e.l.f. Smoked to Perfection

September 23, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Hi guys! I posted the other day about my September Ipsy Glam Bag and in it, I received the e.l.f. Smoked to Perfection Palette so I thought today I would create a look using it! This also works well since the Canadian Beauty Blogger’s Brand of the Month for September is e.l.f.! For this look, I simply used the directions on the back of the palette to create the look that e.l.f. suggests doing. This palette is designed for beginners so the shadows are sheer and buildable to make it easy to create a look without going overboard. At the end of this post I’ll summarize my thoughts on this palette!

e.l.f. Smoked to Perfection

Products Used:

Primer: Nivea Post Shave Balm in Sensitive
Foundation: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory
Concealer: Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Very Fair
Powder: Maybelline Matte + Poreless Translucent Powder
Blush: e.l.f. Blush Palette in Light (bottom left shade)
Bronzer: Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer
Highlight: Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo in Rosy Glow (both shades mixed)
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). e.l.f. Smoked to Perfection (see photo below for details). Smashbox Rated-X Mascara (lashes).
Brows: L’Oreal Brow Artist Shaper in Blonde and Essence Make Me Brow in Blondy Brows
Lips: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned

1. Apply base shade all over lid 2. Add lid shade to the centre of the lid 3. Blend the crease shade into your crease 4. Apply the liner shade on the lower lash line and smudge out 5. Add highlight shade to inner corner and brow bone

After using this palette, I definitely think it is indeed foolproof. The shadows blend nicely and are sheer enough that you don’t add too much too quickly. They are buildable so you can control the amount of pigment you are using. The highlight shade is a bit chunky, but other than that, the shadows were great to work with. I never comment on longevity as I find my eye shadow all wears the same since I always use the Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion (original) on my lids as a first step.

In summary, if you’re looking at dabbling with creating a smoky eye, or if you’re looking for an inexpensive palette to add to your collection, I highly recommend the e.l.f. Smoked to Perfection palette! It retails for about $8.00 CAD (their website lists it as $6 USD so I did a rough conversion).

Have you tried e.l.f.? What are some of your favourite e.l.f. products? Let me know in the comments down below! And be sure to check out what e.l.f. products the other Canadian Beauty Bloggers are writing about? I’ve got links to their posts below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Mani Monday: OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

September 19, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I last did did a Mani Monday (I feel like I’m always saying that) but I’m back today with one of my favourite nail polishes ever, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark. I love this vampy shade of eggplant purple all year round, but I always feel a particular need to wear it when fall begins. What I love about it is that it is such a rich dark purple that it is nearly black, but you can still see that it is indeed purple.

Products Used:

OPI Nail Envy Original (1 coat)
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark (2 coats)
Glisten & Glow HK Girl Fast Drying Top Coat (1 coat)

The formula of OPI Lincoln Park After Dark is creamy and smooth. It applies like butter and is easy to control. My bottle has gotten a bit thick (I’ve had it for about six years) so it was a bit more difficult to apply than normal, but that’s nothing a few thinning drops won’t fix.

I particularly love this shade on short/medium length nails, I feel like there is something sophisticated about how it looks worn that way. Personally, I can’t stop staring at my nails when I have this polish on. This polish is definitely a staple in my collection, and since it is quite popular, I imagine it is a staple to many. This is one shade that I can’t imagine OPI would ever retire. But, if they do, I have two bottles of it in my collection! That is how much I love this shade.

What do you have on your nails today? Let me know in the comments down below. You can find all of my previous Mani Monday posts here!

xoxo,

Robyn

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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

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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

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Weekly Post Recap

September 11, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / Leave a comment

Hi guys! It’s that time of the week again! If you missed any of this week’s posts you will find links to them all here!

Top 5 Fall Lipsticks

Fall-Lipsticks-2016

Get to Know Me Tag

Lipstick on the Lake

Fall Trends: Modern Gothic

Fall-Trends-2016-Modern-Gothic-2

xoxo,

Robyn

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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

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Get to Know Me Tag

September 9, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

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Hi guys! I saw this tag over at Classic Maggie and thought it looked like so much fun that I had to give it a whirl myself! I highly recommend checking out her post if you want to learn more about the fantastic Nicole of Classic Maggie!

1. What brings you the greatest joy? My husband, friends, pets and family! Oh, and watching a rabbit “binky”. It’s the most amusing and greatest thing to watch…

Bunnelby approves of her new kennel!

2. What are your vices? Online shopping (particularly for makeup), procrastination and greasy food.

3. What is on your nightstand? Books, my phone and cuticle oil.

4. Do you have a secret talent? Hmm, I honestly don’t think so!

5. What is your greatest indulgence? Pasta! I loooooove pasta. When I went to Rome I practically lived off of it.

6. What should everyone try at least once in their life? I’m with Nicole on this one and I have to say, travel! Whether it is within your own country or to another country, it such an amazing experience. I try to travel somewhere near each year!

7. What makes you laugh? So many things, I’ve got a pretty good sense of humour! I love a good meme, always appreciate sarcasm and I always love hearing a funny story.

8. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I’m a major over-thinker. It’s not as bad as it used to be but I used to keep myself up at night over-thinking.

9. What is on your bucket list? Travel the world (I’ve got a fairly lengthy travel bucket list, maybe I’ll do a post on just that!), see as many of my favourite musicians perform and go to Comic-Con in San Diego, to name a few.

10. What is on your feet right now? Nothing! I’m inside my house.

11. How did you make your first dollar? Probably random chores around the house! I think it was to earn money to buy Spice Girls bubblegum to collect the stickers, haha!

12. What superstition do you believe in? Full moons evoking madness… I definitely notice a difference at work. Also, “knock on wood” is another one I regularly partake in.

13. What items in your closet do you wear the most? Jeans!

14. What is the best gift you’ve ever received? Hmm, probably my engagement ring. I was so surprised when I came home to find my husband on one knee and I will treasure that ring forever. It’s exactly what I had always had in mind. He did good!

15. What is on your liquor shelf? If you saw my liquor shelf you would think I had a problem… My drink of choice is merlot though.

16. What is on your kitchen counter? The usual stuff… spice rack, fruit bowl, Keurig Coffee Maker and so on 🙂

17. What would you never leave home without? My phone and wedding rings, I feel naked without those, and I guess my wallet is an essential too!

I tag anyone who would like to participate in the Get to Know Me Tag! Link me your posts if you do it, I love reading these kinds of posts!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…

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Top 5 Fall Lipsticks

September 7, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 11 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a top 5, the last one I did was for summer lipsticks. With the fall season looming I thought it would be fun to look at my top 5 most reached-for fall lipsticks. When the nights start getting cooler and the leaves start changing colours I am all about browns and burgundy shades on my lips. It isn’t even fall yet and I’m excited to start wearing these shades more!

Colourpop | Ultra Matte Lipstick in Kapow

This shade is definitely the boldest of the bunch. It looks very, very dark on the lips on me but I love it. I did a look using it last fall so you can see what it looks like on me here. I like it best with very simple, neutral makeup so that it stands out but the look as a whole isn’t over the top. Colourpop describes this shade as a muted grey-taupe and I think that is a very accurate description. I find that this shade wears well and is comfortable on the lips. If you are sensitive to liquid lipsticks and have issues with dry lips you may want to find a similar shade in a traditional lipstick formula.

MAC | Matte Lipstick in Studded Kiss

Studded Kiss is a dark oxblood shade. Oxblood sounds like a gross name for a colour, but I am obsessed with that shade in the fall. I have oxblood pants that I’m just dying to start wearing when it gets cool enough to wear full length pants! Again this is a matte shade, which isn’t surprising because I love matte lipsticks. I mostly pair this with neutral/brown looks. For the most part with fall I usually tone down the eye makeup and let deep lipstick shades do the talking.

L’Oreal | Colour Riche Lipstick in Pure Burgundy

I re-discovered this lipstick in my collection. I’m not sure when I got it, I don’t think it is available anymore but it is a colour that I love for fall. It is a beautiful burgundy shade. Pure Burgundy is a bit deeper than MAC’s Studded Kiss so it adds a bit more drama to a look.

Urban Decay| Vice Lipstick in 1993

1993 has only recently come into my life but I know it will be a fall staple. It’s a medium brown shade that is really quite wearable and versatile if you like brown lipsticks. It is a comfort matte shade so although it is a matte lipstick, it does not feel drying on the lips.

Colourpop | Lippie Stix in Grunge

I thought that Grunge from Colourpop was no longer available since it was part of their 90’s collection last fall but I just checked and it is still on their website! They describe this shade as a cool-toned plum brown. Similar to my other choices, this is also a matte lipstick. Colourpop makes great matte Lippie Stix, they are quite comfortable to wear. In my mind Grunge and 1993 were similar, but now seeing them swatched side-by-side they really are quite different. Beside 1993, you really can see the plum in Grunge. It’s a beautiful shade and I’m so happy to see that it is still available.

What are your favourite lipsticks for fall? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette

September 3, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! I’ve had the Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette for quite some time and I hadn’t got around to reviewing it yet. I wanted to use it more before reviewing and I never seemed to reach for it when doing my makeup so I kept putting it off. However, today I am ready to review it for you. I received this palette from Influenster for review purposes, however, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The palette itself is a rosey neutral palette, quite similar to the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. It contains twelve shadows, three of which are matte and the rest are shimmery.

For comparison, here is previous photos I’ve posted of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette:

The two palettes are quite similar, however they are of course at very different price points so you can’t really expect them to be dupes. They most certainly are not. The shades in the palette are similar but that is where the comparison stops.

As you can see from my swatches, these shadows sheer out a lot. They are also a bit chalky in consistency. I thought they would be impossible to work with, but I found them relatively easy to work with. The darker shades definitely are easier to work with than the lighter shades. I always use a primer when applying eye makeup so it always wears consistently so I can’t really speak to wear time.

Here is a look that I did using the Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette:

Since the shadows don’t have names (why wouldn’t you name your shadows?!) I’ve done up this guide to show you which shades I used in this look:

So, while this isn’t my favourite palette in the world, I wouldn’t completely write it off. For the price (approx $14 CAD) it’s a decent palette. I found the best way to apply these shadows was to pack them on using a shader brush or a crease precision blender (Morphe E17). If you wanted a softer look, you could definitely blend them out and achieve that. While personally, I think I’ll stick to my Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, if you’re looking to dabble into eye makeup, this might be a good place to start. It’s a good selection of shades, is inexpensive and since the shadows are a little more on the sheer-side you can really control the amount you are applying.

Have you tried the Maybelline The Blushed Nudes palette out? Let me know what your thoughts were in the comments down below. If not, what is your favourite drugstore palette? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

xoxo,

Robyn

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*Product was sent to me for review, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I did not receive compensation to write this post

August Favourites: Makeup, Skincare & More!

August 31, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! How in the heck is August over? Where did summer go?? I almost don’t want to write this in hope’s that I can just pretend that August didn’t end yet. But, alas, it is time to talk about my August Favourites!

Makeup

Too Faced | Peanut Butter and Jelly Palette

This little palette is amazing. The shadows perform well and although it is a neutral palette and a small one at that, it is quite versatile. I did a post on it here where I showed five different looks done using this palette and did a full review with swatches.

NYX | Eyebrow Gel in Blonde

This is a fairly new makeup item in my arsenal but I can tell it is a favourite already. I think this may even make my 2016 favourites list if I may be that bold. A few weeks ago my sister went to a wedding and when I saw her earlier that day her brows were the definition of “on fleek”. She told me pointed me in the direction the NYX Eyebrow Gel and WOW. I love it. It’s so easy to use and it fills in my brows just right. Most days I don’t even bother with adding a clear gel to set them. This product claims to be water-proof, smudge-resistant and long-lasting and I can safely say all those claims are true.

Skincare

I actually don’t think I have a new skincare favourite to share with you this month! I’m trying some new products right now but, they haven’t been tested enough to determine if they are a favourite or not.

More!

Gwen Stefani | Obsessed

It should be no surprise that one of my favourite random things this month is a Gwen Stefani song considering I went to see her in concert earlier this month. This song is so catchy and I listen to it at least every day.

MyLipAddiction.com Beauty Podcast

My week would not be complete without the latest instalment of Cat’s MyLipAddiction.com Podcast! Her guests are always really interesting and Cat, herself, is a joy to listen to. I was actually on this podcast earlier this month as well but I was a listener before I was a guest! I highly recommend checking it out! She airs new episodes every Thursday at 7 pm est (currently on break until the fall but you can catch up on previous episodes) on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher & Buzzsprout!

Well, those are my August Favourites! I would love to hear what yours are so please let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,

Robyn

You can also find me here…