Q4 Empties: October to December 2017

January 27, 2018 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

I’m a bit late on posting my final empties for 2017 but they have been sitting under my vanity and I am ready to get rid of them. A lot of these are repeat offenders but I do have a few new empties as well. I thought it might be easier to separate out the repeats so that I’m not boring you guys in each empties post. So, with that said, let’s check out what I emptied during the last quarter of the year!

Makeup

Revlon | Mega Multiplier Mascara

I was sent this item in an Influenster Vox Box complimentary for review and spent a great deal of time testing it out and wearing it regularly. It was probably at the end of it’s reign when I did my last empties post but I wasn’t quite ready to get rid of it yet at that point. You can read my full review on the Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara but essentially, I did enjoy using it. Would I repurchase it? While it probably isn’t my favourite drugstore mascara, I would probably repurchase it at some point. Especially if I saw it on sale! Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

Refresh and Reset Luxe Box

March 8, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 14 Comments

Hi guys! I’ve got a rather exciting post today as I’m sharing my first Luxe Box! A couple of days ago my wonderful husband surprised me with a randomly gifted Luxe Box. He mentioned that there was some kind of deal with American Express for this particular box so when he saw it, he thought of me. I’ve been stressed to the max lately so this random gift really lifted my spirits! If you are unfamilar with Luxe Box, they are a Canadian subscription box that ships on a quarterly basis. Shipping is free within Canada and each box contains seven deluxe sample or full sized items. Continue reading →

3 Products that Don’t Work for Me

January 11, 2017 / thecorkedreader89 / 8 Comments

Hi guys! I usually try to keep things positive over here as makeup is such a subjective thing to write about. When I try products out, I always keep in mind that what works for one may not work for everyone. Everyone’s skin type, shade and needs are so versatile. Anyways, I thought I would share 3 products that just didn’t work for me and share my thoughts on why. Continue reading →

5 Drugstore Makeup Essentials

November 9, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! While indulging in mid end to high end makeup is fun, it isn’t always financially feasible. Shopping for makeup at the drugstore can also yield some hidden gems that work just as well, if not better than their pricier counterpart. Today I want to share with you some of my drugstore makeup essentials and why I love them so much. Before we get into it, it’s important to note that everyone has different skin tones so not everything I share will work for all. Personally, I have normal to oily skin that gets super shiny throughout the day.

L’Oreal Pro-Matte Foundation

I’ve sung the praises of this foundation time and time again. I’ve gone through so many tubes of the L’Oreal Pro-Matte Foundation. It truly makes a difference in keeping my skin matte, while also maintaining a natural finish to the skin. It has medium coverage so it evens out my skin tone and hides any minor blemishes or imperfections. As well, it lasts throughout the day. Continue reading →

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara

November 5, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! As you know, I love testing and trying out different mascaras. I had previously reviewed the L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara, but when a friend suggested the Telescopic Mascara in the gold mascara I was intrigued.

The brush with the Telescopic Mascara is the same as the Telescopic Carbon Black. They both have a flexible precision brush. I personally love this style of brush because it works well for both the top and bottom lashes. Much easier to apply mascara without wearing it all over my skin!

Continue reading →

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 →

L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal

October 15, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! Quite a few weeks ago now I was sent the L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal products that you see above complimentary by Influenster for review. I’ve been using them exclusively for the past few weeks and I’m at a point where I’ve developed an opinion on them that I’m ready to share!

I followed the routine that Influenster suggested in order to get a grasp on how well these products work:

Now, let’s take a look at each individual item!

L’Oreal | Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Scrub Cleanser

My normal routine does not include exfoliating every day as it damages the skin, however, to follow the suggested routine, I gave it a shot. Over time I did not notice any damage to my skin, though I have gone back to my usual once or twice a week routine now that I’m done testing. The granules in this scrub feel fairly gentle and are used sparingly in the scrub, so you’re not getting as deep (or harsh) of an exfoliating as you would with say… St. Ive’s Apricot Scrub. The cleanser itself is almost gel-like so it tones down the harshness as well. My skin felt clean and smooth after using this nightly. The only thing I didn’t like about it as it was a bit difficult to get all the granules off my face while rinsing.

More specifically, the active ingredients of this are Perlite and Glycolic Acid to exfoliate your skin’s dullness and impurities to assist in improving texture and complexion. As I said earlier, my skin does feel smooth after using this.

L’Oreal | Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads

The next step in this routine is to use the Brightening Peel Pads. These pads, I found were saturated with just the right amount of the product so that you could feel it on your skin, but the pads were not dripping. I appreciated this as you would not want to get this in your eyes! You use the pads in a circular motion on your face to chemically exfoliate your skin. I found this was great as it got what the scrub missed!

The Brightening Peel Pads contain 10% Glycolic Complex which is what gently exfoliates the dead skin cells away. It’s said to resurface uneven skin. I don’t have a lot of issues with uneven skin so I can’t really comment on this claim. But, you can see on the pads that it does exfoliate, and I found it picked up what the very gentle scrub missed. Continue reading →

2016 Empties (So Far)

April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve done an empties post so I thought I would gather up the empties that I have been hoarding… I mean collecting… over the past few months and chat a bit about them. You can find my last empties post here! There is a few repeats this month from my last post, it just goes to show what I use the most!

Skincare

Neutrogena | Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover

I really enjoyed using this eye makeup remover, it does a great job at removing everything including waterproof mascara. You don’t need to use much of it so it generally lasts a few months. Would I repurchase it? Well, I did repurchase it, and I do use it from time-to-time but I have primarily switched to the Garnier Micellar Water to remove all of my makeup. Continue reading →

Maybelline Lash Sensational

February 19, 2016February 18, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! I posted the other day that I picked up the Maybelline Lash Sensational in Blackest Black when I went through my most recent Drugstore Haul. I’ve been testing it for the last few days and I’m ready to share my thoughts about it. I’m happy to report that this mascara is worth the hype!

Continue reading →