Essence Get BIG Lashes Mascara

August 29, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 7 Comments

Hi guys! I’ve been using the Essence Get BIG Lashes Mascara for about a month or two now so I feel like I’m ready to do a review on it. I feel like I’m always switching which mascaras I use each quarter – meaning I don’t typically re-buy something I’ve already tried. This means I end up reviewing a number of mascaras. Each time I try a mascara I make a mental list of ones that I WOULD repurchase again though. With so many mascara choices though, I always feel temped to try new ones.

Essence is a brand that I’ve been getting more and more into this year. It is so inexpensive and the products are of a high quality. Each time I go to Shopper’s Drug Mart another Essence product make’s it’s way home with me. I had been hearing positive things about their mascaras but couldn’t remember which one so I grabbed one that seemed appealing to me. I chose the Get BIG Lashes Mascara which is meant for volume boosting.

The wand itself is football shaped and is on the bigger side. Essence claims the large wand is to make sure each lash is coated, however, I prefer a smaller brush if you’re trying to get every lash. Due to it’s size, you need to be careful particularly when coating those pesky bottom lashes.

My lashes themselves look longer and definitely have more volume than usual when wearing this mascara. My lashes on the one eye (of course the one I got the better pictures of) tend to clump together so that is not a fault of this mascara. The formula is fairly light weight so you can’t really tell you’re wearing it. It isn’t as weightless feeling as the Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara which is the last mascara I reviewed and the other one in my current rotation.

As for wear-time, I’m currently wearing this mascara as I write this and I’ve had it on for about twelve hours and my lashes look the same as they did this morning. No flakes or smudges at all.

Overall, I really like the Essence Get BIG Lashes Mascara and I would repurchase it eventually. I think I like the Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara a bit more though. That one seems to have a bit more “oomph” to it and the wand is smaller.

Have you tried any Essence Mascaras? I’d love to try another so please leave your suggestions in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Summer Trends: Coloured Lashes

August 27, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! To end off my summer trends posts for 2016 I wanted to share one last trend. Today we’ll be talking about coloured lashes! This trend wasn’t from Trending at Sephora, but I did a bit of research to find another trend that would be fun to incorporate into the blog.

Coloured lashes is exactly what it sounds like. It’s using a fun coloured mascara (or possible falsies) to add a pop of colour to your lashes! As soon as I saw this one I knew I had to do it as I recently got a purple NYX mascara in a giveaway that I won. Coloured mascara is definitely a fun way to add some colour to a look. I’ve used this mascara a few times, once with a primarily purple look and today I have a look for you using it to add colour to an every day look.

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: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
Blush: NARS Deep Throat
Highlight: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter (Pressed) in Moonstone
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (original). Urban Decay Naked Smoky – Combust (crease), Password (outer-v), Dirtysweet, High & Slanted (layered all over lid) and Smolder (under eye). NYX Color Mascara in Purple (lashes)
Brows: NYX Eyebrow Gel in Blonde
Lips: MAC Up the Amp Lipstick

The NYX Color Mascara is a lot more pigmented than I thought it would be. My previous experience with coloured mascaras is that they don’t really show up or end up looking black. The mascara itself essentially just adds colour, it didn’t really add any volume or curl to my lashes. If you prefer a mascara that adds some curl to your lashes, I would recommend using an eyelash curler first. Anyways, I wouldn’t wear this every day but it is definitely a fun way to add colour and I would definitely do that again on occasion.

xoxo,

Robyn

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What’s in my Travel Makeup Bag?

August 26, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 4 Comments

Travel-Makeup-Bag

Hi guys! Taking a page out of Stashy’s book, I thought I would share with you what I’m taking in my travel makeup bag for my upcoming road trip across Canada! I’m about to embark on a road trip from my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario to Vancouver, British Columbia so what better way to force myself to pack ahead of time than to write about it? This is going to be more of a visual post so I’ll share photos and list what is in each one!

Basically, my thought process behind packing was that I’m going by car, so space isn’t too limited, and I wanted to have options. For the most part, I’ll be outdoors camping and sight-seeing so I’ve packed some naturalish options. But, I’ll also be doing things like going on wine tours where I may want to add a bit more glam to my look. So, this might seem like an excessive amount of makeup, but I seem to have justified it as I packed, haha! It all fits in one bag, that’s what counts!

Travel-Makeup-Bag-Base-Products

Too Faced Born This Way Concealer (Very Fair)
L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte (Classic Ivory)
Joe Fresh Matte Skin Tint (Porcelain)
Maybelline FitMe Matte + Poreless (Translucent)

Travel-Makeup-Bag-Blush-Highlight-Contour

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion (Original)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (Light to Medium)
TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
Urban Decay After Glow Blush (Fetish)

Travel-Makeup-Bag-Palettes-Lip-Options

Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly Palette
Lorac Pro Eye Shadow Palette 2
Maybelline Baby Lips (Too Cool)
Colourpop Lippie Stix (Fern)
Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick (Native)
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (Double Dare)
Tarte LipSurgence Lip Créme (Wonder)
MAC Matte Lipstick (Embrace Me)

Travel-Makeup-Bag-Brows-Mascara

Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara
NYX Eyebrow Gel (Blonde)

What are your essentials for your travel makeup bag? Let me know in the comments down below!

Since I am now ‘on the road’ I’ll be a bit slower than normal responding to comments, but I’ll be around!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Love for Lipstick: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

August 24, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 10 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been quite awhile since my last Love for Lipstick post but I’ve got another one for you today featuring the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade San Paulo. I picked this up during a Drugstore Haul in June and I’ve been wearing it quite a bit to get a feel for how it performs on the lips.

I’m a huge fan of liquid lipsticks so a relatively inexpensive drugstore one caught my eye. I had seen this shade raved about on a video that KathleenLights did so that was partially why I chose San Paulo. It also seemed very versatile and wearable.

The applicator is a doe-foot and has a fairly short wand. If you compare it to the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks or the Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks you will see a considerable difference. “Soft Matte Lip Cream” is the perfect name for this product as it really is more of a cream than a liquid lipstick. The creamy formula is quite easy to apply. I prefer to blot it off so it ends up looking more like a stain. When wearing it, I can’t really feel it at all on the lips. It is matte though so if you have dry lips you may not like it.

The Wear Test

1. Freshly applied (8 am); 2. Prior to eating lunch (12 pm); 3. After eating lunch (12:30 pm); 4. After work (5:00 pm)

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream lasted roughly nine hours. It did fade considerably throughout the day and get a bit patchy throughout the day but if you were looking at my lips from a normal distance you likely wouldn’t notice. It survived two meals and survived me drinking water all day. It felt comfortable on the lips and I could barely tell it was there.

Overall, while I enjoyed this lipstick as it was comfortable and wore decently, I don’t think it is my favourite “liquid lipstick”. I prefer the formula of the Kat Von D Liquid Lipsticks or Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks (a more traditional formula). I did like this enough to try other shades though.

Have you tried any of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams? Let me know in the comments down below! If you’ve missed any of my Love for Lipstick series, you can find all of those posts here!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Versatile Blogger Award

August 22, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 9 Comments

Hi guys! I was recently nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by the lovely Sarra of That Geeky Girlfriend! Thank you so much for the nomination! If you haven’t checked out her blog, I recommend it! I hadn’t done this award yet and my nails are NOT ready for Mani Monday after a weekend at the cottage, so here we are!

Versatile Blogger Award Rules:

Display Award
Thank the person who nominated you
Share seven facts about yourself
Nominate up to 10 other bloggers

Seven Facts About Me:

I love animals. My furbabies are my pride and joy. I’ve got two dogs, Max (5) and Dex (1) and a bunny, Bunnelby (approx 4 months old).
I love Halloween! I think it is my favourite holiday. Dressing up for Halloween is one of my favourite things to do. I usually wait until the fall to decide what I want to be each year but I love thinking about it throughout the year.
I’m a geek & proud of it. Pokemon, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Star Trek, comic books, video games, I enjoy them all.
I change up my hair colour a lot. I love the feeling of walking into the hair salon with one colour and walking out with another. There are periods where I’ll keep my hair a colour for awhile and just do up-keep but usually I change it at least a bit.
I’m terrified of birds. I will cross the street if there is a bird on the sidewalk. I fear birds for a good reason though. They seem to dislike me! I’ve been attacked/dive-bombed by so many different kinds of birds. Maybe some day I’ll do a post and share some of my bird stories 😖
I’m really shy and introverted. It will take me for ever to work up the courage to talk to new people. But, once I’ve warmed up to them, I love to chat! I actually scored the highest in my Personality Psychology Class on an introversion scale in university.
Travelling with my husband is one of my favourite things to do. I love exploring new countries with him. We are very like-minded when it comes to travel so we make a great team!

I Nominate The Following Fantastic Bloggers:

I’m sorry if you’ve already done this tag, I can never remember who has done them and who hasn’t.

xoxo,

Robyn

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Weekly Post Recap

August 21, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 2 Comments

Hi guys! Wow this week flew by… if you missed any posts this week you can find links to them all here!

Mani Monday: Ski Teal We Drop

Mani Monday is back with one of my favourite bluey-teal OPI shades!

OPI-Ski-Teal-We-Drop

Ipsy Glam Bag: August

It’s time to take a peak at what I got in my August Ipsy Glam Bag!

Ipsy-Glam-Bag-August-2016

Kat Von D Serpentina Palette

A review of this stunning, bright Kat Von D Palette! Includes swatches and TWO makeup looks.

Kat-Von-D-Serpentina-Packaging

Summer Trends: Metallic Shades

A look at the metallic shades summer trend. This post also contains TWO makeup looks!

Summer-Trends-Metallic-Shades

xoxo,

Robyn

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Summer Trends: Metallic Shades

August 20, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 10 Comments

Hi guys! A few weeks ago I did a post on the Graphic Eye which was a summer trend that I was fascinated by on the Trending at Sephora page online. I talked a bit about the trend and showed you my take on it. Today, I’m going to be talking about Metallic Shades with is another summer trend that Sephora is reporting on.

The Metallic Shades trend is all about adding dimension to the eyes with rich, metallic shades. As soon as I saw the Lorac Pro Eye Shadow Palette 2, I knew these shades were meant for this trend. The bottom row of the palette is all shimmery shades that appear to be on the metallic side when swatched or applied. So, with that said, I’ve done two metallic shades looks using this palette.

Look #1: Purple Chrome

Transition: Nectar
Crease: Plum
Lid: Chrome
Under eye: Chrome and Silver

Look #2: Silver & Smoky

Transition: Nectar
Crease: Charcoal
Lid: Silver
Outer-V: Charcoal and Black
Under eye: Charcoal and Silver

In keeping with the metallic theme, for both looks I used the Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Trance. For the first look I paired it with the Essence Lip Pencil in the shade In the Nude. For the second look I wore it on it’s own. The second look was what I was wearing on my face for my One Year Blogiversary post photo.

I’m really enjoying this mini series, I’m hoping to get at least one more in this summer before we switch gears to fall trends. What’s your favourite summer trend? Let me know in the comments below and maybe it will be featured in my next Summer Trends post!

xoxo,

Robyn

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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

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Ipsy Glam Bag: August

August 17, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 11 Comments

Hi guys! I feel like I just got/wrote about my July Ipsy Glam Bag, but I suppose that is because it was delayed due to the potential Canada Post strike. So, much to my surprise, my August Ipsy Glam Bag arrived today! I don’t want to discourage you from reading this post, but I have to say upfront, this is the most underwhelming Ipsy Glam Bag I’ve received to date. I’ve loved and raved about this one but when I opened it and I just felt “meh” about the contents. Now, that’s not to say that I don’t like anything in it or want to try them, there just wasn’t anything super exciting in it. The actual bag itself is really cool though, it was designed by Michelle Phan who is the founder of Ipsy.

Dermelect | “ME” Peptide Infused Nail Lacquer in the shade Unscripted

I’m starting with this item as it intrigues me the most. This is a 5-free nail polish that infused with peptides to strengthen weak nails. It also claims to stand up to chips and splitting “like armour”. It’s a violet-pink shade which I quite like and off the top of my head, I’m not sure that I own anything similar! I’ll need to feature this in an upcoming Mani Monday so that we can chat about the formula and how it applies.

Sally’s Box | Secret Garden Ampoule Masks

These sheet masks are an interesting concept. They come with a serum to use first so that you get a “double shot” of hydration. I got two masks, there is an olive oil mask to nourish skin and in turn lessen the appearance of fine lines. The second is a camellia oil mask to provide a radiant glow. They also claim that their microfibres in the mask deliver serum to your skin quicker and deeper. I don’t usually purchase sheet masks so I appreciate receiving them in an Ipsy bag.

Lord & Berry | 20100 MaxiMatte Crayon Lipstick in the shade Intimacy

I do love lipsticks, in particular matte ones so this product is a good pick for me. However, the shade, while it is very pretty, just isn’t jumping out at me. I feel like I have other similar shades. I’ll have to try it on the lips to see if that changes my mind. This subtle pink shade is supposed to go with everything and be perfect for summer and fall. I guess my mind just goes to brights for summer and nudey-browns for fall. Anyways, the matte formula is said to be moisturizing and softening so that it does not dry out your lips. As well, it is supposed to be long-lasting as well.

It Haircare | 12-in-One Amazing Serum

This is a hair serum made with twelve, yes, twelve, exotic oils to de-frizz, hydrate and add shine to your hair. The formula claims to be non-sticky to add a bit of a light hold and body to your hair. Silk Amino Acids are in this product to repair and strengthen over-processed hair. Sunflower seed extract is another ingredient in this product which thickens strands. I don’t really use serums, but my hair is frizzy, so maybe this will end up being a win?

NYX | Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Gleam

I don’t really use liquid illuminators, and this ones shade just doesn’t appeal to me. It’s quite dark, warm and peachy. The other option they were sending out was a light pink which would have suited my skin tone better. I really can’t see myself using this shade so I’ll probably pass this along to a friend who isn’t as fair as I am. Anyways, this is a blendable liquid highlight that can be used in a multitude of ways.

Okay, so that was my Ipsy Glam Bag for the month of August! Hopefully my September bag is a little more exciting! Did you receive an Ipsy Glam Bag this month? Let’s chat about what you got in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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Mani Monday: OPI Ski Teal We Drop

August 15, 2016 / thecorkedreader89 / 6 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I did a Mani Monday post! My nails have been on vacation again, I haven’t had much time to wait for wet nails to dry between enjoying the summer weather and spending time with the bunny that I adopted in June. Bunnies and wet nails don’t mix very well. Anyways, the mood struck to paint my nails and I was feeling something darker and blue. After much deliberation I decided to go with OPI’s Ski Teal We Drop which I haven’t worn in a long time.

Products Used:

OPI Chip Skip
OPI Nail Envy in Original
OPI Ski Teal We Drop (2 coats)
Glisten & Glow HK Girl Top Coat

I love this shade, it really is more blue than teal but it is exactly the shade I had in mind for my nails this week. Similar to most OPI cream polishes, it applied like a dream. Excellent pigmentation and consistency. I love when the polish glides on my nails all by itself without much thought as to where it is going. No clean up required! I’ve had it on for about five days now with minimal chipping, mostly tiny chips now forming in the corners on the fingers I use more. Not really that noticeable but I’ll likely change my polish in a few days if I am ambitious enough.

What do you have on your nails today? Let me know in the comments down below!

xoxo,

Robyn

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