Video: Out with the old and in with the new...

I am consistent in replacing some beauty tools and a product every 3 months... here they are... 

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free

I acquired this while we (my husband and  I) were in Vegas, 3 months ago. There are 3 Sephora stores that we visited while there, and everysingle time I was drawn to this product. By the end of our trip, I succumbed and forked over $55 USD ($64 CAD) and got myself a bottle in Pearl.

The packaging is heavy opaque glass. There is no way to tell how much product is left. The pump came separate, but one was included. For that price I would be outraged it it wasn't :)

The product is a bit thick and some days my nozzle does get clogged. But I don't find that a great inconvenience, just something of note.

This foundation  is aimed for oily skin types, and those who are acne prone. It goes on matte, super velvety and full coverage. It sets quickly. I work with small amounts and small areas, moving quickly. I apply this with my Sigma F84 brush... the IT foundation brush in my opinion.

I believe I have combination skin type, leaning towards oily. But some days this product was too much for me. The tiniest patch of dry skin will be exaggerated enormously, and I find it's easy to over apply and end up with foundation cake face. But I do love the coverage this offers and found that by mixing 1/4 to 1/3 of this with 4/3 to 2/3 of IT foundation I had the perfect mix for my face.

It also contains anti-aging and wrinkle reducing ingredients which are becoming "must haves" in my products. It lasts all day, but I do find myself blotting throughout the day... this might be due to the fact that I cut this foundation with another brand, and also the moisturizer and/or primer that I use.

Overall no regrets with this purchase. Hot humid days of summer are upon us... this will be reached for often :)

And a couple of blurbs from sephora.com:

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:
Immaculate is free of gluten and nano-particles. The formula contains clinical levels of two antiaging ingredients to create a youthful glow. Phytostem Edelweiss, an active derived from a rare Himalayan plant, slows collagen degradation and reduces wrinkle depth by 15 percent after 20 days of use. Lavandox, an ingredient extracted from Spanish lavender, reduces the appearance of wrinkles by 11 percent after 24 hours of application and inhibits muscle contractions that lead to the development of fine lines and wrinkles.

CHANEL Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in Beryl #102

This one of those products you hear about, see online, and think "I need that". So you go out and buy it, use it, and realize "I really didn't need that".

I have very ambivalent feelings towards this pencil. On one hand there is nothing wrong with it, it's very pretty... on the other, what the heck was I thinking buying this!? It doesn't really do anything for me.

Maybe if I was a professional makeup artist, or a gifted photographer, I would appreciate the value of this pencil and it's ability to brighten up the eye. But as an ordinary girl, with an ordinary face, who uses this for her ordinary daily life, well I just don't get it.

And maybe it's because I have only one use for this pencil. To line my lower waterline each morning. When I do I barely discern any difference, and the next time I look at my face int he mirror (approx 2 hours later), I have blinked it all away and  it is gone.  I suppose not all of my CHANEL purchases can be winners :)

This is just one of those beautiful, expensive items, that I should have thought harder about before opening my wallet :) I hope to use it up, but this wasn't a wise purchase at all...

Deborah Lippmann: Whatever Lola Wants - nail polish swatch .... and "I Read..." Video

Another DL color in my possession is Whatever Lola Wants. This shade is a result of the collaboration between Kelly Ripa and DL... in case you are not aware Lola is Kelly's daughter.

I've had this color for quite some time now, and I no longer remember if I bought it or if my husband did. But I am 99% sure that this color was chosen by my husband. I am not one to gravitate towards sheer shimmery pink/lavender colors. But there you have it, I own one.

Moving on to the mani products in order of application:

Essie First Base - base coat

Deborah Lippmann Whatever Lola Wants - color, 3 coats

Lancome Disco Silver - accent on my ring finger

Deborah Lippmann On a Clear Day - top coat

Zoya Hurry Up - drying drops

This color was a b*!@h to photograph with flash. It is the most shimmery shade ever, that reflects flash and becomes a blinding light bulb in the pictures :) Out of the dozens I took I think 2 were worth sharing.

Whatever Lola Wants is very sheer, but it applies so evenly and smoothly, that I was ok with layering 3 coats on. I think I could have done 2 more to achieve total opacity, but I was really happy with the look after 3.

Photographing this during daytime, under overcast skies, was a much better experience, and the images show the color more accurately. A very intensely shiny silvery-white-light-pink :) Whatever it is that give this color this great shimmer is so fine, there is no gritty texture. Once the polish dries down, your nails feel perfectly smooth.

This is a fairy world color. Dreamy iridescent gorgeousness. I wonder how did Kelly and DL come up with it :) Lancome's Disco Silver sort of blends in on my ring finger... and I kind of like that. The accent that's there but not really.

One coat of WLW is so sheer it is completely transparent, and since this polish spreads smoothly and evenly I think I will be reaching for WLW a lot to accent other opaque shades I have. You'll see it here when I do :)

 And as a little bonus, a video of me rambling on about a book I read. Loved the book.

Sephora by OPI: Under My Trench Coat - nail polish swatch

I remember when this color and others like it were all the rage a couple of years ago. But since then everyone has moved onto the textured/ombre nails polish rage, while I'm still stuck in the greige/crackle period :) I'm always a step or miles behind the trend :)

Anywhoo… I own only 4 Sephora by OPI bottles of polish. Only 4 because I just wanted those colors in my collection. While I do admire other shades, I don't indulge, for one reason and one reason only… I hate that damn brush. It's just too long, too skinny, and flimsy for my liking. I don't like the way it grabs paint, or the way it deposits the color on my nail. I need too many brush strokes, to get the job done. It frustrates me, and so I pass. Plus I'm somewhere around the 300 bottle mark in my polish collection, I seriously don't need another one that bad :)

Moving on to the mani products in order of application:

Essie First Base - base coat

Sephora by OPI Under by Trench Coat - color, 2 coats

Lancome Disco Silver - accent on my ring finger

Deborah Lippmann On a Clear Day - top coat

Zoya Hurry Up - drying drops

Onto the color. Simply lovely. A neutral with fine shimmer that just looks right with any outfit.

 So even if I think the brush sucks, I am glad to have this shade in my drawer.

Video: May Haul

Video: May Empties

Kevin Murphy Angel Wash shampoo

I know someone who only uses this shampoo and conditioner. I'm always intrigued by someone's total devotion to one product or brand, and it makes me curious to find out if the same will happen to me if I try it.

I only chose to purchase the shampoo as it is quite pricey. I no longer remember the exact amount but it was over $20 for a 250ml bottle. I like the packaging... it's a bit different :)

The Angel shampoo is formulated for fine coloured hair, which is my hair type exactly. It is sulphate and paraben free as well as cruelty free.

I can only describe this shampoo consistency as thick. When I first squeezed a bit of this into my palm I thought "wow almost like toothpaste" :) It has a beautiful pearly lavender color, which is not natural, the back of the bottle informed me that it is a combination of violet, red, and blue dyes. The scent is light and sweet... not flowery, but not something that I can easily describe.

I've been using this regularly for a few weeks now alternating with another shampoo I have in my shower; and well this is pretty nice. It has a lovely thick lather, and rinses clean. I use a combination of conditioners Phyto and Bumble & Bumble, and I also let my hair air dry. Other than the fact that I need a haircut my  hair has nice volume, shine, and smoothness.

This shampoo has potential for a future repurchase, but it is pricey and well when I have that kind of money to rinse down the drain I'd like to try something else, so it might be repurchased but not anytime soon :)

OPI: Melon of Troy - nail polish swatch

Another OPI in my collection. I think I bought this shortly after watching Brad Pitt's Troy :)... I loved the name of this color. Sometimes that's how I end up buying a new shade... the name just gets me :)

Mani products:

Essie First Base - base coat

OPI Melon of Troy - color, two coats

Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow - accent on my ring finger

Deborah Lippmann On a Clear Day - top coat

Zoya Hurry Up - drying drops

 No top coat or drying drops in this picture yet... and without hand lotion, my fingers are looking a bit tight... I think my skin is addicted...

 On the other hand, I do love this frosty melon. It leaves slight brush strokes, but I can live with that.

 With  two coats my nail line was slightly visible, but I didn't mind.