Top 5 Holiday Lipsticks

November 23, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! I can’t believe it’s this time of year already. As I write this, I can see the snow banks outside my house. So, in an attempt to try to be festive, I thought I’d share some of my favourite go-to holiday lipsticks. When those inevitable holiday parties and dinners come around, you can bet I’ll be wearing one of these!

NYX | Butter Gloss in Red Velvet

I am not a gloss person, but the holiday season tends to be a glossy, glittery and shiny time of the year. As far as glosses go, the NYX Butter Glosses are great because they pack on sheer to medium coverage and they don’t feel sticky. The shade Red Velvet is a beautiful cherry red and thus earns it’s spot in my go-to holiday lipsticks.

Too Faced | Melted Matte Lipstick in Lady Balls

Liquid lipsticks are everything to me so, it should be no surprise that I’ve got Too Faced Lady Balls on my list of top holiday lipsticks. I gave this lipstick a pretty rave review so it’s also just a favourite in general. Continue reading →

Mani Monday: Let it Snow!

November 21, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 1 Comment

Hi guys! Today’s manicure is inspired by the snow that fell this weekend. I’m not on board with it being here, but it made me want to pull out Girly Bits January Morning which looks like sparkly fresh snow! To top it off, Girly Bits is a fantastic Canadian indie brand! Now… if the snow that arrived over the weekend feels like melting, I’d be okay with that. Continue reading →

Weekly Post Recap: November 14 to 19, 2016

November 20, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! This week was such a mix of super great and super frustrating. But alas, it is time to round up all the links for the past week’s posts!

Mani Monday: Julep Rochelle

After the last Julep polishes I tried I was itching to try another!

julep-rochelle

Sephora: VIB Rouge Sale Haul

Check out the goodies I scored as a sneak peak of what is to come on the blog!

sephora-vib-sale-haul

Maison Jacynthe Makeup Review

Maison Jacynthe is a Canadian brand that was kind enough to send me a few of their makeup products to review.

maison-jacynthe

Morphe x Kathleenlights Eye Shadow Palette

My first impressions of this palette, swatches and of course, a makeup look!

morphe-kahleenlights-review

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Morphe x Kathleenlights Eye Shadow Palette

November 19, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Hi guys! Today I’ve got my first impressions of the Morphe x Kathleenlights Eye Shadow Palette for you! I hesitated posting this as the palette is currently sold out, but Morphe is still posting it on their Instagram so fingers crossed that it comes back at least one more time! If you didn’t already guess or assume, this palette was done in collaboration with YouTuber, Kathleenlights, who is one of my favourite ones to watch!

The Morphe x Kathleenlights Eye Shadow Palette is a fairly neutral palette with a few pops of colour. It contains a mix of mattes and shimmers, as well as warm tones and cool tones. What I love about this palette is that it looks like something that, if you are familiar with her channel, Kathleenlights would use all the time.

As for shadow quality, I have no complaints so far. I really enjoy my Morphe 35W palette so I knew I’d be happy with this one too. What I love about the mattes is that they are blendable and very buildable. This would be a great palette for someone starting out as it doesn’t immediately pack on the pigment so you can achieve a soft blended crease. The shimmer shades are stunning as well and look almost metallic on the lid and are buttery soft to apply. Continue reading →

Maison Jacynthe Makeup Review

November 18, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 10 Comments

Hi guys! Maison Jacynthe was kind enough to send me some of their newly launched makeup items for review and after a few weeks of testing, I am ready to share my thoughts on them! They are a fairly new Canadian company, founded in 2014 by Jacynthe René who is an actress and a producer. Their makeup line launched on August 28, 2016 and is formulated with active and natural ingredients.

Maison Jacynthe: The Lipsticks

Being the matte lipstick lover that I am, I chose two of from this line to test. I’ve worn both of them extensively and have found the formula to be very consistent between the two shades. The formula is creamy and glides onto the lips when you apply it. There is no ‘dragging’ sensation that you may find with some matte lipsticks. Continue reading →

Sephora VIB Rouge Sale Haul

November 16, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 17 Comments

Hi guys! I practically did a happy dance when my Sephora order mysteriously arrived on my doorstep on Sunday. I knew it would be arriving soon, my guess was Monday (based on the tracking information I had) but somehow it decided to arrive on a non-mail day. Confusing, but I’m not complaining! Anyways, I thought I would quickly share with you what I snagged during the recent Sephora VIB Rouge Sale! Quite a few of these items are from my original fall wishlist but, I did stray as well! So, similar to my birthday haul, this is a sneak peak at what you can expect to see in upcoming reviews, makeup looks and so on!

NARS | Sin

Sin was on my original wishlist and after, I believe it was Polished and Inspired, who commented on that post, the deal was sealed. Can’t wait to try this out!

Tarte | Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

My original list had the Tarte Colour Wheel, but since that wasn’t available I decided to pick one Tarte blush to try. I wanted a nude blush and this one jumped out at me the most. I actually wore this yesterday and I’m absolutely in love with this shade. It’s exactly what I was looking for! Continue reading →

Mani Monday: Julep Rochelle

November 14, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! It’s time for another Mani Monday and today I’ve got Julep’s Rochelle on my nails. After how much I loved the last Julep polishes I wore, I knew I had to try the next one in my collection out. I had won four Julep polishes in a giveaway on Classy on the Run so now I’ve tried three of them. The next one that stood out to me was Rochelle which is a beautiful purple shade with a pearly finish. Simply stunning!

Products Used:

OPI Chip Skip
OPI Nail Envy Maintenance
Julep Rochelle (2 coats)
Glisten & Glow HK Girl Top Coat Continue reading →

The Ride or Die Makeup Tag

November 12, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 10 Comments

Hi guys! I was thinking about doing an update to my holy grail post that I wrote last year. Instead, I thought it would be fun to do Jaclyn Hill’s Ride or Die Makeup Tag which is essentially the same thing! So in this post you will find all of my go-to items for each makeup category, these are the products I can’t live without.

PRIMER

If you read my post about essential drugstore makeup items this week, you probably already know the answer to this. My ride or die primer is the Nivea After Shave Balm (Sensitive). Nothing else makes my makeup last so long. Note, it does not control my oil though.

FOUNDATION

Another repeat from my essential drugstore post… so far the drugstore is winning this tag! While I enjoy a few other foundations, the L’Oreal Pro-Matte is my ride or die. I always go back to it because it works so well for me.

CONCEALER

Straying from the drugstore… The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer is definitely ride or die status for me. Personally, I find it is a great formula to work with. It’s pigmented, it has a great, blendable consistency and it is the perfect shade for me. I never have luck finding a concealer in the right shade and Fair Neutral is perfection.

FACE POWDER

Face powders are essential for helping me stay matte and I’ve mentioned this powder thousands of time here on the blog… The Maybelline FitMe Matte + Poreless Translucent Powder is definitely my go-to.

UNDER EYE SETTING POWDER

I normally use the same powder on my face as I do for setting my under eye, but occasionally I’ll use the Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Powder on my under eye area if I really want to make sure my makeup lasts all day. Continue reading →

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette

November 11, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 11 Comments

Hi guys! Today I thought I would share with you my first impressions, swatches and look using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette! While this palette has been out for quite a few months now, it’s new to me. I knew this palette one day had to me mine after how hard I fell in love with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Self-Made Palette. The shadow quality in that palette knocked my socks off.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette is mainly a warm toned palette, with a few cool shades added in to balance it out. It contains both fourteen eye shadows which contain mattes and shimmers. As long as these shades appeal to you, you have everything you need for several different looks in one place. While this palette had a summer release, it mostly screams “fall” to me (though I would wear these shades all year round).

The shadow quality itself is excellent. It reminds me of my beloved Self-Made Palette so I am one happy camper. The shadows kick off some dust so you just need to make sure you tap off your brush before application to avoid fall-out. All of the shades I’ve used to date are pigmented and very much blendable which makes application a breeze. 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 →