September Collective Haul

September 22, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 12 Comments

Hi guys! Although it isn’t quite the end of September, I can assure you that I am done hauling for the month. So, I thought I’d collectively share in one place what I purchased this month! I’m planning on posting reviews, swatches, makeup looks and so on using these products so stay tuned!

Sephora.ca Order

L to R: Haze and Haze II

The first purchase I made this month was the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Haze Duo which was a flash sale/launch for 48 hours earlier this month. The shades were super unique to my collection and I looooove the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick formula so I couldn’t pass them up. I posted a makeup look using Haze II just a couple days ago!

Colourpop Order

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Kat Von D Haze II Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

September 20, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 14 Comments

Hi guys! I recently picked up the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Haze duo when it was briefly available during a flash sale a few weeks ago. I’ve been dying to try a purplely/grey liquid lipstick so Kat Von D Haze II definitely seemed like it would fit the bill. Both shades in the set are gorgeous and by purchasing them in a set I saved a few dollars so it was a no-brainer when I placed my order. So, today’s makeup look was completely inspired by Kat Von D Haze II.

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MOTD: Neutral Eye + Purple Lips & Cheeks

September 16, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! Today I thought I’d share the makeup that I’m wearing on my face today. My only inspiration for today was that I wanted to finally try the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in the shade Halo sample that I picked up from Sephora a few months ago. I was quite enamoured with it once I saw it on Makeup Your Mind (her photos of this highlight are STUNNING!) and decided to give it a shot. I don’t normally go for liquid highlights as I have oily skin and everything must be powdered. Full discloser, I did end up setting this with the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Prismatic Amethyst. It not only helped set it but also helped diffuse it a bit as I was going to a day time event.

So for this look I tried both combining a TINY amount into my foundation and I also added some to my cheekbones. I think next time I’d add a little more to my foundation to see if it makes a difference. I do set everything with a matte powder but it did add a little bit of a glow from within regardless which is what I was going for.

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Fall Makeup: Green with Envy

September 11, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 8 Comments

Hi guys! Since purchasing the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette I honestly haven’t used it very much. To be fair, I’ve been wearing very, very little makeup over the past month. Anyways, after spending a LOT of time browsing Instagram, I left inspired and ready to create a fall makeup look with this palette. Going in, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to accomplish, but the end results is a makeup look with a strong focus on the colour green and a little grunge. Perfect for the fall!

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Fall Must-Haves

September 9, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! Did you blink? I feel like I blinked because somehow summer is nearly over and the fall season is almost here. Although it’s quite chilly here already in Thunder Bay, I’m optimistic that we will still have a few more warm weekends. Although I do enjoy the fall season with it’s beautiful scenery, sweaters, warm drinks and darker colours, I do kind of hold what happens after against it. Anyways, though I’m dreading winter, I am looking forward to getting into the fall spirit and pulling out some darker makeup that I wasn’t as drawn to over the summer. This past summer I really embraced a nearly makeup free existence on the weekends that made it challenging to produce blog content.

So what am I most excited to put all over my face this fall? Let’s dive into it…

Urban Decay | Revolution Lipstick in Venom

This lipstick can also be found in the new Vice range, however the one I have is from the Revolution era. It is a deep berry shade that for some reason just screams fall when I look at it. I love wearing it slightly blotted to give it a bit of an edgier vibe. Continue reading →

Waterproof Brows: NYX Eyebrow Gel

August 23, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Hi guys! I recently went to Wisconsin Dells (basically a city full of Waterparks) and decided it would be a great opportunity to test out some waterproof makeup! Makeup-wise I didn’t want to wear much, but I always feel naked without my brows and lashes so I stuck to this brow gel and a waterproof mascara. I hadn’t tested the waterproof-ness of the NYX Eyebrow Gel before this trip so I really had high hopes for it. I figured some intense waterslides would make for excellent and thorough testing of it’s capabilities.

The NYX Eyebrow Gel is a highly pigmented gel that keeps brows in place while also giving them a thicker appearance. To me it seems very similar to Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow except in a tube and it keeps my brows a little more in place. To apply it a put a tiny dot on my hand (that’s all you need) and I apply with an eyebrow brush. Since the NYX Eyebrow Gel is super pigmented, I start at the tail and work my way to the front when I have less product on my brush. There is a bit of a learning curve since this stuff is intense but once you get the hang of it, you are golden.

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It Cosmetics CC Cream

August 16, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! Today I’m finally ready to share my thoughts on the It Cosmetics CC Cream that I picked up in early July during a trip to Ulta. I was looking for something a bit lighter with some SPF for the summer so I chose this after seeing many rave reviews. I will say that after much use, I’m not a fan of this product for every day wear, but it does have a place in my makeup routine.

The photo above shows the It Cosmetics CC Cream (shade: fair) freshly applied. I’ve worn the ret of my usual makeup and have set it with the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder. I’ve also set my face using the Makeup Revolution Oil Control Fixing Spray. It applies quite nicely, I’ve used both my fingers and a beauty blender and either works fine. It gives a hint of coverage, just enough to even out my skin which I quite like. However, I can’t wear this product with my normal makeup routine. Continue reading →

Esqido Oh So Sweet Lashes

August 14, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! Today I have an exciting and different post for you. Esqido was nice enough to allow me to select a pair of their lashes to try out. Esqido’s lashes are handcrafted and use naturally shed mink hairs. The band is made of cotton for comfort so that you can wear their lashes all day. They also sent me their Companion Eyelash Glue which is latex-free.

I chose the Esqido Oh So Sweet Lashes as they looked really fluttery and not too over-the-top (I’m a total false lash novice). For those who are unsure of what kind of lashes they might want, Esqido has a really neat quiz on their website to help you narrow down your choices.

The brush on the Companion Eyelash Glue is quite small and precise so it was very easy to get the right amount on the lash band. It became tacky quite quickly which was nice as I have found some glues take forever and I’m impatient. It took me a few attempts to get the placement right as I don’t wear false lashes very often, but even so, the lashes were really easy to take off and re-apply. I have no doubt that these would survive multiple wears if worn properly. Continue reading →

Love for Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip

August 10, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! Today I’ve finally got a new addition to my Love for Lipstick series – Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip in the shade 500 (Lilac). I had seen quite a few great reviews on this product so I had to pick one up last month during a trip to Sephora. Even so, I was a bit skeptical as they look very similar to the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks which I’m not really fond of. Nonetheless, I thought I’d give them a try anyways.

The Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip are inspired by the pigmentation of acrylic paints. The tube style and cushion applicator allow for control over how much of the product you want to apply. The applicator is quite easy to use though and it wasn’t hard to get a clean application. The formula of these feel quite comfortable on the lips. My lips never really felt dry at all throughout the day. Continue reading →

MOTD: Playing with the ABH Subculture Palette

August 9, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Hi guys! Today I thought I would post the makeup look I’m wearing today as it was the first time I tried the brand new and highly controversial Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette. For those of you who may not know, there appears to be some manufacturing errors with this palette and some people have received duds. I believe most of the issues have to do with fallout and some shades hitting pan after a few uses. I just used mine for the first time this morning so it’s hard to say if I got a good one or not. So far the quality seems very similar to the Modern Renaissance Palette so I have not experienced any issues with the few shades I did use so far.

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