Makeup Revolution Constellation Palette | Review

August 29, 2019 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

It’s safe to say that this has been the spring and summer of Makeup Revolution for me. I’ve become hooked on their inexpensive, yet quality eye shadow palettes. Their thing is definitely duping other high end palettes but they do such a great job that I ain’t mad about it. I believe the Makeup Revolution Constellation Palette, which I’ll be reviewing for you today, is supposed to be a dupe of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Riviera Palette. However, I do not own that palette so I can’t really speak to their comparability at this time. Continue reading →

Le Petit Marseillais Mandarin & Lime Body Wash

June 11, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

I was recently sent two samples of the Le Petit Marseillais Mandarin & Lime Body Wash complimentary for review from Influenster. I actually have a full sized bottle of their White Peach & Nectarine scent so the formula wasn’t new to me but I haven’t spoken about that on the blog yet either. The Le Petit Marseillais Body Wash promises to leave skin soft, moisturized and refreshed. Continue reading →

Essence Vibrant Purple

May 21, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Nothing says spring/summer like a bright manicure. I recently picked up Essence Vibrant Purple from their Gel Polish lineup and I couldn’t resist getting it onto my nails right away. It’s a beautiful orchid purpley-pink shade that reminds me of a field of flowers. I’ve used a few of the Essence Gel Polish shades over the past couple of years and I’m constantly impressed by their wear time. They are also great for summer pedicures as well! Not to mention they are at an amazing price point. Who can say no to nail polish that is under $5 per bottle AND wears well? Continue reading →

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 →

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask

November 3, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Masks have become a recent staple in my skincare routine, particularly sheet masks. They are quick and simple and make minimal mess. When I was recently sent a few Garnier skincare products to try, I was most excited to try out the Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask. It promises to make your skin softer and more radiant by deeply moisturizing.

The first thing that I noticed about the Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask is that it is by-far the best fitting face mask I have ever tried. It felt like it fit my face like a glove. Since it fit so well it felt comfortable for the entire time it was on my face. I wore this mask for about fifteen minutes. Continue reading →

Q3 Empties: July to September 2017

October 4, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! With Q3 complete it’s time to take a look at the empties that I have amassed over the last few months. There’s a few repeats this time around, as well as a whole bunch of mascara. I cleaned/organized my vanity the other day and found a bunch of mascaras that I thought I had already thrown out so I figured I might as well add those in here too! As you may recall, I’ve had my quarters mixed up this year so this post is a bit light as I had a few items in my last post that probably should have been in this one.

Makeup

Rimmel | Shake it Fresh Mascara

I don’t really want to talk too much about this one as I did a full review of it here. I got it as part of an Influenster campaign and I hated it. I have barely used it but, I just can’t. It’s terrible. It didn’t flake or smudge, but the formula gave absolutely no volume to my lashes. They just kind of stuck straight out. Would I repurchase it? No way. With so many mascara choices out there, this is a hard pass.

Revlon | Dramatic Definition Mascara (Waterproof)

I gave the original version of the Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara a very positive review, however, when I went to repurchase it I accidentally bought the waterproof version. I don’t really wear waterproof mascaras and don’t particularly enjoy removing them so I hardly ever knowingly purchase them. I kind of just forgot I owned it as I didn’t really enjoy using it. Would I repurchase it? No, but I’d go back to the regular version. 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.

Continue reading →

Q2 Empites: Better Late than Never

August 3, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Hi guys! My pile of empties was getting a bit out of hand recently and my husband had asked if I was ready to throw my beauty trash out yet. I responded by saying I was waiting for the end of Q2… to which my accountant husband pointed out was over a month ago. It appears that I’ve completely lost track of time, so this post is a bit larger than my normal post, so I’m guessing Q3 will probably be a little on the light side. With that said, let’s see what I’ve finished up since my last post!

Makeup

Urban Decay | Naked Skin Concealer (Fair Neutral)

This was my ride or die concealer for quite some time. I think this is my second one that I’ve emptied over the past year. I love the shade of it, as well as how well it blends out while maintaining it’s pigmentation. While I have seen mixed reviews on it, it always worked for my skin. Would I repurchase it? Yes, but right now I’ve been pretty head over heels for the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. That being said, I still have room in my heart for this beauty. Continue reading →

Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara

July 12, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 3 Comments

Hi guys! Influenster recently sent me the Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara complimentary for review as part of a recent campaign. Since I loved the last Revlon mascara that I tried, I was really excited when I saw I was selected to participate. The Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara is a tubing mascara that deposits fibres around your lashes for volume and length. Based on it’s description alone I was quite optimistic for this one (unlike the last mascara that I reviewed!).

The brush on this mascara is fairly average in size and tapers a bit towards the tip to make it super easy to use. If I can manage to not get mascara all over my under eye area when coating my bottom lashes then I call it a success! The flat style of the tube is nice as well as it doesn’t feel bulky in the hands and can be maneuvered easily. Also, since it doesn’t roll it is GREAT for photographing (blogger problems, am I right?!). Continue reading →

Ulta Haul!

July 7, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! I went to the States last weekend so as always, it had to include a trip to Ulta in Duluth, MN! Oh Ulta, how I wish you had a few stores in Canada… What I love about Ulta is that it’s the best of Sephora, Shopper’s Drugmart and Chatters all rolled into one wonderful place! I could spend an entire day getting lost in there… but I controlled myself and managed to spend probably less than an hour there before we got back in the car and continued on the road to Minneapolis. It also happened to be the last day of a 20% off promotion so it was definitely a great time to stop there!

Let’s take a look at what I grabbed…

Makeup Revolution | Unicorns Unite Salvation Eyeshadow Palette

I didn’t originally have this on my shopping list but since they didn’t have the unicorn highlighter that I had my eye on, and I had unicorns on the brain, I decided to pick this up. Plus, there was a buy 2, get 1 free deal going on with Makeup Revolution. The colours in this palette jumped out at me as they look fun for summer so I’m excited to see how this inexpensive palette works out. I haven’t even touched or swatched any of this yet, as soon as I got back from the States I went out to the cottage. Continue reading →