Liquid Liner Line Up

Although I don't often use liquid eyeliner, I thought I would share the three that I am currently using and let you know my thoughts on them. The three that I own right now are the Revlon Colourstay Skinny liquid liner, the Maybelline Master Duo liquid eye liner, and the Stila Stay All Day waterproof liquid eye liner. If I had to choose just one of them I would choose the Stila liner just because it is waterproof. 

Revlon Colourstay Skinny Liquid Liner

My favourite things about this liner are that it creates a very thin line and that the formula dries matte. What I don't like is that it washes off very easily. This is good news for removing makeup or if you make a mistake, but bad news for watery eyes.   

Maybelline Master Duo Liquid Liner

I picked this one up because the felt tip has an interesting shape where you can create a thick or thin line. With this liner you really have to make sure you shake it up good or you will get a really weak black/grey line. This formula also dries with a sheen.   

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

I love this eyeliner because it is waterproof so you know your makeup won't budge all day. The one thing I'm not a fan of is the fact that it has a sheen to it. When I wear this I usually to tap a matte black eyeshadow overtop to take the shine away.

Do you use any of these eyeliners? Which liquid eyeliners are your favourites?

xo Ashley

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FOTD | Maybelline The Nudes Palette

I was just playing around with the Maybelline The Nudes Palette and came up with this look. I don't recall which shadows I ended up using, but this was the result. It was fun just experimenting with new colour. I paired my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure and my Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb with the look.

What are your favourite eyeshadow palettes? Have you tried the Maybelline The Nudes Palette?

xo Ashley

Maybelline | The Nudes Palette

The more I use this palette the more I love it. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on the Maybelline The Nudes Palette*, so I was very curious to check it out for myself. My initial reaction when doing finger swatches was a bit of surprise. The shadows were a lot creamy in texture then I expected! The one downside is that the pigmentation in some of the matte shadows is not totally there, but I would say if you are patient and have a nice brush then this isn't an issue. I don't mind building up the matte colours slowly. The advantage with this is there is not much kick up for fall out. I also found that the more you use the palette the better the shadows get. I think some of them just need a little working in. The two colours that have the least colour pay off are the first and last colour in the palette. The first colour has some glitter in it, but it does have a nice subtle iridescent sheen. The last colour is a black, and it is the only shadow in the palette that I am not a fan of. I find it to be quite patchy. My three favourites are the first on the bottom row, the fourth from the top, and fourth from the bottom. My impression of the palette is based on use with a primer because I always use a primer. I like to use MAC painterly paint pot, or the Maybelline Colour Tattoos a primers with The Nudes Palette. The last thing I like about the palette is there are ideas for colour combinations using 2, 3, and 4 shadows on the back of the palette and on the Maybelline webiste. This is really great for anyone new to eyeshadow to give ideas on several different looks you can create with the palette. 

Have you tried the Maybelline The Nudes Palette? What did you think? 

xo Ashley

FOTD | Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

This look has been my go to, everyday look lately. I'm really loving the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush colour in Mood Exposure, my Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow trio, and my Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Boy. JP bought me my Chanel lipstick for my birthday back in September and I have been wearing it so much ever since! I can't believe that I haven't mentioned it yet on the blog. The Chanel lipstick in Boy is the perfect everyday lipstick, and I love Mood Exposure because it's a great fall and winter colour. I also adore the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. I really need to track down a pump for it though. That is the one thing that drives me crazy about NARS foundations.

What products have been part of your go-to look lately? Do you have a go-to lipstick?

xo Ashley

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Revlon | Fall/Winter Gel Envy Nail Polishes

So I have been really loving Gel-like nail polishes lately, so I was really excited when Revlon sent me some of their new fall and winter Colorstay Gel Envy nail enamel colours to try out! My favourite colour is Black Jack, which is a black colour with very fine blue micro-glitter. On my wish list is the colour Up the Ante, which is a beautiful purple shade. 

The Gel-Envy polishes are meant to be a two-step process, starting with the base coat and colour in one step, and finishing with the Diamond top coat. I also have an older version of the Revlon gel top coat called gel-shine and this seems to work well with the Gel Envy polishes too. I have tried the polishes with and without a separate base coat, and I prefer using a base coat. I like using a base coat just because I like the idea of a barrier between my nails and the nail polish colour. 

The polishes that were sent to me are, Black Jack, High Stakes, All In, Sure Thing and the Diamond Top Coat. I already owned Checkmate and the Gel-Shine Top Coat (I also own Wild Card which is a stunning blue that you can see in my fall nail polish post!). Also, if you are interested, Estee from Essie Button Just did a post on how the Revlon colour in Checkmate is a dupe for Essie Sand Tropez! 

What I really like about the Gel Envy nail polishes is that the formula is pretty thick so it only takes two coats to get your nail polish opaque. I don't usually do thin coats of nail polish, so these polishes really work well for me and the way I apply nail polish. Not only is the formula thicker, but the brush is pretty wide so you can cover more of your nail in one swipe. You can see my nails painted in the colour Checkmate in this post.

Have you tried these polishes? What colours are your favourite?

xo Ashley

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NARS Audacious Lipstick | Lana

As I mentioned in my Sephora VIB Event haul, I bought the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana, which is described as a vidid orange-red. I had several orange-red lipsticks on my wish list but decided to go with the Audacious Lipstick because I'm a sucker for new launches. I also love the packaging of the Audacious Lipsticks. I think the black packaging is very sleek and I love the magnetic lid. I also love the NARS logo that's stamped into the lipstick. The Audacious Lipsticks are said to be full-coverage, creamy, and long-lasting. I definitely agree with all these claims. The lipstick applied smooth and opaque in one swipe, and the colour lasted for hours. I also found that the formula was not drying on my lips. Definitely need to pick up more of these lipsticks!!

Which Audacious Lipsticks are your favourites?

xo Ashley

Bite Beauty Mini High Pigment Pencils

When I saw this Bite Beauty Best Bite Remix Tin on display at Sephora a couple weeks back I could not resist buying it! I'm seriously falling in love with Bite Beauty! This little tin includes four mini High Pigment Pencils. The tin includes two permanent colours, Pomegranate and Rhubarb, as well as two limited edition colours, Winterberry and Sable. Winterberry is described as a deep raspberry, and Sable is described as a peachy nude. Pomegranate is described as a rich red and Rhubarb is described as a plum rose.  All the colours are perfect for winter, but my two favourites are Rhubarb and Winterberry. I hesitated for a brief moment before buying this tin and thought of putting it on my Christmas list, but then I thought that it would probably sell out fast. If you are looking for Christmas present ideas though, Bite Beauty has some other cute gift ideas at Sephora! 

Have you tried any products from Bite Beauty? Which ones are your favourite? 

xo Ashley

Sephora VIB Event Haul

Last weekend was the Sephora VIB 20% off event and this year I didn't want to miss out! I met up with Brittany of Life, Set Sail on Sunday to shop the sale together. I went to the sale with a few ideas of things that I wanted but I didn't have my mind completely made up, so it was nice to have Brittany there for a second opinion. I recently used up my Anastasia Brow Wiz so I knew I need some sort of brow product. Although I loved the Brow Wiz I wanted to try something new this time around and couldn't decide between the Anastasia Brow Powder or the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil. I ended up deciding to go with the Hourglass brow pencil. Next up I really wanted to purchase a NARS Audacious Lipstick. The display had been picked over and there were few colours to choose from by the time I got to the sale. I decided to go with Lana because I've been wanting to add a high end orange-red lipstick to my collection. Other Audacious lipsticks that are on my wish list for the future are Liv, Charlotte, Olivia, and Anna. I kind of also want Anita because that's my mom's name! Finally, I decided to jump on the band wagon and pick up the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. The last little extra that I got was a mini bottle of Chloe by cashing in some of my points. 

What did everyone else get from the VIB sale? What NARS Audacious lipsticks do you guys own or are on your wish lists?

xo Ashley

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A Morning Skincare Routine

I thought I would share part of my current morning skincare routine. Calgary is a pretty dry city so keeping my skin moisturized is an essential part of starting my day. Here are my go to products right now.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

I have gone through about three bottles of the Beauty Elixir now. I just love this stuff. I use it as a toner and mist it onto my face after cleansing. I've done a mini review on it before and you can read it here.

Hydraluron

My mom told me about the indeed brand from reading about it in Glow Magazine quite a while back. Soon afterwards I started to see Hydraluron pop up on UK blogs so I thought I would give it a go. Hydraluron is a serum that is made with hyaluronic acid which is meant to hydrate the skin from below the surface. Again, I've been through a few tubes of this serum now and absolutely love it. Initially I couldn't tell if it was making a difference, but last summer I noticed that it felt completely different on my skin when I used it in Aruba compared to when I came back to Calgary. It really does seem to help keep my skin hydrated. You can find Hydraluron at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream

I actually just ran out of this eye cream. I really loved it but the price tag is quite steep. I purchased this with my Shoppers Optimum points, so it wasn't a hit to my wallet. I would purchase this eye cream again, but I am looking to try out some other brands first to see if I can find something that I enjoy as much, but with a friendlier price point.

Optimera Day Cream

I was sent this daily moisturizer a few months back to test out and I am really enjoying using it. The directions on the back suggest using four pumps of the product but I only use one and find that it does the job fine. The product is described to use a bio-botanical blend of ingredients and plant cell technology. What I like about this product is that it is fragrance free and it is light on the skin. I also like that it has all natural ingredients.

Nuxe Reve de Miel

I've wrote about the Nuxe Reve de Miel on the blog before. I apply a small amount of this lip balm in the morning before I apply my makeup. You can read my full review on it here. 

So those are some of my current morning routine products. Have you tried any of these products? Since I've run out of my eye cream I'd love to hear some suggestions on other eye creams to try out!

xo Ashley

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Phyto | Hair Product Review

A little while back I was sent a few hair products from Phyto to try out. Phyto is a new brand to Canada, and I have been noticing it in Sephora stores lately. My two favourite products from the ones that I have been testing are the Phytokeratine Thermal Protectant and Phyto 7 Hydrating Day Cream. I literally have been using these two products everyday without fail. Below is a mini review of the four products I've been testing out.

Phytojoba Intense Hydration Brilliance Shampoo

This shampoo is an intense hydrating shampoo, and it's definitely been a great addition to my hair care routine now that the weather is cooling down and the air is getting dry. It's coconut based and has jojoba oil for hydration. I like this shampoo but I feel like I don't know the full effect of it because I don't have a matching conditioner. I'm one of those people that hates to mix brands and I prefer to use matching sets and matching scents with my shampoo and conditioner. 

Phytopolleine Botanical Scalp Treatment

This is a scalp treatment that is an essential oil blend of rosemary, sage, cyprus, eucalyptus and lemon. It's meant to purify the scalp and help improve microcirculation. It can also help to balance the scalp and help with everything from dryness, to oil control, or irritation. I don't tend to have any issues with dryness or irritation, but my hair can get oily pretty quick. I've tried this out a couple times so far and haven't really noticed any major differences but I will keep you all updated for any changes. 

Phyto 7 Dry Hair Hydrating Day Cream

This is one of their best selling products. The formula is meant to maintain hairs optimum hydration level without weighing it down or making it feel oily or greasy. I really like this product because my hair is so fine,  so it's really nice to find a product that doesn't weigh my hair down. 

Phytokeratine Repairing Thermal Protectant Spray

I have been loving this product. It's heat-activated and heat-protecting. The product is described as working to reconstruct and consolidate the hairs internal structure while protecting the hair from hot-tools. Now that winter is basically here (it's snowing in Calgary), a product like this is an absolute must for me because I blow-dry and straighten my hair a lot more often in the colder months. 

Have you tried any products from the Phyto range? What are your go to hair products for protecting your hair? 

xo Ashley

Berry & Plum Lips

This time of year I start pulling out all of my darker shades of lipsticks. I used to be afraid to wear anything dark on my lips but now I absolutely love deep berry and plum lip colours during the fall and winter months. Here are a few of the colours I've been wearing lately.

Last year my favourite combination was the Revlon lipstick in Plum Velour and NYX lip liner in Deep Purple. This year I'm really loving the Make Up For Ever lipstick in the colour 48 Blackcurrent*, which is a deeper berry shade, and is more red compared to my other choices. I'm also loving the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania. This lipstick almost looks black in the tube, and is definitely the boldest lip colour I own. For the days when I don't want to spend a lot of maintenance on my lips, the Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum is an easy choice. Another favourite from the past is yet another Revlon product; the matte balm in Shameless. This one is quite purple. My favourite thing about the matte balm is the minty scent.

Other favourites that I somehow forgot to photograph are my Revlon Moisture Stain in Parisian Passion, and my MAC lipsticks in Plumful and Rebel.

Monthly Favourites | October 2014

Again, late on the favourites post, but at least I'm getting around to it! I'm trying to keep on top of things with the blog while doing my internship and classes, but sometimes I just can't stay organized. I find myself being able to take photos, but actually getting to the writing part is where I'm having trouble. I love blogging and connecting with everyone in the blogging world so I'm really working on getting the right balance with everything. 

Anyways, onto the favourites. I thought I lost my Stella roller ball, so when I discovered it in my suitcase when I was packing for Toronto I was jumping for joy! I've wore this perfume everyday since. Next, I had to include my Make Up For Ever trio palette. I serious just love these three shadows (check out my face of the day post featuring it here). I also love cream shadows for bases, and my default is MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly. This is the perfect nude shade for my eyes, and really makes my eyeshadow colours last throughout the day. I've been finding myself adding a highlight to my cheekbones more often in the last month. I've had the Dior Amber Diamond powder for quite a while now, and I think it just adds the nicest glow to the cheeks. Next up I have my Revlon Gel Envy polish in Checkmate (see a post of me wearing it here). Last month I was loving dark colours on my nails and this month I'm back to liking lighter colours. I also have a post coming up with a bunch of the new fall and winter colours from the Gel Envy line so keep your eyes open for that! Finally, I've been loving this clear lip liner from Rimmel. I was randomly wandering around Shopper Drug Mart and getting distracted while running errands when I saw a display of these liners on sale. It's nice because it's so easy to through on and can go with any lipstick colour. It fills in any fine lines on the lips and I find that it helps darker colours to stay put and not settle into the lip lines. 

So that's the round up from October. What beauty products were you loving last month?

xo Ashley

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Stoneleigh Wines

I was contacted by Stoneleigh Wines recently to test out a couple of their wines. I've been getting back into wine lately, especially red wines, so I thought it would be fun to try them out. Stoneleigh Wines are from New Zealand, and the name comes from the stones that cover the vineyard that are reminiscent of an ancient riverbed. The stones absorb the heat from the sun and reflect the suns heat back up to the vines, which contributes to the unique Stoneleigh taste. 

I find that sometimes just adding a glass of wine to a meal at home with my husband can turn the evening from an everyday meal into an at home date night. This is exactly what we did last Friday night, and it was the perfect way to end a busy week. We decided to try out the bottle of Pinot Noir with our dinner. Trying out a Pinot Noir was different for me because I usually gravitate towards Malbecs or Merlots. I don't know too much about wine but the Pinot Noir was a pale ruby colour, and I found it to be fairly light. The wine is described as fruity with flavours of plum, raspberry, black cherry and oak spice.  I think the most notable flavour for me was the cherry.

Once a month my family gets together for a family dinner, so last Sunday I thought it was the perfect way to continue trying out the wines by brining along the Sauvignon Blanc to the family dinner. The Sauvignon Blanc is described as crisp, vibrant and lively. With this wine has a distinct grapefruit scent and tropical fruity flavour. 

I'm curious to try out the Stoneleigh Riesling and Merlot. Have you tried Stoneleigh Wines? What is your favourite wine?

xo Ashley

FOTD | Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows

I've been meaning to get this post up for awhile now. This is the makeup look that the Make Up For Ever makeup artist did when I met Kabuki at Sephora several weeks back. Kabuki picked out the colours, then another makeup artist created the look. I love how smokey the eye look turned out. The makeup artist made the eye look smokier by smudging out the Artist pencils in M60, which is an eyeliner in a rich brown colour. She also added a coral-orange coloured eyeshadow in the shade S-748 Coral, into the crease and onto the cheeks as a blush to bring out the blue in my eyes. The eyes were finished off with lots of layers of the Smokey Extravagant Mascara.

I cannot remember the lipstick shade that I was wearing, but it was very similar to my MAC creamsheen lipstick in Coral Bliss, which is a peachy coral shade.

Have you tried any of the Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows or the Artist Pencils? Which colours do you love?

xo Ashley

Glitter Nails Tutorial

So last weeks Fashion Beauty Panel challenge was how to wear glitter. I took photos for the challenge but didn't end up having time to submit the post, but I thought I would still share my photos here. I don't usually wear glitter in my makeup but I do like glitter nails. I especially like to add just a touch of glitter. For this nail look I started with a base colour. The colour I used was Revlon Gel Envy in Checkmate. When my nails were dry I used tape to create a triangle shape near the nail bed then I applied the Revlon Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat in the triangle shape. I then took a small paint brush, dipped it into some gold glitter then dabbed the glitter onto the top coat so that the glitter would stick. I removed the tape when the nail polish started to dry, then added a layer of topcoat over top the entire nail to seal the glitter in place. And that's it!

How do you wear glitter?

xo Ashley

Shift A Shade With Clairol

As promised, here are some more photos from the Clairol Shift A Shade event that I attended in Toronto a couple weeks back. As I mentioned in my Instagram post, Hair On The Avenue was the cutest hair salon ever, so I had to snap a couple photos of the space. 

The first step in shifting my hair colour a shade was to have a consultation with Louis Pacheco. He decided that we would go for the true meaning of shifting a shade and do a what he called a "flash colour". He later described it as taking my hair from summer to fall. It's hard to tell in the after photo but the subtle transition was a brighter and shinier version of my natural hair colour.  I felt the description of taking my colour from summer to fall was pretty accurate. 

After having my hair coloured, my hair was styled by Chris. Louis and Chris decided on giving my hair style a 70's Charlie's Angles vibe. Chris started with a small barrel curling iron making small tight curls that later relaxed into bigger waves. Because my hair is naturally very very straight the smaller curls helped keep my hair curled for the whole day. Usually I find when I curl my hair most of the curl is gone within hours, so it was nice to have the advice of using a smaller barrel curling iron. 

The final step was a make-up touch up with CoverGirl and finally the after photo. The whole team at Hair on the Avenue was absolutely amazing and I loved the whole experience at the salon. Thank you to Ashley and Jenn for organizing the day and giving me the opportunity to Shift a Shade!