My secret to sexy lashes

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a mascara junkie.

Pretty much once a day I get asked if these are my real lashes, and everyone wants to know my secret!

Well here it is, it's not only one secret, it's actually two. I love using two mascaras to get that sexy thick volume and also that flirty length.

I use a thickening mascara first on my bottom and top lashes. I usually apply two coasts. Then I finish of my look with a lengthening mascara.

Check the description on the package to find out what look your mascara will achieve. Words like "volume", "bold" and "plumping" are used to describe thickening mascaras. Words like "separated" "long" and "definition" are used to describe lengthening mascaras.

There you have it, my secret to sexy lashes! Spread the word and enjoy those fabulous lashes! ;)

My favourite thickening mascara is:
Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express

My favourite lengthening mascara is:
L'Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black

The best summer shave

I've always been a fan of exfoliators, I love how soft and glowy my skin feels afterwards. My go to fav is from St.Ives, I've been in love with their Apricot scrub for years!

Recently though, I was watching an episode of Marilyn Dennis, and the beauty expert was saying that if you want the best shave for your legs, to exfoliate before grabbing your razor. Duh, why havent I been doing this?! I usually scrub after shaving. All wrong. When you scrub before, you remove all the dead skin for your legs, which could get your razor clogged.

Since switching up my routine, my legs a even smoother, and my shave seems to last a bit longer!

Give it a try!

My favorite scrub-
St.Ives Apricot Scrub $3.99

My favorite razor-
Schick Hydro Silk $12

Glymm Box April 2012

Happy April!

I was excited to see my April Glymm box in the mail today! Here's what I got.

A bonus $100 gift certificate from NuMe towards professional styling tools & hair extensions

LUCIA- Wild Ginger & Fresh Fig soap. Enriched with 100% organic Shea Butter. Package of 8 is $17.50

Atelier Cologne- Orange Sanguine Fragrance. This smells so amazing! It's hard to explain, but the company's vision is to create a 'singular moment of memory or experience. 30ml/ $60

Free Your Mane- Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner. I enjoy that this sample is sulfate free. It's also packed with Baobab Oil, Argan Oil, Pomegranate Seed Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. Will try it on my next trip! 300ml/ $16

MAI Couture- (FULL SIZE) Social Gloss. The colour I got was G'VINITY. It looks like a pale neutral. It claims to fill in lines, restore moisture and create full kissable lips! I like this because it uses plant extracts to naturally enhance lip volume. 5ml/ $28

HauteLook

I purchased a couple items from HauteLook recently, they have designer fashion, beauty and home goods for deeply discounted prices. They usually have what's called a Sale Event. These products are only available for purchase for a limited time and stock is also limited.

What I got was from the beauty company The Balm. They are a really fun brand, who's packaging has a retro vibe with cheeky titles.

The two products I ordered where a highlighter called Mary-Lou Manizer. It's a champagne coloured powder. It comes with a nice big mirror and the powder is finely milled and goes on super smoothly.

The second product I ordered is an eyeshadow palette. It's called Nude 'tude. It's like The Balm's version of Urban Decay's Naked Palette. I haven't tried the shadows yet, but most of them are shimmery. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or gift it.

I'm fairly happy with my purchase and will probably order from them again!
Check out the site at:
www.hautelook.com

My Florida Beauty Purchases

I recently went to Florida to visit my In-laws for March break. While I was there, I picked up a few beauty items.

First I went to Sephora located in JC Penney. I bought a limited edition Summer Essentials bag filled with Sephora's most popular beauty products for summer! It comes with a pink cosmetic bag. I love everything in it! The Laroc Luminizer is amazing and I love how it gives me a faux glow without being a self tanner that will stain. The Too Faced Bronzer is also a winner, I love that it's a matte finish and it actually smells like chocolate! I also really like the Nars Orgasm illuminator, I add it to my foundation for glowing skin. I also used the Smashbox lipgloss while sitting by the pool, it has SPF 15. I paid $36.

I then went to Ulta... Which for you Canadian babes, its beauty heaven! Wish we had one in Canada!
I bought a Cargo spring beauty set.. It includes a butterfly cosmetic bag, a bronze/pink blush, a light pinkish coral lipgloss, a mascara and a duo eyeshadow ( lavender and brown). Also all the products are full sized! I only paid $20 for it cuz it was on sale half off!
I also got Katy Perry eyelashes. They looked really cute in the box, but I went to put them on the other night, and they were ridiculously long! I will have to trim them. They are like for a showgirl or something! But I guess that's how Katy likes 'em!
From Stilla a got a gorgeous eyeshadow trio. It's such a great deal at $12 since buying them individually is over $20 each! I love the green and golden shades.
There was also a beautiful coral nail polish from Sephora by OPI. I currently have it on my toes, I'm in love!
I went to Ulta specifically for Samantha Chapman makeup brushes, but they were sold out of all the travel ones. I did however get my hands on a blush brush and I'm so glad I did! It's the softest brush ever! I love how it easily blends blush or bronzer. I think it was about $8,
At the Ulta checkout I grabbed some little nail polish remover pads. They smell like vanilla and are perfect for my travel bag! $2.
Finally at Target I picked up an under eye brightner from Pixi. It's a peach colour corrector. It works really well and I use it under my concealer. I paid $15.

December Loose Button Luxe Box

I got my first Luxe Box today! I've been super excited to receive it! It's basically a box filled with 4-5 deluxe samples, sometimes even full sized products!!

I joined the subscription on www.loosebutton.com. It's available in Canada only. It costs $12 per month and shipping is free.

I love the packaging. It comes in a sleek black box and the tissue inside is held together by a silver sticker that says my name on it! How cute is that?! Since I live in Ottawa I got my box rather speedy, the head office is in Toronto. I really liked that they sent me an email over the weekend to tell me my Luxe Box would be shipped this week. There was also a tracking number that I could use.

Here's what was inside my Luxe Box:

1) Two fragrance samples from Nina Ricci. The first one is L'Air du Temps and Nina. The second is L'Elixir. Both are spritzers, which I do prefer. Full sizes retail $72 & $65.

2) China Glaze X-Mas Nail Polish (Full Sized!) in Champagne bubbles. This would look great with a glitter polish over it. I love that I got a full sized product! Retail $8.

3) DDF Advanced Firming Cream. Promotes rapid surface cell turnover to help reverse the appearance of aging. This sample is worth $41!! The full size retails for $130/48g.

4) Kerastase Elixer Ultime. Promises shine, nourishment, and deep conditioning. The full size retails for $50.

I also got a chocolate dollar made of Belgium Chocolate. It has a cute Loose Button logo on it!

The box also comes with a detailed card describing all the products inside.

I am so excited to get my January luxe Box! Hope it's as good as this one!

M.A.C. Dazzlesphere! Coral Ornament X4

I was very excited to spend my $40 gift card @ M.A.C. yesterday. (Thanks Manda! ) I got something from the holiday collection. The Dazzleshpere Ornaments are adorable! I got the one with the Coral shades. I'd say they aren't all coral though, theres also peach and beige colours. Here's a quick review:

Phiff! - sheer yellow peach (dazzleglass)

On the Scene - light coral beige (cremesheen)

Richer, Lusher - peach coral (dazzleglass)

Eurobeat - peach coral with gold pearl (dazzleglass)

Each of these shades looks beautiful on it's own. However, layering the dazzleglass shades over the cremesheen shades looks amazing! Adds so much dimension to the lips. If you layer Phiff! over On the Scene, it would look great with a smokey eye. It gives kind of a nude sparkle to the lips. Layering Richer, Lusher over Eurobeat it gives a gorgeous peachy coral look. The lips look so lush! Perfect for a caribbean holiday!

I give it 5 ***** out of 5

I love the packaging and I was told by the girl at M.A.C. that you actually get more product in these tubes than the regular "full sized"! Such a great value at $38.50.

Perfect for an Xmas gift...either for a friend or yourself!! :)

BEAUTY DICTIONARY

DAZZLEGLASS
Provides exceptional shine with a crystalline iridescence.

CREMESHEEN
Lipstick with the shine of M.A.C. lipglass.