Neutral Eyes with a Red Lip!

October 23, 2015November 7, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! A few posts ago I unboxed my very first birchbox! In the box I got a Model Co lipstick in the shade Stiletto so I thought I would do a look where the red lip is the focal point. The lipstick was very creamy to apply, dried to a demi-matte finish and was very long wearing. I was pretty impressed with this lipstick! None of my closer up pictures of this look turned out, so I didn’t really get a good one of the eye makeup. Since the red lip was front and centre, the eye wasn’t really anything special but I’ll list the products I used below as per usual!

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Empties

October 21, 2015November 7, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 5 Comments

Hi guys! Today I have some products that I have recently (within the past month or so) used up. I absolutely love watching empties videos on YouTube so I thought I would bring the concept over to my blog. In case you haven’t seen an empties video (or blog post), it involves saving up your empty products and then sharing them with your opinion on if you would re-purchase that item. If my husband is reading this, I swear it isn’t hoarding, and yes I am going to throw them out now.

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Silver and Purple Makeup Look

October 19, 2015November 24, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 1 Comment

Hi guys! I normally have a Mani Monday post for you today, but my nails are an absolute mess today. I’ve been pretty busy the last few days so I haven’t had a chance to re-do my nails. So instead, this week I’m going to switch things up a bit and do a makeup look today and a manicure related post later this week.

This is a look that I did last week for Thanksgiving and I was really happy with how it turned out. I did a silver foiled lid, smoked out with a darker shadow, with a pop of purple under the eye. I didn’t really know what my plan was, I just started playing with shadows and this is what I ended up with. I was really happy with it and I’ll definitely be re-creating it in the future. I love silver and purple together. My original wedding colours were going to be purple and silver until I saw purple and turquoise together and fell in love.

Products Used:
Foundation: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory
Concealer: Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer in Ivory
Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana Powder (undereye) and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (all over face)
Blush: e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette in Light (I used the bottom left shade)
Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Fawn
Highlight: The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Charmed (all over lid). Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette – Combust (transition/crease), Dagger (blended into outer corner), Smoulder (under eye), and High (inner corner of eye). Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Psychedelic Sister (waterline). Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara (lashes).
Brows: Milani Easybrow Automatic Pencil in Taupe and L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium
Lips: Colourpop Lippie Stix in Fern

I really need to play with the Makeup Geek Foiled Shadows more, they are just so nice to work with. I’m still using my finger to apply them because it seems to be the easiest way to get a nice, even and pigmented application.

What are some of your favourite colour combinations for eye makeup? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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October Birchbox Unboxing

October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Hi guys! I recently subscribed to Birchbox! I haven’t done a subscription box before and was curious to find out what all the hype is about. After comparing Birchbox and Ipsy, I decided that Birchbox was more appealing to me and I signed up. This month was my first Birchbox and I was not disappointed!

Here is what I got in my October Box:

Catherine Maladrino | Style de Paris
This perfume sample smelled really nice. It had a bright fruity-floral scent. It didn’t feel too harsh or too heavy like some florals can be. This seems like something I would actually wear.

Harvey Prince | Hello Body Creme
This was a very smooth and somewhat thick feeling body butter. It was moisturizing and had a nice citrus-floral scent.

Vasanti Cosmetics | Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
This is an exfoliating face wash that is supposed to mimic the effects of microdermabrasion. My face did feel quite nice the next day, but the particles in face wash are quite harsh and sharp-feeling. I wouldn’t recommend this for sensitive skin.

Eyeko | Black Magic Mascara

This has been my favourite from the box so far! This is a water-resistant formula that claims to add curls, volume and have major staying power. I can confirm that all of these claims are true! My lashes were so nicely separated, had a nice curl, had some volume and looked exactly the same at the end of the day as it did when I put it on! I also really love the shape of the wand (see above).

The Beachwaver Co. | ‘Darby’ Hair Clip
I haven’t used this yet, but it looks like it would be perfect for sectioning off my hair to curl or straighten it. The design on the clips is really cute too.

ModelCo | Ultra Long-Lating Lipstick in Stiletto

This is a highly pigmented red shade. While I haven’t had a chance to wear it, it claims to glide off effortlessly, it hydrates the lips and doesn’t require touch ups. I can say, while swatching it, it did glide on really nicely and was super pigmented. I plan on using it in a look at some point so I can do more of a review on it. The one thing I can say is that the packaging feels a bit cheap and it is easy to hit the lipstick with the cap when you put it back on if you aren’t careful.

So far, I’m impressed with Birchbox! These are all things I would find useful. Do you subscribe to Birchbox or any other subscription service? Let me know what you got this month in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Smoky Purple Look using the Morphe 35W Palette

October 14, 2015November 24, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! Today I wanted to share with you another look that I did using the Morphe 35W Palette. I can’t get over how much I love this palette. There is just so much you can do with it and the price is incredible! Unlike my last look which was a very warm based look, this one uses grey and purples.

Products Used:
Foundation: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory
Concealer: Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer in Ivory
Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana Powder (undereye) and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (all over face)
Blush: Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush in Fetish
Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Fawn
Highlight: Too Faced Candelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo (both shades mixed together)
Eyes: Morphe 35W Palette (See picture above for numerical references as the shades are not named) 1 (crease/transition), 2 (crease/centre of lid and under eye), 3 (outer crease/outer half of lid and under eye), 4 (a little bit on the outer corner), 5 (inner half of lid and under eye). Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smoke (water line). Dior Show Maximizer (primer on lashes). Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (lashes).
Brows: Milani Easybrow Automatic Pencil in Taupe and L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium
Lips: MAC Up the Amp

Given how much I love the colour purple, I was really happy with this look. The deepening shades of purple gave the look a smoky feel without being too dramatic. Blending is very important to achieving the seamless transition between the purples. For my crease I used the Sigma E40, for the lid I used the Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush and under my eye I used the Sigma E30. I went back in and blended out the shadow on my lid with the E40.

What are you wearing on your face today? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Warm Look Using the Kat Von D Monarch Palette

October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 8 Comments

Hi guys! Today I wanted to share with you one of my favourite warm looks to do using the Kat Von D Monarch Palette. I wear this look all year round but it is particularly great for autumn! I got my hair dyed today so I thought a nice warm look would be perfect for freshly dyed red hair. The Monarch Palette is one of my favourites. The shadows are all very pigmented, buttery smooth and blendable. All the things I look for in a palette. Since the shadows are so pigmented you do have to use a light hand with a few of them.

Here is what the palette looks like, and some swatches:

L to R: Wrath, Papillio, Summerfly, Killing Jar, Delaney, Vanish, Disintegration, Shadowbox and Deadhead

Here is the look that I did with the palette:

Products Used:
Foundation: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory
Concealer: Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer in Ivory
Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana Powder (undereye) and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (all over face)
Blush: Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush in Fetish
Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Fawn
Highlight: Too Faced Candelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo (both shades mixed together)
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). Kat Von D Monarch Palette – Vanish (transition/crease), Wrath (crease), Summerfly (inner half of lid and under eye), and Disintegration (outer half of lid and under eye). Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara (lashes).
Brows: L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium
Lips: NARS Audacious Lipstick in Annita

Max also got his hair done today too!

Have you tried any of Kat Von D’s palettes? I really want to try the Shade + Light Eye Palette next… If you have it, let me know if it is worth the money in the comments below! If not, let me know what your favourite warm look is!

Until next time…

xoxo,

Robyn

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Wedding Glam!

October 3, 2015October 3, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Hi guys! Today I am excited to be attending a friend of mine from work’s wedding. Since we are now into autumn, I chose a red dress and I decided to do a smoky eye with a neutral lip. I debated doing a red lip but it seemed like too much with the red dress and red hair. For the smoky eye I busted the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette and again, went straight for the silver/grey shades. For my hair I used my Babyliss Miracurl and then promptly surrounded it in a cloud of hairspray as it is fairly windy outside today.

Dress: Forever 21
Shoes: Steve Madden

Products Used:
Foundation: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory
Concealer: Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer in Ivory
Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana Powder (undereye) and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (all over face)
Blush: NARS Orgasm
Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Fawn
Highlight: The Balm’s Mary Lou-Manizer
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette – Combust (transition/crease), Slanted (all over lid and inner half under eye), Dagger (blended into outer half and outer half under eye), and Black Market (also blended into outer half closer to the edge). Urban Decay Naked Palette – Virgin (brow bone) and Naked (blended into crease). Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner in Black). Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant (lashes).
Brows: L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium
Lips: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Fiend

I hope you all are having a great Saturday! What is your go-to look for a wedding? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Easy All Drugstore Makeup Look!

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Hi guys! Today I have for you an all drugstore, budget friendly, easy and quick makeup look! This was a request that I had from a friend which I was excited to work on. This was fun to do and everything was purchased in town! This is a look that could be worn every day as it is very neutral. You could switch it up by adding some eyeliner and changing out the lip colour for something more dramatic.

Products Used:
Foundation: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory
Concealer: Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer in Ivory
Powder: Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Mattifying Face Powder in Translucent
Blush: e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette in Light (I used the top right shade)
Highlight: Wet n Wild Walking on Eggshells Trio – Browbone shade (very lightly on my cheekbones)
Eyes: Wet n Wild Walking on Eggshells Trio – Crease shade (in the crease, outer edge of eye lid and under eye), Eyelid shade (all over lid and inner part of under eye) and Brow Bone shade (on brow bone and blended down). L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara in Black Brown (2 coats).
Brows: L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium
Lips: Milani Moisture Matte Lipstick in Blissful (it looks shiny in the picture because it hasn’t dried down, it dries very matte. This formula is a bit drying so you may want to use lip balm first)

This look only took about 10 minutes to do and it is definitely every day appropriate. I was very impressed by the e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette! The shades were very pigmented and blendable. I would suggest using a very light hand to avoid over-doing it. The Wet n Wild was another stand-out item as it was so pigmented for being so inexpensive. I’m definitely going to try more of their eye sets.

What are your favourite drugstore makeup items to use? Give me your suggestions below in the comments!

xoxo,

Robyn

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September Favourites

September 30, 2015September 29, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 10 Comments

Hi guys! Can you believe that September has come to an end already? I certainly can’t. I feel like each month goes by faster than the last. September is the month when the air gets a bit cooler and warm rich colours come out to play. My sincere apologies for the lighting in the photos. The sun is going down way too fast in the evening and it doesn’t leave for much time to take photos.

Here are some of my the products that were favourites for the month of September:

Morphe 35W Palette

I talked about this palette about a week ago and mentioned that since I received it, I have been wearing it almost every day. For this reason, it is definitely a favourite this month. It is so versatile and the warm tones are perfect for fall.

Colourpop Lippie Stix in Grunge

Grunge is from the 90’s collection that Colourpop released for fall. This is such a beautiful colour that is very unique to my collection. As soon as I saw it, I fell in love.

Colourpop ‘Where The Light Is’ Quad

The Kathleenlights collaboration with Colourpop is as if it was made for fall. The warm golds and browns are just stunning. The pigmentation is incredible as well. Although I’m late to the party in terms of buying it, I sure am glad I did eventually get my hands on it. I’ve been wearing this a lot too since I got it (when I’m not using the Morphe 35W).

L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium

I haven’t invested in a good brow pencil yet, since I mostly shop for makeup online I have been waiting until I can actually go to Sephora so I can colour match (which seems like it is never going to happen at this rate). In the meantime I purchased this product because it has been raved about on YouTube and seemed less intimidating to match. It is amazing. It makes my brows look much more put together. They stay in place all day, and even after I go to the gym after work. I would like to add a pencil to my routine but this is great for now. If you have any good brow pencil recommendations from the drug store… please leave them in the comments.

Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

I have fallen for this mascara again this month. I had a sample of it from last year that I enjoyed and I got another one during VIB appreciation week at Sephora in August. It beautifully separates the lashes and adds volume. I haven’t decided if I like it better than my holy grail, Too Faced Better than Sex mascara, but it is definitely a close race. I’ve been wearing this one a lot this month. I’m really leaning towards buying a full size!

So those are my favourites for the month! What are you loving this month? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Fall Favourites Tag

September 26, 2015September 25, 2015 / thecorkedreader89 / 12 Comments

Hi guys! Jaclyn Hill recently did a fall favourites tag video and it got me inspired to bring it over to my blog. You can watch Jaclyn’s video here. Although I am definitely a summer girl, my second favourite season is fall. I love a nice sunny crisp day, wearing boots with jeans and a nice fall scented candle.

Favorite Candle

I recently purchased and am loving “Autumn” from Bath & Body Works. It smells red apples, cedar wood and green balsam. It smells like the most delicious apple cider!

Favorite Lip Color

L to R: Venom and Shame

I’ve been loving Urban Decay’s Revolutionary Lipstick on Venom and Shame so far for fall. They are both deep, vampy, but wearable colours for fall.

Favorite Drink

While I recently tried and enjoyed the updated Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, my favourite fall drink is the Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha. However, I don’t get them every time I go to Starbucks in the fall, I try to just treat myself to them occasionally.

Favorite Blush

I don’t really have a fall specific blush that I love just for fall. I find that NARS Orgasm goes really well with the warm looks I have been wearing, but I wear it all year round. It is one of my Holy Grail Products.

Favorite Clothing Item

BOOTS. Enough said, haha. I pretty much only wear boots all fall and all winter until I can break out my fun spring/summer shoes.

Favorite Fall Movie

Call me crazy but I don’t think I have a favourite movie for fall! A few of my favourite movies for any time of the year though, are Clueless, White Oleander and the whole Harry Potter Series.

Favorite Fall TV Show

The two shows that I normally wait all summer for their return would be Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Shonda Rhimes is a genius. I’m still undecided on how Grey’s will be this season though… if you watch it, you know what I mean. I also love Once Upon a Time but I have to admit, I’m VERY behind on last season and am still catching up.

Favorite Thanksgiving Food

My favourite Thanksgiving food is definitely stuffing. No contest. Homemade stuffing and gravy are such a great combination.

Favorite Halloween Costume

My favourite Halloween costume was when my husband and I dressed up as Pikachu and Ash Ketchum from Pokemon. We are both huge Pokemon geeks and it was fun to incorporate that into halloween.

I tag all of my fellow bloggers who read my blog to do this tag! Please leave me a link to the post in the comments so I can go check it out! If you are a reader and you do not have a blog, please feel free to include your fall favourites in the comments below! I would love to read them!

xoxo,

Robyn

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