Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Budget Buy: Real Techniques Brushes

Since I've discovered Real Techniques brushes, my life has changed. No, literally, they make your makeup application more than flawless at the fraction of the price for what you'd pay for ''high-end'' brushes. The first ones I bought was the Core Collection Set, let's be honest here, I got this because of the hype surrounding that darn good Buffing Brush. I have to say,I immediatly fell in love with the brand! Within the first use, I noticed how soft and dense the bristles were, they felt super gentle on my sensitive skin aswell. I then bought the Starter Set for Eyes and recently got the Stippling Brush and the Expert Face Brush. What I like most about all of these brushes is that you can use them for basically anything, they are synthetic so great for powders, creams and liquids. They also are an absolute bliss to wash: no shedding, fast drying and they do not lose their original shape. Overall, the Real Techniques brushes are an all around great purchase if you are looking for any kind of makeup brushes for a cheap price! For your information, the individual brushes are around 10$US each or less and the sets are about 20$US each or less. A big thumbs up to the amazing Samantha Chapman for creating these beautiful brushes!


I also wanted to include a little guide telling which ones are great for what, starting from left to right of my picture:

Buffing Brush: Foundation, Blush, Bronzer
Contour Brush: Countouring, Powder (under the eyes or the t-zone)
Pointed Foundation Brush: Foundation 
Detailer Brush: Precise eyeshadow application, Concealer
Deluxe Crease Brush: Blending eyeshadows, Concealer under the eyes
Base Shadow Brush: Blending eyeshadow, Applying eyeshadows
Brow Brush: Eyebrows (a bit big for that)
Accent Brush: Precise eyeshadow application, Eyeshadow under eyes
Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush: Thick eyeliner on top
Stippling Brush: Cream or powder blush, Foundation
Expert Face Brush: Foundation, Contouring, Blush, Bronzer

So that is it ladies, I hope you enjoyed my post!
I want to know which Real Techniques brush is your favorite?

xx
Laurence




Sunday, July 28, 2013

Philadelphia+NYC Haul!

Hi beauties! You might have noticed that I went missing for the last week or so, the reason being I went on a week long trip to Philly and NYC with my boyfriend! This was my first time going to New York and I have to say, I fell in love with the city. No trip to the Big Apple could have been complete without a bit or shopping (or a lot?!). I won't get into too much details about what I bought since I will be doing a handful of reviews soon. So, let's get crackin'!

First stop was a newly established Ulta im Philadelphia where I got four things: NYX Cream Blush in Glow, NYX Stick Blush in Orchid, Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I then stumbled across a Target and got this gorgeous A Kiss On The Cheek Lip and Cheek Palette by Sonia Kashuk and the Boots Botanics Facial Oil. In New York, Victoria's Secret was my first stop since I wanted to get one of their adorable makeup bags, I also got the Bombshell and the Angel Body Mists. Along my little walk on Broadway Street, I spotted a little ELF store, couldn't resist since  I absolutely love this brand and bought the Fan Brush, Gotta Glow Higlighter and the new HD Concealer in Green to conceal my odd rosacea spots. Probably my most exiting purchase was the 5 Drawer Acrylic Storage by Muji, I wanted this baby for ages! Last stop was China Town because I just had to try some of these asian sheet masks so I got four My Beauty Diary ones. Aaand that's about it! I had such an amazing time during my trip, I'll definetly go back to New York in a couple of months, I love the city so much!

xx
Laurence

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Currently Loving #3: Rimmel Apocalips

Finally, I got my hands on these beautiful lip lacquers/lip stains goodness. I heard about them months ago and they recently launched in Canada! I was casually strolling at WalMart buying kitchen stuff and I promised myself not to spend money on any makeup, three minutes later I spotted these babies and couldn't control myself! I'm so bad at this, haha. I got two of them, Apocalyptic and Phenomenon. Apocalyptic is a deep flashy fuschia and Phenomenon is a pale nude peach, both of them are absolutely lovely! These are my first ''liquid lipstick'' type of products, I really like the concept of it: easy to apply, extremely pigmented and pretty long lasting. Application wise, these lip lacquers have a doe-foot applicator with a little ''pool'' of product in the middle. These also have a faint smell, which I really like. The Rimmel Apocalips are definetly a winner for me, I will be purchasing a few more in the future.

xx
Laurence

Friday, July 12, 2013

Skincare...For The Boy?

I've been working really really hard recently to get my man into skincare, which is a heck of a job. I finally decided to make him a little skincare plan and he finally gave in. So, for those of you girls out there that are trying to make your man take care of his skin, this will maybe give you a bit of ideas! Take in consideration that Xavier (what a beautiful name he got, seriously?) has oily, acne prone and sensitive skin and these are the products I found for him (I did loads of researches!) Let's get to it!

Because he is super lazy in the mornings and always wakes up late to go to work, I decided to go for the simplest thing of them all, toner and moisturizer. Toner wise, I picked up Clarins Daily Energizer Toner, a simple yet hydrating, anti-oxidants packed product. Followed with La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat, an oil controlling with salicylic acid to help control his oily skin and breakout. Tada, done!

For nightime, I went a bit crazier since he has much more time to take care of his skin. First thing is REN ClearCalm Claryfing Clay Cleanser, an absolutely gorgeous clay based cleanser to help soothe redness and keep breakouts at bay. Deep cleansing at his best (and the scent, beautiful!). Followed by the same toner he uses in the evening and then La Roche-Posay Effaclar AI, a targeted breakout corrector cream, perfect for those pesky spots (I like this even more than Effaclar Duo!). Last thing is moisturizer, of course I decided to pick a heavier one for him at nightime since his skin is a bit dehydrated. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel made the cut as he loves the feel of it on his skin. 

A few little extras have been added, like the effective Origins Charcoal Mask, to really deep cleanse his skin, once or twice a week. Hydraluron, when he feels really dry, tight and dehydrated before his night cream and the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixir when he feels dull and lackluster.

That's it! It may seem like a lot but I hope he will stick to it, don't worry I'll keep Xavier motivated! I hope this was helpful to some of you guys out there.

xx
Laurence

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

An Ode To Perfume: My Favorite Scents!

Yves Saint-Laurent La Parisienne: I remember when I first smelt this perfume, it was the beginning of a lifetime love affair. This is my staple scent, I get compliments from so many people when I wear it and everyone recognizes me just by this smell. I have been wearing this gorgeous floral concontion of roses, violets, peony, musk and sandalwood for over a year almost every single day and I won't get tired of it soon! It is a very ''heavy'' fragrance, better for those colder months even though I still love it in the summer. I can still smell it by the end of the day and on top of it all, the bottle is a stunner, so feminine.

Dior Addict Eau Délice: I got a sample of this beautiful baby at Sephora recently and the only thing I know, two days later it was coming home with me. I decided to go for the smallest bottle since I will be travelling loads pretty soon and the size is perfect for that. This is an ''Eau De Toilette'' meaning it's lighter, fresher and much better suited for spring/summer, the kind of perfume you find yourself reaplying because the smell fades in a couple of hours. Nonetheless, the smell is intoxicating, very floral and powdery. Sour cranberry, jasmine, ylang yland and soft musk are the main notes, love it.

Aquolina Pink Sugar: This is a cult favorite, every girly girl knows about this one. It's the ultimate sweet, sugary (and on the affordable side too) scent. I describe the smell as a big fluffy ball of sugar, no really... Vanilla, caramel, bergamot and fig leaves are the top notes but overall it smells like sugar. Perfect for all year round if you are looking for something that will keep your sugar cravings at bay!

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle: When I was younger, I was collecting samples of Coco Mademoiselle and deseperately wanted it. My boyfriend bought this to me for my birthday and to say the least, I was the happiest girl in the world. I have been wearing it since last week and my love for this perfume grows from day to day. It is such a feminine and classic bottle, the most stunning I've ever seen. Oranges, bergamot, rose, vanilla and jasmine make this perfume perfect for any occasion and any season. It lasts amazingly on the skin and what I love the most about Coco is that the smell changes during the day. I am addicted.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The Summer Beauty Picks!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: A toner, skin healer and mid-day pick me up all one gorgeous glass bottle! I am on my fourth bottle of this stuff and it's perfect for summer whenever you are feeling a bit hot and sweaty. Just spritz it on your face at any time of the day and your skin will feel amazing!

Caudalie Divine Oil: A multipurpose oil for skin, face, hair and nails with a beautiful flowery scent. It sinks in quickly and leaves everything super soft. The mini size is perfect for travel aswell.

Phyto 9: This daily nourishing leave-in conditionner is ideal for friz and dry ends (which, I don't know about you, but I get a lot during summer). It has helped my hair so much, review coming soon...

Effaclar AI: I get a bit more breakouts in the summer (thanks to sweat and clogged pores) and this cream makes them vanish in a couple of days. It doesn't bother my sensitive skin while still working amazingly.

Clinique All About Eyes Rollerball: This cooling and depuffing rollerball helps a lot when I get irritated puffy eyes from seasonal allergies. It's the kind of product you'll want to keep in your handbag (you can even reapply over your concealer!)

Nip+Fab Tummy Fix: This is surgery in a gel form! It helps to tone, slim and make everything about your stomach area look better. It has done miracles for me just by massaging it in every night after I shower.

Dior Addict Eau Délice: This new release from Dior screams summer! Sour cranberry, jasmine, ylang ylang and white musk give it that fresh, floral, almost powdery scent. The bottle is adorable too!

Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanner: A subtle yet noticeable caramel colored primer/self tanner that gives you that lit from within glow. You can even skip foundation and wear it on its own on good skin days!

Dior Nude Paradise Duo in 001: This blush and bronzer duo is absolutely perfect! It feels like silk on the skin and the shades are spot on for a fair-skinned girl like me. The bronzer looks very natural yet warms up your face in a beautiful way and the blush is a pretty pigmented pinky coral shade.

Revlon Super Lustrous in Pink Pop: A non-sticky, lighweight, fuschia lipgloss with no shimmer/glitter in it. It is perfect for a low-maintenance pop of bright color in the lips. The formula is darn amazing if you ask me!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

MAC Patisserie Lipstick

First of all, let me just say that I've been looking for/wanting this lipstick for about three months! I finally found it and I am in love with it. I was looking for an easy everyday lipstick and a lot of beauty bloggers were talking about this specific one so that's when the hunt began! It's a really natural looking browny pink with tiny gold flecks in it, since it is a Luster finish, it has a gorgeous shine and a great slip to it. Surprisingly, it lasts a very long time. It feels comfortable on the lips and it is the ultimate ''my lips but better'' shade. I assume it would work on almost every skintone and I definetly think every girls out there that loves lipstick like I do should have it in their collection!

xx
Laurence

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Wishlist #4: Birthday Edition!


It's my birthday in two days!

-Chanel Coco Mademoiselle: I want this since I am a little girl, I remember collecting samples when I was younger. It is a timeless, feminine and uber chic fragrance.

-YSL Crème De Blush: I've been eyeing this for a couple of months now, gorgeous cream to powder blush in a stunning packaging. Want!

-Nars Super Orgasm: I am honestly not a fan of Nars Orgasm but this one is to die for (these gold chunky glitters are to blame)!

-Hourglass Liquid Lipstick in Muse: Oh jesus, I swatched this while I was at Sephora the other day, it almost got in my shopping bag... A stunning bright red/orange, this one was made for me.