October Favourites: Makeup, Skincare & More!

October 28, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! I feel like October started out slow and then once we hit the half-way point the rest just vanished. How it is October Favourites time already? Though I don’t appreciate the weather getting colder, October is a beautiful month. The leaves have changed colours and have fallen and it ends with my favourite holiday, Halloween! This was definitely a month where I reached for certain products constantly so more so than ever, these products are well-loved favourites.

Makeup

Kat Von D | MetalMatte Palette

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as I’ve already posted about this palette twice (here and here) this month. I just love the wide array of colours, the quality of the eye shadows and just how much it inspires me every time I reach for it.

Lorac | Pro 2 Palette

When I wasn’t wearing the Kat Von D MetalMatte Palette, this is what I had on my eyes. I should have included this in my September favourites, but I forgot to, but I’ve been wearing this pretty regularly for the last couple of months. Again, great quality eye shadows and I really enjoy the colour selection. I’ve done two looks with this palette for the blog and I’ve also previously swatched it. Continue reading →

Fall Trends: Mixed Mattes & Metallics

October 22, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Fall Trends Mixed Mattes Metallics

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a fall trends post but today I wanted to share with you the mixed mattes and metallics trend for this fall! I did do a post last week about the Kat Von D MetalMatte Palette showing you seven different looks with it, but I saved today’s look for this post as it is more of a stark contrast between the two finishes.

I love browsing the internet for trends, not necessarily because I follow them, but I love to look at them and consider how do-able they are for the everyday person. My mind will start interpreting them into inspiration and I’ll start thinking about how I can translate this. Considering I recently purchased the Kat Von D MetalMatte Palette I knew this was one of the fall trends that I had to do an interpretation of here! You could of course mimic this with any matte and metallic shades you have in your collection. The beauty of this trend is it is really open-ended, you could mix the finishes in any way and use any colours. Continue reading →

Seven Deadly Sins of Makeup Tag

October 21, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! Today I was just really feeling like doing a tag post. I love reading tags on other blogs and I love doing them from time to time to switch up my content and most of the time I end up talking about products I may have otherwise not mentioned. Anyways, I knew I wanted to a tag, but the question was ‘which one?’ so I headed over to Stashy’s Awards & Tags Page on her blog for some inspiration! That’s where I found the Seven Deadly Sins of Makeup Tag which I actually had never heard of or seen before. So, thank you Stashy! haha

Anyways, the point of the Seven Deadly Sins of Makeup Tag is that the questions all revolve around… you guessed it, the seven deadly sins.

GREED

What’s your most inexpensive beauty item? What’s your most expensive beauty item?

My most inexpensive beauty item would have to be my Essence Lip Liners. I can’t remember the exact price but they are only a few dollars and I love them.

My most expensive beauty item would probably be my recently purchased Kat Von D MetalMatte Palette. It thought it would be my Urban Decay Vice Palettes but they are actually $4 less! I looove eye shadow palettes so I tend to spend the most money on those.

Continue reading →

A Week of the Kat Von D MetalMatte Palette

October 14, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 12 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve shown you a week’s worth of looks from a palette so today I have a week of the Kat Von D MetalMatte Palette for you! I recently got this palette and as soon as I opened it for the very first time, fell in love.

Kat Von D is also coincidentally the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Brand of the Month for October so it’s even more fitting that I’m talking about this palette now. I’ll have the link-up to the other Canadian Beauty Blogger’s posts at the end of this post!

Review & Swatches

The MetalMatte Palette is a limited edition palette comprised of 9 of her Metal Crush formula eye shadows and 13 corresponding matte shades. It has an large range of shades making for excellent versatility. I’ll be showing you just how versatile this palette is when you get to the looks I’ve included in the post. I think with this palette you are really only limited by your imagination! Continue reading →

YouTube Made Me Buy It

October 8, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 11 Comments

Hi guys! The concept of the “YouTube Made Me Buy It!” post is nothing new, but I haven’t done one yet and as an avid YouTube-watcher I thought this would be fun! So let’s take a stroll through some of my past makeup purchases that I was convinced I needed from watching YouTube!

Too Faced | Chocolate Bar Palette

When I started getting into watching YouTube more, this product was already out. I wasn’t convinced I needed it right away as I had all three of the Urban Decay Naked palettes already. But, KathleenLights won me over with her constant praise of this palette. Do I regret buying it? Not at all, I love this palette! Plus, it smells like chocolate.

L’Oreal | Pro-Matte Foundation

I am someone who needs a matte foundation so when I started to see this pop-up all over YouTube I knew I needed to try it. I believe I first saw it on Young, Wild & Polished’s channel. Do I regret buying it? Nope! This is my go-to drugstore foundation. I’ve probably gone through 5 or 6 tubes of this! Continue reading →

MOTD: Playing with Colour

September 17, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! It feels like such a long time since I did a makeup look for the blog! I guess I just posted my first Fall Trends post on Modern Gothic last weekend, but since I was out of town I actually did that look quite awhile ago. While I was away I didn’t wear much makeup so I really wanted to play with makeup and do a bold look today. I have no plans to leave the house so it’s the perfect time to experiment. A few things inspired today’s look… The Urban Decay Electric Palette, peacocks and this look that I did here with a gradient blue under eye.

Playing with the Urban Decay Electric Palette

Products Used:

Primer: Nivea Post Shave Balm in Sensitive
Foundation: Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation in 0.5 with a tiny bit of Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation in Ivory mixed in
Concealer: Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Very Fair
Powder: Maybelline Matte + Poreless Translucent Powder
Blush: NARS Orgasm
Highlight: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Pressed) in Pearl
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). Kat Von D Shade + Light Palette – Samael, Lucius & Latinus (mixed in crease/transition area) and Lucius (brow bone). Urban Decay Electric Palette – Gonzo (inner part of eye lid and under eye), Chaos (middle part of eye lid and under eye) and Urban (outer part of eye lid and under eye). Smashbox X-Rated Mascara (lashes).
Brows: NYX Eyebrow Gel in Blonde
Lips: Essence Lip Liner in In the Nude & MAC Blankety

When it comes to wanting to play with colour the Urban Decay Electric Palette is always my go-to. It’s so pigmented and it has the right mixture of shades in it for a colourful look. I think this look would be great for a night out, or to be paired with a peacock halloween costume. A few years ago I dressed up as a peacock and I wish I would have had the Urban Decay Electric Palette back then because it is so perfect for that! Actually, the Urban Decay Electric Palette is currently on sale at Sephora, I’m not sure if it is being discontinued, but it’s a good time to scoop it up if you’ve been thinking about it!

For a look like this, I would suggest using a small brush for the lid as you need to carefully apply the eye shadow to avoid getting it into the crease or higher. I also used a layering technique to blend the shadows together. This involved going back and forth between the neighbouring colours to ensure a smooth transition instead of harsh borders.

I paired this look with relatively neutral makeup so that the eye area is the focal point! Nude lipsticks are perfect for a look like this. To intensify MAC’s Blankety, I added Essence’s In the Nude Lip Liner under it. I also tried out the Smashbox Rated-X Mascara that I got in an Ipsy bag awhile ago and I’m really liking it so far!

What is your favourite colourful makeup palette? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

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Mini “Minni” Sephora Haul

September 16, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! I managed to make my way into one of the many Sephora’s that I was probably in proximity to while I was away on my road trip. The Sephora that I stopped by was one that I’ve been to many times, the Minneapolis (“Minni”) location. Since being on the road for two weeks is quite costly, I limited myself to two lipsticks so I had to force myself to choose wisely. My focus seemed to be very liquid lipstick centred but I think that helped keep me from buying more than I did. So, let’s chat about what I picked!

Anastasia Beverly Hills | Liquid Lipstick in Heathers

I have wanted to try the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks for quite some time now but I always get seem to get side-tracked. This time though, that was not going to happen! Since it is *almost* fall, I wanted to get something more on the vampy-side so I chose the shade Heathers. It’s a brownish-oxblood shade which is basically a combination of two of my favourite fall colours! I can’t wait to try out this formula and put it to the test in an upcoming Love for Lipstick post!

Kat Von D | Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

It’s really no surprise that Kat Von D makes one of my favourite liquid lipsticks, I’ve raved about them in the past. With that said, I had to pick up another one! Lolita is one of her classic shades and surprisingly, it wasn’t yet mine! So, since it was in stock, I had to pick it up! This looks like a great every day shade. A rosy chestnut liquid lipstick? Yes please!

anastastia-beverly-hills-heathers-kat-von-d-lolita-swatches

L to R: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Heathers & Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

I also decided to compare Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita and Double Dare as when I swatched Lolita, it reminded me of Double Dare. They are very different though, yay! Double Dare is a touch pinker and brighter than Lolita. I’ve swatched them both below in case you were curious!

kat-von-d-lolita-double-dare-comparison-swatches

L to R: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita & Double Dare

Well, that’s what I picked up when I stopped by Sephora in Minneapolis! If you missed out on my recent posts about my adventures you can find the Canadian leg of the trip here, and the American leg of the trip here!

What have you recently hauled? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

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Fall Trends: Modern Gothic

September 10, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Hi guys! Since the seasons are changing I thought it was time to switch gears and start talking about some fall trends for 2016. At the time of writing this post (which was in advance since I’m currently on the road) Sephora hadn’t updated their Trending at Sephora page yet so I did some research to see what the trends for fall 2016 are. The first one that I wan to talk about is Modern Gothic.

Modern Gothic is, as the name suggests, a modern twist on the classic gothic look. Gothic makeup is generally very dark and dramatic with an emphasis on black. The face itself is usually made to be lighter than usual, in some cases, a very white porcelain, depending on the person’s skin tone. The modern twist seems to be doing a lighter smokey eye using more neutral shades paired with a bold, almost bitten-shade lip and defined brows.

Products Used:

Primer: Nivea Post Shave Balm in Sensitive
Foundation: Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation in 0.5 with a tiny bit of Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation in Ivory mixed in
Concealer: Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Very Fair & Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Light Neutral (mixed)
Powder: Maybelline Matte + Poreless Translucent Powder
Blush: Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Candy Glow
Highlight: Too Faced Candlelight Duo in Rosy Glow (both shades mixed)
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). Kat Von D Innerstellar Palette – Nightcrawler (transition), Orion (crease, outer-v and outer undereye) and 3 AM (inner part of lid and undereye). Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara (lashes).
Brows: NYX Eyebrow Gel in Blonde
Lips: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Shame

For my look, I’ve used rosey-taupe shades on the eye with a smoked out looking undereye. Paired with this, is a deep berry lip using Urban Decay’s Shame. Although my skin is a bit darker in the summer month’s, to keep my skin on the lighter side, I didn’t do any contouring or bronzing. It looks like I’ve contoured my cheekbones in the second photo, but that’s natural believe it or not! I think the end result of my take on the Modern Gothic fall trend is quite wearable. I would wear this again for sure!

What are some of your favourite trends you’ve been seeing for the fall? Let me know in the comments down below! Stay tuned for more fall trends!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

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Kat Von D Serpentina Palette

August 19, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 8 Comments

Hi guys! I’ve had the Kat Von D Serpentina Palette for about a month now so I’ve been playing with it and today I’m ready to review it for you! As you likely know, I’m definitely a fan of Kat Von D’s eye shadow palettes so when I saw this one announced, I knew I had to jump on it! Kat Von D is known for her pigmented, blendable and buttery eye shadows. Her palettes generally have quite a bit of kick-off but, the shadows are so phenomenal that they are still worth it.

The Serpentina Palette is a very bright palette that packs a lot of colour. It has two matte shades, six shimmery shades and one loose shimmery pigment. In terms of colours included, this is not a very practical palette. It has absolutely no neutrals, but that’s pretty apparent going in. This palette is for those who love colour! I do wish there was at least one neutral shadow included as a transition shade, but I tend to pair this with the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette.

Overall, I enjoy the shadow quality of this palette. A few things to note though, the mattes while quite blendable, are not as pigmented as you would expect if you are familiar with the Shade + Light Eye Palette. They fall a bit short in comparison.

The shimmer shades have amazing pigmentation. They are so beautiful, but they definitely have some fall out. For look #1 I did my face makeup first (my normal routine) but ended up having to fix the fall out after. For a minute there it looked like I had a royal blue highlight (it wasn’t cute). When I did look #2, I did my eye makeup first, cleaned up the fall out and then did the rest of my makeup. Worked much better that way!

I always, always, always use an eye shadow primer so I can’t comment on the wear time of these shadows. My eye shadows all seem to wear consistently no matter what the brand, formula or shade is.

This is a very large, bulky palette. Mostly because of the loose pigment (it is actually removable which is pretty awesome) which required palette to have some depth to it. To demonstrate that, I thought I would use a MAC lipstick to show you how tall the palette is. I don’t really mind the palette size, it fits in my palette drawer just fine. But, if you’re limited on space, it is an awkward size. It is also much longer than a standard eye shadow palette as well.

Transition: Ludwin (Shade + Light Eye Palette)
Crease: Venom
Lid: Queen
Outer-V: Nile
Under eye: Queen and Nile

Transition: Ludwin (Shade + Light Eye Palette)
Crease: Bloodmilk
Inner Lid: Prophet
Centre Lid: Hieroglyph
Outer-V: Bloodmilk
Under eye: Prophet, Hieroglyph and Bloodmilk

Serpentina is definitely a palette that I am glad I purchased and I look forward to creating more bright and colourful looks with it. While it does fall a bit short in comparison to other Kat Von D Palettes, I still do enjoy it. I saw quite a few negative reviews on this palette so I was a bit nervous taking the plunge, but in my opinion, it’s a great palette. This is a limited edition palette, however it is still available for purchase on the Sephora website.

Did you pick up the Kat Von D Serpentina Palette? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

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Top 3 Eye Shadow Palettes

July 15, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 15 Comments

Hi guys! It’s no secret that I’m an eye shadow palette junkie. I don’t know what it is but there is something so satisfying about getting a new palette to play with. I find them very inspiring as you can do so many looks with one single palette, particularly the larger ones. So, with that in mind, I thought I would go over the my top three palettes, or better yet, the three that I reach for the most. This probably does change throughout the year so this is based on current habits. I’ve talked about all these palettes before in previous posts where I swatched them so I’ve included those swatches to this post as well!

Kat Von D | Monarch Palette

I really love wearing warm shades on the eyes so this palette really delivers. The shadows are pigmented and buttery smooth so that they blend right in. I found that once I had better makeup brushes, this palette became a breeze to apply and a staple in my collection. I’m still quite sad that it has been discontinued so I’ll treasure this even more. My favourite look with this palette can be found here! The shade Wrath is definitely my favourite in the palette, it is just so warm and beautiful!

Continue reading →