MAC is Beauty

I recently received a couple items from the MAC is Beauty collection to try out. I received the eye shadow in Yogurt and the nail polish in French Tipped. Both the eyeshadow and the nail polish are light pastel pink shades and I think this pastel pink colour is perfect for spring. The eyeshadow in Yogurt is actually part of the permanent range. MAC describes it as a soft pale pink with a matte finish. I have been wearing the eyeshadow in Yogurt pretty often over the last month. I have been wearing it all over the lid, and I've been pairing it with shades from either my Naked2 Basics palette, Naked3 palette, or my Make Up For Ever Give In To Me palette. It's not a super pigmented eye shadow, but I have been liking it for simple everyday work appropriate makeup looks. I also always use a eye shadow primer, so that helps to bring the pigment out. The nail polish in French Tipped is really opaque, so it has become my new favourite pastel pink nail colour (check out this photo of me wearing it on Instagram here). The MAC is Beauty Collection has the theme of high-maintenance glam, and describes going from "doll to diva" with new shades of Eye Shadow, Cremesheen Glass, lipstick, nail lacquer, and fluid line. The MAC is Beauty collection launched April 2nd in stores. 

Have you picked up anything from the MAC is Beauty collection? What do you think of pastel pinks for spring and summer?

xo Ashley

Nordstrom Beauty Trend Event

Nordstrom is having their annual Beauty Trend Event this weekend (April 24th and 25th) and I was lucky enough to experience a preview of what to expect at the event. This will be the first time the beauty event will take place in Canada, so the Calgary Nordstrom invited a few guests to the store to find out what the event is all about.

At the Beauty Trend Event you will find out all about the top spring and summer beauty trends, and can schedule appointments for complimentary skincare, makeup, and fragrance consultations. There are also tons of free samples and gifts with purchase. What I'm most excited for are the Master Classes, where you can learn beauty tips and tricks from industry experts.

I went in on Wednesday morning for the preview event. My day started out with a skincare consult with Rebecca at Bobbi Brown, then off to Laura Mercier where Brenda did my makeup. I was especially excited to try out the new Silk Creme Moisturizing Photo Edition Foundation, and Brenda showed me how to tightline my upper lashes using the Tightline Cake Eyeliner. Next I was off to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Bar, where Brittany expertly took care of my brows. She cleaned them up and matched the shape of my brows (I guess they were pretty uneven!), then filled them in using the Anastasia Brow Powder and Brow Wiz. Finally I headed over to the Tom Ford counter where I made an impulse lipstick purchase and took home a few perfume samples to try out. Afterwards I wanted to check out the rest of the counters. The Burberry counter has a really cute mini lipstick gift with purchase available at the beauty event. I also met Heidi from Shiseido and she loaded me up with a bunch more skincare samples.

Below I also have added a video from the Nordstrom YouTube channel that also gives a quick overview of what to expect at the beauty event. 

So that's what it's all about! Will you be heading to Nordstrom this weekend for the event?

You can check out the Nordstrom Chinook website for more information and to book a beauty consultation.

xo Ashley

Spring Patterns

This spring and summer I feel like I am going to be hooked on cardigans, kimonos, and vests! I think they are the perfect pieces to renew items from past seasons. The dress I'm wearing in this outfit is one of my favourites from last summer. I wore this dress a ton last year, so to make this look feel new I paired the dress with this lightweight cardi from Gentle Fawn and a cute pair of flats that I picked up at Target. My favourite part of this outfit is the floral pattern on the cardi. I think it's such a pretty pattern for spring. I wore this outfit for an afternoon spent hanging out with my mom and sister.  We stopped by a legging party and picked up some crazy fun leggings that I can't wait to wear to yoga class! 

Outfit Details

Gentle Fawn Elodie Cardi*

Old Navy dress

Target shoes

purse via Winners

Aldo sunglasses

Photos by my little sister 

Make Up For Ever | Mist & Fix

When I heard that Make Up For Ever was re-launching their makeup finishing spray I was pretty excited. I started using makeup finishing sprays a few years ago, and I really like them, so I was interested to see if I would like the Mist & Fix* from Make Up For Ever too. Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix is intended to create a protective barrier or shield over your makeup, which helps colours stay vibrant and your makeup last throughout the day. It took me a little bit to warm up to this product, but I really like it now. The spray is a little stronger then I expected (I was used to using the Caudalie Beauty Elixir which is a very fine mist) and the product initially leaves the skin feeling kind of sticky or tacky, but the tackiness quickly goes away when the product dries. I have also learned not to hold the bottle too close to my face (Make Up For Ever recommends holding the bottle 15 inches away from the face). Mist & Fix is said to contain and O2 complex that brings oxygen to the skin, creating a radiant finish. The new version of this spray also contains polyol, which is known for its moisturizing properties. Mist & Fix is also alcohol free. 

Overall I have been loving this product for extra long days at my internship. I definitely have noticed a difference in the wear time of my makeup on the days I have used Mist & Fix.

Do you use a makeup setting spray? Have you tried Mist & Fix?

xo Ashley

Weekend Sporty

So I finally submitted my final copy of my master capstone project yesterday! I can't believe I'm so close to graduating! I have about two more months of classes left, two assignments, and only three weeks of practicum. Things are starting to wrap up and it feels so unreal. 

On another note, I'm loving dressing casual on my weekends, and this little sporty sweater dress from Joe Fresh has been so easy to throw on. For this look I decided to go for an all out sporty feel, and paired the dress with my converse sneakers and a bomber jacket. I picked up the backpack from Target because I thought it would be perfect for outdoor festivals and concerts this summer. 

Outfit Details

Joe Fresh Varsity Sweater Dress* and Perforated Bomber Jacket*

Converse sneakers

Target backpack

MAC Mia Moretti lipstick in Maria Moretti* (Amplified)

Photos by my little sister

Maybelline | Rebel Bloom Lipsticks

I am so excited to break out spring lipstick colours! I'm loving the shades from the new Rebel Bloom lipstick line by Maybelline, and I especially am loving the colour Lilac Flush. I was a little scared of buying a lilac coloured lipstick, but the beauty consultant at Shoppers Drug Mart convinced me that it would be such a fun colour for spring. You only live once, right? The other three colours, Petal Pink*, Peach Poppy*, and Rose Rush* I received for review, and I am really loving them too!  Although Rose Rush is a fun red, I really am leaning more toward the pastels in this line. My two favourites are the lilac and the peach. On top of the colour range,  I am loving the formula of these lipsticks. I am typically a fan of Maybelline lipsticks, although the scent is a little strong for me. Luckily the scent doesn't linger for long. The Rebel Bloom range is described as super-saturated pastels, in a range of pinks, reds and mauves. 

Have you tried and of the Maybelline Rebel Bloom lipsticks? What lipstick colours are you excited to wear this spring?

xo Ashley

SHOP THE POST

Jealous Body Scrub

So I am pretty much obsessed with this coffee and coconut scrub by Jealous Body Scrub. The smell of coffee is one of my favourites, so starting my day off with a coffee scrub is perfect in my eyes. The ingredients are all natural and include premium coffee, cold pressed coconut oil, raw brown sugar, sea salt, vitamin E and other minerals. Each of the ingredients has a purpose. The coffee is meant to stimulate blood flow, the sugar and salt to exfoliate, and the coconut oil, vitamins and minerals soften, hydrate and nourish the skin. I love how soft my skin feels after using this scrub! The scrub is a little abrasive, but I have tested it out on my face a couple of times and my sensitive skin has been fine. My makeup also applied so smooth and even on those days. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who loves body scrubs and loves coffee!

Have you tried a coffee scrub? What are your favourite body scrubs?