Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector (Combination to Oily Skin)

I'm sure many of you are super familiar with BB creams, they are everywhere! From Drug Store brands to High end brands, many companies have their own version of what is said to be a "beauty/ blemish balm". I've seen so many out there but had never tried any until recently. A while back I had tried the Aveeno tinted moisturizer but did not like it one bit, it was oily, sheer and burned my eyes. Despite this I've wanted to find a product that was suitable for summer because I did not want to be reliant on foundation all summer. I've been able to get my skin under control but I still have minor dark marks that I don't really like and therefore wanted something with a tad of coverage. I heard about the new Garnier BB cream for oily to combination skin, and watched many reviews on it. I noticed right away that the coverage was pretty amazing for a drugstore product. From what I've seen the BB cream eliminated redness, and  the appearance of pimples yet it did not look heavy or thick when applied.

Overview- The Garnier BB cream is intended for oily to combination skin tones. Overall it claims to helps make pores less visible, conceal unevenness including imperfections and  dark marks.

Packaging- The product comes in a slim tube with a screw off cap.  This product is extremely liquidy therefore when it's placed downwards and opened the product sometimes gushes out. Along with this, the inside of the tube is quite hard to keep clean. I find that the product is always gathered on the spout where the product is dispensed. It's not a huge turn off for me but if the packaging was formulated to accommodate the runny texture I think a lot more people would enjoy it.

Price- I paid approximately $13 for this product at Target. Wal-Mart tends to sell the product a dollar or so cheaper while Shoppers seems to be the most expensive out of them all.  You get 60mL worth of product, more than a foundation bottle which usually houses approximately 30mL. 

Texture- The BB cream itself is quite watery which you'll learn after watching and reading reviews. However despite the texture it still provides a generous amount of coverage. Even though it's on the liquidy side, it spreads and blends like a dream. One layer evens out any redness while a second layer or simply spot concealing (by adding more to the desired area) can help to conceal the unwanted marks/ pimples even more. After the product settles it's evidently matte almost a powdery finish, it also feels very soft. 

Pigmentation- The BB comes in two shades (possibly three);light medium followed by medium dark. I picked up medium dark because the other shade seemed too light for my complexion. At first when I applied I thought the the color match was amazing, however when I looked in the mirror right after applying in better lighting, it seemed a tad dark for my skin (not too excessive but I prefer something lighter than darker). 

Bare arm

With Garnier BB- Not sure if you can notice, but my arm has a powdery finish.

Things to note

- No chemical smell

-Does not feel oily or greasy

-Applies well with fingers, brush or beauty blender

-Sets fairly fast

- Blends out extremely well

-Great coverage

-Light texture when applied to the skin, feels smooth to the touch

Overall I am generally pleased with this BB cream, despite the slight color mismatch, it performs exceptionally well. I plan on getting the light medium shade and mixing the two to customize the color. If you are looking for a BB cream that will provide buildable coverage I highly suggest this product. Even if you just need evening out this Garnier BB will do the trick. Compared to other products I've researched this was the stand out one for me! be sure to watch some reviews on Youtube!

Have you heard of or tried this BB cream? 

What's your favorite BB cream?

For the Nude Nail Polish Lover

With summer here I know a lot of you are probably obsessing over bright vibrant nails. I love my brights colors but there are times where I also adore nude nails. Nude nails are simplistic, sophisticated, and elegant, when your in need of a change nude nails are a good go-to. Recently I was at Shoppers and stumbled upon a new Nail Polish collection by Revlon. Like the title suggests this collection includes different variations of neutral. These polishes are fairly priced coming in around the $4 mark! I've yet to try the Colorstay polishes but I'm quite impressed with the original ones. I'm most interested in the third color (from the left) it's a peachy nude perfect for those who don't like brown/grey toned nude nail polishes.  Another item that I'm curious about is the gel base, I don't always wear a base coat but I'd like to try some more out. Sometimes with more streaky polishes it settles into minor ridges I have due to my nail biting habit. 

 Do you like nude nail polishes are do you tend to stray away from them?

What polish have you been loving lately?

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Water Proof Kohl Kajal (Light Blue & Nude)

I'm not much of an eyeliner person but something about the Rimmel Scandal Eyes pencils caught my attention. Seeing the commercial  definitely had an impact on my decision to buy these liners. Nonetheless, I ended up picking up two from my local Shoppers Drug Mart when they were on sale for like $4. When I first tried these kohl liners I wasn't too ecstatic about them, I thought the color would show up more. Don't get me wrong they are pigmented, but in my waterline they seem to look more whitish. I've seen many Youtube guru's apply products like NYX's jumbo eye pencil in milk to their waterline to brighten and open the eyes and quite frankly it looks good. However I'm not a big fan, I feel as though I look really weird! I must say though the more and more I've tested these out I have come to like them. I don't put too much on but I do run it along my waterline 1-2 times lightly. The product itself is wonderful, it applies smooth and color payoff is great. No need to use excessive force to get a decent amount of liner on. They're creamy when applied to the hand and last fair amount of time. After the liner sat on my hand for a couple minutes it was hard for it to budge even though I tried wiping it. 

Overall I think I would definitely buy this product again in a different color. The Rimmel Scandal Eyes eyeliners are the perfect makeup item for summer. Simply add a bit of "oomph'  to your look by adding a pop of color to your waterline. Add a purple, dark blue, green..anything will work and it will automatically bring color to your eyes and make them stand out. I especially love the idea that you can keep your eye makeup to a minimal but still look summery and fun during the hot months!

Have you guys tried these eyeliners out? or have you tried the Rimmel jumbo eye pencils? I haven't but I would like to!

Tried and tested: Stila in the Light eyeshadow Palette

Stila's 'In the Light' Palette makes for a great everyday eye. For those who love golden and bronze colors I think this is for you. As an eyeshadow lover I gravitate towards these kind of colors mostly everyday. No matter how many neutral eye shadows I have, I seem to collect more and more out of any other shade. I think this palette is well suited for any eye color really, I have brown eyes and I love created a warm smokey eye. The colors are great for the day because you can use the slightest hint of color to polish your look off, or you can amp it up by intensifying the crease area with colors like luster & night sky. The eyeshadows do have a slight shimmery metallic tinge to them, however it's not overly sparkly when applied to the skin. I am very pleased with this sample, I've been able to get multiple uses out of it, and many of the colors are still present on the sample card. 

Texture & Application: The first thing that I noticed about these shadows is how well the brushes pick up the pigment, with a swipe or two I had enough eyeshadow to cover my lid. Even when you swipe your finger a generous amount comes on without any fall out! Thing to note here is no fall out at all. All the colors transfer amazingly to the skin, they look silky and blend easily compared to other shadows that are chalky and sit on the surface.

Price point is around $50, and the full size palette comes with an eyeliner. Although more of a high end palette, I think the colors are all wearable and of extremely high quality. Considering my experience with this palette I would definitely grab it given the opportunity. Especially for the summer months it's great cause you can wear eyeshadow without feeling too over done.

 I also really liked how the palette came with this guide, it gives you a suggestion of possible looks!

 TOP ROW (5 Shadows in Total)

BOTTOM ROW (5 shadows in total)

Quick Breakdown

-Texture smooth and silky

-Transfer well onto lids

-No fall out

-Nice finish (metallic/pearly)

-Nicely pigmented

-Comes with 10 shades (all varying) with a full size smudge stick

Thoughts about this palette? Would you consider buying it?

Tom's for a Fraction of the Price

I have always loved Tom's so when I saw these look-a-likes at Urban Planer for 10$ I knew I had to grab some. As an addition to my sister's gift I got her a pair as well as a pair for myself. They look exactly like the real version, and I love that I can stock up on a couple different colors. I know the actual tom's are quite pricey! I got a third pair (not pictured) which is the same as the grey stripe except it's just a navy blue. Urban Planet had a great selection of shoes, they are decent quality and I'm able to get many uses out of them. Absolutely loving these shoes, I would highly suggest stopping by an Urban planet. They also have the most beautiful clothing, and accessories. 

Do you like Tom's?

              

Spring Picks: Clothing & Acessories

All of a sudden it went from beautiful weather to somewhat cold and rainy weather here in Canada! Nevertheless here is a compilation of spring and summer clothing and accessory items that I have my eye out for.

Tops- I absolutely am LOVING the sheer chiffon tops, I love the movement of them and how they flow. They come in an assortment of colors and add the perfect pop of color to any outfit. I haven't bought any yet but my sister has a similar chiffon top (picture below) that pairs great with colored skinny jeans. I also am a lover of cardigans, I swear I have a weakness for them to be exact. The versatility is amazing, I wear them with dresses, tanks, and tees and they wear well with jeans, shorts, skirts, and dresses as I mentioned. I've noticed that button down printed tops are really popular this season as well. I saw quite a few of them at Old Navy and Urban Planet a while back. Lace detailing on tops and summer dresses is also another popular addition to clothing items these days, it adds a great feminine touch that's elegant and flirty. I really adore the white summer lace dress (also pictured below) it's a crisp, clean, and sophisticated look that is never out of style. 

Pants and Dresses- Colored skinny jeans are my go to these days! At first I was super self-conscious about wearing colored jeans just because I thought it would be too much but I was completely wrong!! Every store I walk into has a vast assortment of colored jeans, you name it they've got variations of pinks, and blues, to purples, and pastels. Currently I have a cobalt pair, a light blue pair, and two grey pair of skinny jeans. I would really like to add a mint color, and light pink to my collection. My best friend actually had gone to Super-Store and Joe Fresh has a nice variety of light colors! So far I've worn some of my old dresses a couple of times but I NEED new ones. I really like the ones below, the colors, the style, I like that they cinch in at the waist therefore elongating the legs and revealing a taller figure.

Accessories- As someone who wears a Hijab (head scarf) I love to change up my scarfs and get more bright colored ones. I went to Ardene the other day and was in awe, they had so many printed scarfs, and beautiful Pashmina pastel scarfs. Also flats are another spring/summer go to; they are comfortable, and look fab with anything you pair them with. Studded flats seem to be everywhere, Aldo has so many pairs with either studs, or crystal embellishment on them. Lastly I adore long dainty necklaces for summer.  Chunkier jewelry is also great for nights out, however for daytime accessories this necklace is great. It's inspired by the beach, Aldo also has great necklaces. A bit on the pricier side, but I find their accessories are unique.

What are some of your go to clothing and accessory items for the spring? Have you already swapped out your wardrobe for lighter and brighter colors?

Hope your having a great day, I plan to come aboard the blogging world in full force again as school is finally over. 

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Post Exam Pamper!

With exams finally done, I decided to pay a visit to Wal-Mart to finally get the Real Techniques starter set! While there I spotted some other goods, and picked them up. I've heard about numerous beach waves spray and I really wanted to give it a go. My hair is naturally kinda wavy but when it gets brushed the waves die down and I'm left with a big poof of hair haha! I also picked up two of my favoorritttee lip butters (creamsicle & creme brulee), they are gorgeous colors for everyday and I can't get enough of them. I was excited to see if the new lip butters were available at Wal-Mart but so far I've only seen them at Shoppers Drug Mart & Super-Store.   I'm a big cardigan lover and when I saw these tees I knew I had to get some. They're cheap, and great to wear in the summer. They also have tons of colors, at 5$ each I'm ready to grab a few more. So far I've tried the RT blending brush and it does a great job. Instead of my small tapered blending brush I opted for this one in the morning. The size of the brush allows the shadows to spread and create a flawless gradient. With my other brush the eyeshadow pigment would get concentrated in a certain area and I would have to buff it out more than once.

Have you picked up any new items recently?

   

Spring Wishlist (Mostly Beauty Items)!

So lately instead of studying, my mind has been drifting off and all I can seem to think about is my never ending list of wants! Here are a couple beauty items, aside from the glasses that I've been eyeing.

Real Techniques Starter Kit (Eyes)- So just recently I found out that these highly talked about brushes made their way onto Wal-Mart shelves. I've read and seen numerous reviews about these beauties! I love the appearance of them and from what I've heard they perform amazingly. There is one brush in particular from each set that I really want to try so I have a feeling I'll end up with both sooner or later. From the Eye Kit, I am dying to try the blending brush! I have a tapered blending brush by Quo but I find that the bristles are rather sharp and actually end up hurting my crease area. Along with that the brush is very skinny so it's hard to transition the colors and really blend them out. This RT blending brush looks fluffy, and the bristles look perfect for getting in your crease and buffing out the color gently.

Mac Peaches Blush- I didn't even know about this blush until I saw it on Aleeza's blog (Stylish & Literate). I'm always one who gravitates toward more orange toned blushes because they look best on my medium skin. Although I like pink blushes, they don't seem to look as good as orange ones. My go to color combo has been Hard Candy's fox in a box blush called Skinny Dipping. I love how the the shade makes my skin look sun kissed and glowy. I did a google search and this shade seems to show up on darker skin tones as well! Also another blush I just found out about is Melba, and that is another beautiful one that I wouldn't mind testing out.

Ralph lauren Shades- I've been looking for a pair of sunglasses for the longest time, but cannot find a pair a like. Also because I haven't wore shades before, I don't exactly feel all that comfortable in them, however I find it a pain to drive when the sun is blazing down on me and for that reason I do want to invest in a pair. I was looking online at Sunglasses Hut and fell in love with these, however the price is sky high retailing at $290.00.

New Revlon Polishes- I blogged about these polishes earlier on last week. I love bright colors for spring and I really liked the coral color in these polishes. I also really liked the nude one.

Lip Butters- I am a big lover of the original Lip Butters, and constantly find myself using them. They are extremely moisturizing and creamy so naturally when I heard about the new ones I got super excited. I like Pink Lemonade the most as it reminds me of Creamsicle. The other shades are kinda bright (for me atleast) but I do want to give them a shot. Part of the reason I shy away from brights is because I am so unused to them.

RT Core Collection- The brush that I am most curious about it the stippling brush for foundation. I have never tried one before so I'm curious to see how it applies. Although If I was to choose I think I would definitely go after the eye set!

What are some items your lusting for?

Look what I found!

While strolling the through the aisles of Super-Store I spotted the NEW Revlon Pacific Coast Collection. If you are unaware the new four lip butters are apart of this collection! Everything in this collection is eye-catching, the colors are vivid, and bold in some senses, the shadows especially. I am loving the cheek stains as they are super versatile and can be used for the lips as well. I am super excited to try the Lip Butters, they have become a staple item for me. Creamsicle has been my daily lip color for some time now, I love how creamy it is! Along with the butters I also have plans to grab two of the polishes, I love the nude shade as it is great for daily wear, and with spring here the coral pink shade is perfect.

Will you be picking up any items from the Pacific coast collection.

P.S) You can find me on BlogLovin!

My Last Luxebox: Spring Edition

Alas my spring luxebox has finally arrived, I was super excited about this box because the company (Loose Button) partnered with CBC's Steven and Chris. I thought the collaboration was  a great idea, but after seeing my box I am kinda on the fence about how I feel overall. I knew what I was getting in my box prior to actually receiving it. I had accidently clicked on the "my product" option and all my items were updated from last month's stuff. Nonetheless, here is a quick breakdown of the stuff I got. 

1) Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation- I've heard great things about this foundation, apparently it has fruit properties in it (pomegranate being one of them) that help create a radiant, and flawless complexion. I was under the impression that I was getting some kind miniature glass bottle but I ended up with sample packets. I haven't tried this foundation yet, so I can't express my likes or dislikes. Have you guys tried out this foundation? What do you think? Worth the buy?

2) Lancome Genefique serum-  This sample came in the cutest little bottle ever! Lancome's Genefique is a serum designed to defy wrinkles, it is a youth activating complex that boosts activity in youth proteins. I tried this serum last night, and it dries nicely without feeling sticky. I also applied this morning under my moisturizer. For $82 I don't think I am willing to purchase as of yet however, I do appreciate the sample. 

3)Beauty Blender dupe- I have been eyeing the beauty blender for AGES but just could not bring myself to pay the money for it. I was over the moon when I found out I was getting something similiar in my box! I used this morning and was very impressed, it blends seamlessly and I'm quite excited to use it again to apply my foundation. 

4) Marni perfume- I like that this sample came in the bottle however I am not too fond of the smell. I probably will pass it off to my sister, or my mom. 

 5) L'occitane Hand cream - Again I've heard amazing things about this hand cream! The texture is just perfect, it is thick without being too heavy and it is great at moisturizing  The sample is truly travel friendly. 

6) Blue lagoon Silca Mud Mask- Surprisingly this product came out white despite being a mud mask. It's thick with some grit to it which I really like. It gave me a deep clean and left my skin feeling super soft.

7) Blue Lagoon Night Cream- This was another product I wasn't too pleased with. On my product card (online) it looked like this night cream was housed in a glass pot. Sadly I received one foil packet! 

While I did enjoy some products in my box mainly the hand cream &the beauty blender I was disappointed by two of my samples. It's frustrating knowing that these samples can be obtained for free at a local makeup counter. I think that Loose button should use samples such as these as little "extra try me out" gifts. For 26$ you want to see the quality of samples reflected in the price you've paid. It wasn't an awful box but I can't say that I was overly pleased.

Thoughts? Anybody else receive a Spring Luxe box?

Did you like it, love it, or hate it?

New Hard Candy Nail Polishes!

In my previous post I mentioned how my local Wal-Mart expanded their beauty department. While I was there I noticed a number of new releases including these amazing nail polishes! The top and bottom shelves are metallic glitter polishes although the top seem to be more holographic. Top row is more darker metallic, while the row below is perfect for spring and summer; the polishes are bright, and vivid.

What catches my eye are the glitter nail varnishes. Talk about jam packed with glitter ay?! I am loving them! The polishes have multiple colors incorporated within them and there is a nice variation among the shades. Hard Candy also has polishes very similar to fairly new Illamasqua ones,  great dupes in my opinion. The polishes (similar to Illamasqua) come in several beautiful pastel shades. I am really leaning towards these, and hope to get a few to test out and review. 

 

Thoughts on these newly released polishes? Will you be picking some up?