Spring Makeup Look: Colourpop x KathleenLights Dream St Palette

March 5, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Spring still feels pretty far away in Thunder Bay since we got a huge dumping of snow a couple of weeks ago. But, Easter is later on this month so I want to get lots of colourful, spring makeup looks up before that! I have an Easter event later on this month so in creating these looks I’m also testing out what I want to do for that night. My first look is very pink and uses the Colourpop x KathleenLights Dream St Palette. It’s actually a pretty simple look that only uses TWO different eye shadows from the palette. I’ve used a few different brushes though to give off different levels of pigmentation for the matte shade.

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Too Faced | Most & Least Used Products

March 2, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 16 Comments

Since Too Faced is the Canadian Beauty Bloggers’ Brand of the Month for March I thought it would be fitting to go through my collection of Too Faced products and talk about my most and least used products. Too Faced was created in the 90’s, inspired by a love of Paris, girliness and the transformative power of makeup. They are a cruelty-free brand that seems to be best known for their cutesy and unique packaging, as well as the quality products inside.

Most Used

Chocolate Bar Palette

I believe the Chocolate Bar Palette was my first Too Faced purchase and is definitely one of my most used products from them. It’s a great neutral palette that can be used for both toned down and dramatic makeup looks. I wouldn’t say it’s my most used neutral palette but I do dig it out quite often. Most of the shadows perform quite well and who doesn’t love a palette that smells like delicious chocolate? Continue reading →

February Favourites: Makeup, Skincare, Haircare & More!

February 28, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

It’s once again time for my monthly favourites and I actually have a lot of miscellaneous favourites for you today along with my usual makeup and skincare favourites! February is the month of love so let’s see what I was loving this month!

Makeup

Laura Mercier | Foundation Primer – Radiance

I am not usually one for any sort of primer that has the word “radiant” in it. Generally, these make my already shiny/oily skin look even more like an oil-slick. However, I have been finding lately that the cold winter we have been experiencing in Thunder Bay is making my skin look dry and lifeless. I still have to use a mattifying foundation and powder but I have been finding that adding this primer underneath (instead of a matte one) has been adding a little extra oomph to my skin. I don’t think I’d use it all year round but I could see this becoming a staple for the winter months. Continue reading →

What’s in my Z-Palette?

February 26, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 8 Comments

I mostly talk about palettes here on the blog since I am a self-proclaimed “palette junkie” but I do own an almost complete Z-Palette full of single shadows. I thought it would be fun to go through them today and share with you what is in my custom palette. I enjoyed this because it reminded me that I have some great single shadows that I need to dig out more, and also reminded me that I need to pick up more Makeup Geek single shadows because they are aaaamazing, particularly their foiled formula. Once I complete this palette I’m going to look into getting another empty palette so if you have any suggestions for magnetic palettes let me know in the comments!

Makeup Geek

Charmed (Foiled)

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Budget Beauty: Colourpop & Essence

February 23, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

The Canadian Beauty Bloggers theme of the month is Budget Beauty so I thought this would be a fitting time to give two of my favourite “budget beauty” brands some love. When I think about inexpensive, yet quality beauty products two brands always come to mind: Colourpop and Essence. Both brands are perfect for experimenting with makeup without having to splurge. Not sure if you can pull off purple lipstick? Why not try it out without the high end price tag? Don’t like spending lots on mascara? Me either, but Essence has a growing line of fantastic mascaras for around $5! So, let’s take a look at who these brands are and what some of my favourite products from them are!

Colourpop

Colourpop was founded in LA in 2014 so it is a fairly new company. Their company has an emphasis on keeping prices down, as well as being, as they call it, “bunny approved”. Though they started out with their own store online, they are now also available at Sephora which is amazing! But, with their low prices, I am okay with shopping their full collection on their website because even with exchange and shipping, you still end up getting a pretty good deal!

I haven’t met a Colourpop product that I didn’t like, but if I had to choose a favourite, I’m very, very fond of their Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks. I have quite a few of them and just can’t get enough of them. If you prefer more of a “standard” lipstick, their Lippie Stix are great too and come in a variety of finishes! Continue reading →

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick

February 21, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Kat Von D recently reformulated and rereleased her Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick which to be honest, I wasn’t really a fan of before. I only own one in the previous formula and it is so matte that it is almost painful to apply to the lips (though they may not all be like that). This time around however, it is more of a cream formula instead of super-super matte. I knew I needed to try one out so I picked up the shade Prayer which is described as a deep merlot. I love vampy shades like this so my eye was instantly drawn to it. Continue reading →

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Eyeshadow Palette

February 19, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

I picked up the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Eyeshadow Palette last month when I was in Paris and I have to say, I have been heavily using it since I got home. As in, it has not left the top of my vanity this entire time as I have been using it almost every day. It is a simple neutral palette but I’ve seen it pop up so much on blogs and YouTube over the years that when I finally saw it in person, I had to pick it up. I find it to be a very well-rounded palette with lots of potential. I’ve been challenging myself to get outside the box with my makeup this year and this palette and I’ve been able to create a variety of looks with this palette.

The Zoeva Cocoa Blend Eyeshadow Palette’s packing is sleek and made up of cardboard with a magnetic closure. It’s quite thin which I think would make it excellent for travel. It includes 10 different shades which include matte, metallic and satin finishes.

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Colourpop Haul: The First of 2018

February 16, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

When I saw that Colourpop released a new Lux line of lipsticks, I was instantly intrigued. Seemed like a great time to place my first Colourpop order of 2018! Not only did I pick up a couple Lux Lipsticks I picked up a few other goodies that I’ve had my eyes on for awhile. What I love about Colourpop is that it is so budget friendly! I got all of the items pictured for under $50 USD (excluding shipping)! So let’s take a peak at what I picked up, shall we?

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Valentine’s Day Makeup Look

February 14, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

I couldn’t let today pass without sharing a special Valentine’s Day makeup look for the occasion. I enjoy wearing pink all year round but Valentine’s Day inspires me to load up on the pink products and I ain’t complaining about it. This year I created a soft pink look with a bright pink glossy lip. If you’re feeling extra Valentine’s-y I also posted a Valentine’s Day Manicure earlier this week!

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Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick

February 9, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Fenty Beauty… doesn’t it seem like they are taking the beauty world by storm right now? Their products have been flooding my social media feeds and I ain’t mad about it. Fenty Beauty, created by singer Rihanna, has been launching products out like crazy since they launched in September. One of their latest releases is their Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick – a matte lipstick meant to be both weightless and long-wearing. You all know I love a matte lipstick so I was eager to pick one up and try it myself. I chose the shade Spanked which is described as a dusty rose.

The first thing I noticed about the Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick is that the tube is not only quite long and thin, but it is also very light in weight. However the shape makes it quite easy to get a good grip on to get a flawless application. The reflective surface is definitely a finger-print magnet which is a nightmare if you want to photograph the product (also difficult to not get your own reflection in the shot) but it is quite pretty to look at.

The little FB embossed on the top of the Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick was such a nice touch, it was almost a shame to use it for the first time and smudge it away. I’m glad I got a photo of it first!

The formula of the Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick itself is very creamy and pigmented. One swipe gave me full pigmentation and one quick blot didn’t take away any of the pigmentation. It definitely applied like a cream lipstick, however once it dried down it looked just like a liquid lipstick! As mentioned before, I found the thin shape of the product made it very easy to get an even and clean application on the lips.

Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick Wear Test

1. Freshly applied at 8 AM; 2. Pre-lunch check-in at 12 PM; 3. Post-lunch check-in at 12:45 PM; 4. End of day check-in at 5 PM

The Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick easily lasted me throughout the day. I had a little bit of wear in the centre of the lips but to the naked eye, it was barely visible. In fact, I didn’t even notice until I was editing my photos that there were a few spots where it wore off. For the most part it felt very comfortable on the lips my lips did feel a touch dry at the end of the day. However, my office at work is VERY dry and I’ve been finding my lips and skin abnormally dry lately. I did put lip balm on prior to applying this which helps keep some moisture in.

Overall, I am in love with this formulation! It applied so well and had the staying power of a liquid lipstick which I find so impressive for a “standard tube” style lipstick.

Have you tried any Fenty Beauty products yet? Let me know in the comments below! Like the style of this post? Be sure to check out my other Love for Lipstick series reviews!

xoxo,

Robyn