

Essence Blush

I have an Essence limited edition blush, which is beautiful. However because it’s limited edition I’m always hesitant to blog about it. So in the spirit of blush week I picked up one of there permanent silky touch blushes in Adorable. The formula is silky just as the name would suggest and pretty pigmented too! Essence blush has only 4 colors at my local Shoppers Drugmart and costs $2.99.

Well that is my blush haul.

Please feel free to leave me a comment! I would love to hear your opinions of these too! I hope all of you are having an amazing weekend.

Tanya

Blush Stains

Out of the whole blush category I think that blush stains are the hardest to master. Application can be disastrous with stained strips of color on your cheeks that look like look like an infection as oppose to a cute glow.  So when Lupe from http://ahintofbeauty.blogspot.ca left me a comment asking for my suggestions on cheek stains I thought this is a blog worthy topic.

Essence Cheek Tint in Hello Summer

I have heard nothing but raves about this product. So when I saw it on sale for $1.00 I thought it would give it try. This plumy shade actually swatches more red then it appears in the tube. I must say this product is pretty darn pigmented, sets instantly and lasts forever. I know this because I was stuck with crazy red cheeks and fingers for a whole day and couldn’t get it off.

So here are some things to avoid:

-       Products that are way too pigmented!

I find it easier to build up the right color intensity as oppose to taking it off because taking of a stain is not an easy task. I great product for this is the Tarte Cheek Stains, because they allow you to build up just the right amount of color. My personal favorite is Blushing Bride!

-       Take your skin into consideration

If you have dry skin like me you will notice stains set instantly making impossible to blend. So if you have dryer skin type like myself I always opt for a cream like stain like Becca’s Crème Blush’s.

On the other hand if you have more oily skin I would recommend a more liquid based product like Benefits Benetint. The oils in your skin will help these products blend in as where cream products might not set.

Finally my last but most important tip is…

-       Try the product out before purchasing.

To avoid catastrophes try out the product in the store! I like to try stains by working them into the back of my hand so that I can feel the texture and see how long before this product sets. Not only should you try it on but you should take it off too! If it doesn’t budge with hardcore scrubbing it’s too unforgiving and you should steer clear of.

Well that’s all for today.

I hope that helps some of you!

Hope you all have an excellent weekend and a glamorous Friday night.

Thanks for reading.

Tanya