Oh, Canada!

Hey everyone! I've been doing a lot of research on Canadian beauty brands lately and have been so excited with what I've found that I decided to do a whole look with ALL Canadian products! (YAY!) Lets get started on my Oh, Canada! look!

Canadian Made

Heres what I used.

1) LashFusion XL by FusionBeauty in Black

2) Annabelle Mineral Foundation in Nearly Nude

3) Annabelle Mineral Blush in Au Natural

4) CoverFX Clear Prep Primer

5) LipFusion in Clear

6) Balmshell Smear Campaign in Blackmail Betty

7) Annabelle Smudgeliners in OhMyGoth! and Armour

8) Annabelle Mineral Pigment Dust in Prism

9) Annabelle Studio Pigments in Matte Black 

10) Quo Optical Illusion Concealer in Sand

Concealer Placement

I started out with applying my CoverFX Clear Prep all over my face. Then used my Quo Optical Illusion Concealer with a concealer brush. I placed it under my eyes, the outter corner of my eyes, nose to mouth folds and the bridge of my nose. All places where I tend to get red! (I look so silly in this picture I can't believe I put it up!)

Set With Powder

Built into the Quo concealer is a little pot of yellow-ish toned powder to set your concealer. I used the little finger pad it came with to gently pat powder over my concealed areas for extra staying power and redness reduction.

Blush Placement

Next, I used my new Balmshell Cheek Smear in Blackmail Betty. I applied three dots to my cheeks and blended in with the built in sponge on the other end. (NOTE: You HAVE to be lightning fast in blending this! I stained by cheeks taking this picture and had to scrub to get it off! The end result is worth it though, its a gorgeous colour!) After the blush I buffed in my Annabelle Mineral foundation with a Kabuki brush. I then added a light layer of Annabelle's Mineral Blush for added glow and a bit of shimmer!

Upper Liner

Next, I moved on to eyes. I applied Annabelle Smudgeliner in OhMyGoth! (black) to my upper lash line and created a small wing at the corner to elongate my eye shape. I didn't use the smudger on the top lash line, I wanted a solid, defined look! I went over that line with my Annabelle Studio Pigment in Matte black to smoke it out a tiny bit and to give it more staying power! (By the way, ignore my terrible nail polish! Not even my Seche Vite could keep my Claire's Mood polish on... haha)

Lower Lash Liner

I then took Annabelle's Smudgeliner in Armour, a GORGEOUS grey/purple-ish (hard to explain but so pretty!) and smudged it into my lower lashes for a little colour and a soft line. After that I took a small shadow brush and dipped it into my Annabelle Mineral Pigment Dust in Prism (iridescent white/pink/purple - it changes colour depending on the light angle) and tapped it onto the inner corner and brow bone.

Finish with Mascara

I then applied two coats of LashFusion XL in Black to give my lashes some volume, curl and length!

Glossy Lips

And polished off my look with a coat of LipFusion in Clear (my favourite gloss ever!)

The Finished Product

So heres my finished Canadian look! (I personally think the blush is too heavy but this was my first time using it and as I said, I stained my cheeks taking that picture!) Other than that I absolutely love this look and I love that it is all from Canadian brands! I really hope to see more Canadian Labels making it big in the beauty world soon!

There are a couple things I would like to find from a Canadian brand that I don't yet have! If you know of any great Canadian eye primers, spot concealers (not undereye) or bronzers please let me know! And let me know your favourites from Canadian brands, I'd love to try new things and hear your opinions!

Thanks so much for reading guys, enjoy! :)

Tutorial: Stila's Pretty in Paris Palette

Pretty in Paris

So here is number two in the Stila Travel Palettes, Pretty in Paris. I LOVE this palette, to me it is the prettiest one (yet)! This palette contains, like the others, four shadows and one convertible colour! The colours in this palette are very warm and earthy and I think they are fantastic for fall!

Paris - An inside view

Heres a view of the inside of this palette. As you can see they are all very warm and rosy colours that are perfect for fall! The colours in this palette consist of Jolie (top left), Crepe, Chocolat (bottom left) and Cherie (all french! :)) The convertible colour in this collection is a limited edition shade called Rosebud and is my favourite of all the palettes! It gives an amazing rosy, just outside glow that is what I picture when I think of fall!

Pretty in paris eye Look

In this post I opted for a muted, soft, girly look! I started with NYX Eye Primer in Nude all over. Then took the softest shade in the palette Crepe (Soft Pink Shimmer - Top left in Photo) and applied it all over my lid to the brow bone and on the inner tear duct. Next, I took a medium fluffy brush and packed on the medium shade, Cherie (brown/cherry shimmer - Top Right in Photo) up to my crease. Next, I took my contour brush and used Jolie (Burgundy/brown with Pink undertones - Bottom Right in Photo) and packed it gently into the crease to create a contour. To finish off, I took Chocolat (Chocolate Brown - Bottom Left in Photo) and used it as a liner both under and over my eyes. I didn't wet the brush like I did in the Road to Radiance tutorial because I wanted a soft definition.  

Another view

I love this look because its so wearable for everyday! Just add a little mascara and you are good to go! This look is so great for fall with all the warm tones and burgundy shades! This is my go to right now, I feel like I'm in Paris when I use it!

I hope you enjoy this look, I really do and wear it often! :)

PS I should have filled in my eyebrows...haha

Tutorial: Stila's Road to Radiance Palette

Road To Radiance

I am absolutely in love with the Stila Travel palettes! What an amazing deal for only $13 CAD you get four shadows and an (amazing) convertible colour! This is the first in the series and is called Road to Radiance Across the USA. I will be honest this wasn't my favourite palette when I first got it, but the more I used it, the more I loved how it looked!

Inside View

The colours in this palette are very girly and all in the pink/purple family. Starting at the top left is Southern Belle, Snow Bunny, City Chick (bottom left) and Valley Girl. The convertible colour is in a limited edition shade called Hibiscus.

Road to Radiance Eye Look

Here is the look I created with this palette.  I started by priming my eyelids with NYX eye primer in Nude. Then continued by sweeping the Valley Girl shade (bottom right - muted pink) all over my eyelid, not past the crease. I packed on this colour by gently tapping the brush against my lid instead of sweeping to get a little more pigmentation. Next, I took the Southern Belle shade (Top left - Vivid Pink) and worked it into my crease, again, tapping to add extra pigment. After working the crease shade in I took the darkest colour, City Chick (bottom left - metal grey/purple) and lined my upper and lower lash line. I also dampened my eyeliner brush to increase the intensity of the colour. Lastly, I took the brightest shade, Snow Bunny (top right - white shimmer) and highlighted my brow bone and the tear duct. This is only one way you can use these colours to make a look! 

Another View

I love the vivid pop of pink in the crease! It makes this look so fun! I also used Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara on my top and bottom lashes to accentuate them!

I hope you all enjoyed this look! I have all the other travel palettes as well so there will be more to come! :)

Romantically Rosy - Fall Look

Fall is upon us once again and the cold air brings us rosy cheeks and lips! To keep this look even once your warming up inside here are a few tips to get that healthy, romantic, outdoorsy look!

Personal Preference: Sephora Lip and Cheek Stain in Merlot

Darken you lip colour - you don't have to go too dark or even out of your comfort zone. What I like to do is apply a stain. It gives you great rosy colour while staying natural and sheer. If your more adventurous, opt for a warm rose-red or plum lipstick or gloss with more pigment.

Personal Preference: NYC Blushable Cream Sticks in Big Apple Blush

Switch your blush - For that real outdoorsy glow, use a blush colour that matches what your cheeks look like when they have been pinched. This colour will look the most natural and make your face look alive and healthy! For fair skin tones, rose is good for medium, try a deeper red and for darker skin try a brick tone. Whatever looks most natural on your skin and gives you a warmth. (These can be shimmer, matte, cream or powder whatever your preference!)

Personal Preference: Stila Pretty in Paris Palette Shadows, Physicians Formula Gel Liner in Brown, Colossal Mascara in Black

Frame and Contour your eyes - This look is all about natural radiance so the eye makeup shouldn't be the focus. Add a lightly shimmery pale pink (preferably one with warm tones as opposed to cool, so it goes with the warm rosy tones of the rest of the face) to highlight spots such as the brow bone, tear ducts and centre of the eyelid. Add a matte chocolate shadow in the crease to contour your eyes and add more depth. Create a very thin line of black or brown liner only on the upper lash line and take it out a little on the edge to lengthen the eye and give a flirty look. Curl your lashes and add two coats of black mascara.

TIPS: Since its getting colder and the air is getting drier, make sure to keep hydrated! This means applying lots of lip balm and moisturizing the skin regularly to keep it radiant. If you feel dry throughout the day because of heaters and brutal weather, carry a hydrating mist with you for a boost of moisture. (Ones to try: MAC Fix+, Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray) I hope you enjoy this look made to usher in the fall! :)

NOTE: I had to use my MacBook camera for the photos, so they aren't the best :(

How To: Fake Awake!

My "awakened" Eye :)

Good Morning Everyone! It's time to "fake awake"! So grab your coffee and lets get started on our quick and easy awakening makeup routine! :)

For this look you will only need about 5 minutes. I use this most when I'm heading to school because I have to get up at 6am and want to stay in bed as long as possible! (I'm sure many of you can relate! ;))

So this look is all about looking awake, not seeing the makeup per se! You should look really fresh and completely natural when wearing this look so don't expect to "see" the results! haha

STEPS:

1)   Highlight your complexion with an illuminating tinted moisturizer or illuminating foundation for more coverage. If you are running extremely low on time you can forego the foundation in exchange for spot highlighting (more on that later!) A few options of good illuminating foundations that I like are:

              -Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer ($42)

              -Sephora Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 ($21)

Apply this all over your face using a sponge, stippling brush or just your fingers making sure to blend evenly and down your neck!

2)   Next, Add a light reflecting concealer under your eyes and in any shadows (Ex/ Nose to lip folds, around the nose). Use a concealer brush or fingers to blend in for a natural glow. Some of my favorites are:

              -Benefit Erase Paste ($26)

              -Rimmel Recover Anti-Fatigue Concealer ($5 roughly)

               -Smashbox Photo Op (for light coverage) ($18)

3)   After concealing, add a pop of colour to your cheeks using a cream blush. I find cream blush to look a lot more natural than powder and it wakes up your whole face, making you look alive! Some I like are:

              - Stila Covertible Color (Rosebud) ($25, but limited edition color only available in Travel Palettes)

              - MAC Blushcreme (Lady Blush) ($22)

              - NYC Blushable Cream Sticks (Big Apple Blush) ($3)

Blend this into the apples of your cheeks and up your cheek bones for a natural flush.

4)   Moving to eyes, apply a shimmery, light shadow all over the lid, on the brow bone and the tear duct. I like NYX Smokey Eye Palette’s lightest shade ($15) and Almay's Pure Blends in Petal ($6). After the shadow, apply a light coloured eyeliner to the lower lash line. Pink, nude, white or light blue are suitable colours and will all make your eyes more open and awake. I used Bonne Bell Eye Definer in Sky ($2). Make sure to blend with your finger so there are no actual lines, just a sheer wash of the colour.

5)  Curl your lashes and apply one layer of mascara to continue with the natural look. Some I like are:

              - Revlon Grow Luscious in Blackest Black ($8)

              - Maybelline Colossal Mascara in Glam Black ($6)

              -  LashFusion XL Mascara in Black ($25)

6)   Finish your look with powder if you need and a clear lip balm. For powder I like:

              - ELF Studio Mattifying Powder in Translucent ($3)

              - NYC Loose Powder in Translucent ($4)

For lip balm I use Chapstick All Natural ($2) or PeaceKeeper Power Berry ($8).

OPTIONAL STEPS:

You can also use a specialty product like Benefit Bright Eyes (which I did) all around the eye to further increase the brightness. Also, you can apply a Highlighter to key points on your face such as cheek bones, brow bones, cupids bow and down the center of your nose. 

Some key Products for this look!

I hope this helps out with the morning rush! Please Comment and Follow! :)

Simple, Everyday Makeup Look

Hey Everyone! So, I have a video tutorial Posted on my YouTube Channel, If you want to go check it out just hit the link below:

Simple Makeup Look

Please rate, subscribe and comment (here and on YouTube!) :) Thanks guys!

Enjoy!