My Favorite Summer Lip Products 2013

Hello beautiful people!
I'm back again with another post and I decided to make it about my favorite summer lip products. If you know me, you know I am OBSESSED with lip products whether it be lipsticks or lip balms- I want them ALL! I'm sure I'm not the only one though. I just can't resist all the colors and textures; they just make me happy. I've compiled a list of all the lip products I've been using and abusing all summer long. Be warned, there's a lot of pink coming your way! If you know me personally you know that my favorite color is pink and I prefer a strong lip color...nudes smudes people.
Let's go!



Let's start with lip balms! When I'm at work I don't have time (nor do I wish) to reapply lipstick so i carry colored lip balms with me- I work with kids and paint...so need for excess makeup ;) Anyway, getting back to the lip balms, my three favorites that I always carry with me are the Maybelline baby lips and Nivea fruit shine balm. These products are so moisturizing on the lips, leave a shiny finish on the lips and the Baby Lips have an SPF in them- bonus! Pink Punch taste like punch juice and leaves a creamy baby pink color to the lips. Cherry Me taste likes cherry sour blasters and leaves a nice pink-ish red tint. The Nivea balm in Cherry taste likes cherries as well and feels glossy, moisturizing and wonderful on the lips, all while giving me a nice red-ish tint!

                               

Ok, let's jump into the lipsticks!
This summer I've been really enjoying moisturizing and soft lip products. The ones that glide on the lips and leave a creamy and somewhat glossy finish. The maybelline color whisper in who wore is red-er is a perfect example. This is the red lipstick I enjoy wearing because it's great for day and night and it just feels so awesome on the lips; Maybelline really hit the mark with their color whisper line!

Another similar product is the Revlon Colorburst lip butter in Sorbet. It's smooth and lovely on the lips and this color is absolutely gorgeous. A great Popsicle pink!

These next two lip products are something I picked up on a whim. They are Hard Candy's All Glossed Up hydrating lip stain. The first one I got, Orange You Sweet, was purely for the color. This WAS supposed to be orange as the name suggests, however, it's more of a coral on the red side. Aside from my color expectation fail, it is hydrating to the lips and does leave a little bit of a stain. If you're expecting long lasting color, you won't find it with this product. However, it has been in my purse along with Cupcake because I do enjoy the color payoff and again the moisturizing feel of these lippies. I'm easy to please!

The Maybelline Vivids in Fuchsia Flash and Shocking Coral have been some of my favorites lipsticks all summer. Fuchsia Flash is a dude of MAC's Candy Yum Yum which I haven't decided to post because it's matte texture did not appeal to me this particular summer. This flashy color is intense and bold yet so beautiful. Shocking Coral is seriously THE most gorgeous coral I have ever worn. It's so bright and opaque and gets tons of compliments when I rock it! They are super opaque, creamy and long lasting. The only negative I have is the smell. It's quite a strong smell that I really dislike but as soon as I apply it, the scent disappears. Other than that- it's just stunning :)

Last but not least is a lipstick I've wearing a hell of a lot this summer. It's the Milani color statement lipstick in Fruit Punch. It smells like watermelon candy, applies opaque color, leaves a creamy finish and lasts a good 4 hours without needing to reapply. This warm pinky coral is so pretty and lovely I just can't get enough.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed making it. I'm seriously a lip product junkie and it's always a revolving door. I'm sure fall will lead me to more goodies and I will update you then. 

Thanks again!!

xCaroline

My Top 7 Waterproof Makeup Essentials for the Pool!

So here's the thing. When I go the pool in the summer, I don't leave the house with a face full of makeup because that's just not me! However, leaving the house completely bare faced isn't my cup of tea either. 

I've compiled a short list of my top 10 essential waterproof makeup products I put on before going to the pool for the day. I'm not saying these will stay on if you're planning on jumping in the water several times or doing a hardcore amount of aqua fitness but from all the times I have gone to the pool, these products have done their job and have not let me down in the slightest! So here it comes!

1) First thing I start of with is my Neutrogena Facial Sunscreen SPF 45. This protects my face without causing me breakouts :)

2) Maybelline The Rocket Volume mascara (the waterproof version obviously!) This mascara is NUTS! The original formula is so black and stays on all day without flaking and is even extremely hard to take off at night- the waterproof version is the exact same, except the staying power is exceptionally more difficult to take off. Keeps the curl all day even after acting like a mermaid all day! ;)

3) Now, the one thing I desperately need is concealer. I've recently been using MAC's Pro-long wear concealer in NC20 and it hides my dark circles and stays put all day long, even in the water. At the end of the day i'll see a little bit of cakey-ness due to the water, but it's not super noticeable and definitely something I can live with!

4) Because I am a blushohaulic, I will put some before I leave the house. I will also carry a lipstick with me in my purse and apply some to my cheeks if I'm lacking some color and to perk myself up...and perhaps to wow those cute lifeguards? yes, no? *sigh* I digress...
A blog post of my favorite summer Lippies will be added soon, so stay tuned for that list ;)

5) For lips, I like to wear my favorite Maybelline Baby Lips lipbalm in cherry me. It has an spf of 20, is moisturizing as sin, and gives me a red tint to my lips; The trifecta!

6) Ok, probably the most important to me is BROWS! Holy smokes do I love my filled in brows! It just makes the world of difference! to ensure they stay on all day, I use the Maybelline color tattoo in Tough as Taupe! I apply a small amount with an angled brush and have perfect brows all day long...YAY!

7) *BONUS*If i'm feeling extra fancy that day, I'll sport some eyeshadow. The ones I like to use are the Maybelline 24 Hour color tattoos in bad to the bronze (bronzey taupe), inked in pink(soft shimmery pink) and barely branded (a soft shimmery champagne color). These literally stay on all day for me and just a thin layer over the lid really make a world of difference to the overall look.

So there we have it! My top 7 products (including a sunscreen) that I wear at the pool!
It's not much but it's enough for me to feel confident leaving the house without feeling like I'm overdoing it at the pool.

*p.s I'm not sponsored by Maybelline. I'm just kind of obsessed with some of their products because they work like a dream and stay on all day, no rhyme or reason to this; I just love them.* 

Hope these tips helped! All the products can be found at the drugstore, and if you have any suggestions for other waterproof products you can't live without let me know!

Thanks! 

xoCaroline

My Rimmel London Lipstick Collection! (Review and Swatches!)

Ok, so I think it is fair to say that my FAVORITE lipsticks at the drugstore are from Rimmel London! Here are some reasons why I love them :)

1) They are inexpensive- Between $5 and $8CAN at the drugstore and, as I've established in the past that works well for my budget :)
2) They have an amazing color selection, many different finishes, textures and different packaging as well.
3) They have a distinctive smell, kind of like perfume... but not grandmother smelling or so offensive that it makes you gag when it reaches your lips *ahem, like the maybelline ones*. The new Kate lipsticks have a watermelon smell and it's actually amazing, so that's definitely a bonus! 
4) I'm extremely attracted to the bright purple packaging- it's so cute! And the new Kate packaging is sleek and pretty as well.
5) They have great staying power and don't fade into a nasty mess which is, you know, nice. All the lipsticks, no matter what the finish are extremely moisturizing ;)

I have 15 lippies to show you, so let's get started!

Lasting Finish
The first set of Lipsticks come in a sleek dark plum packaging with a metallic ring where the tube of lipstick is stored. The older packaging is all plastic which is nice as well but the new packaging is nicer (in my opinion).
006 Pink Blush which is a creamy mid toned pink- perfect for everyday
038 In Vogue is actually one of the first lippies I bought from Rimmel. It's a mega intense bright Reddish Pink. Creamy finish, great if you want a super bold lip.
082 Heavenly is a muted mauve. It's also creamy- definitely not my favorite color, but it's nice color to have if you like purple but don't want anything super crazy.
The last swatch on the bottom right is called Nostalgia and it's a creamy pinky peach color. Really nice on the lips.
I believe Heavenly and Nostalgia were limited addition because they are not offered on the site.

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The Moisture Renew Lipsticks have my FAVORITE packaging ever or any brand. I mean the color is unique and so cute- i'm obsessed!

700 Nude Delight is the perfect peachy nude. Looks great on the lips and doesn't wipe them out completely. Perfect staple
800 Pink Star I bought because I was obsessed with Seventeen back in the day and they would always have this color on their models and in a review so I decided to get it. Not my fave texture because it's somewhat frosty and frosty is never a good look. However this baby pink color is workable and it's not so atrocious that you look like a walking 80's poster.
160 Rose Passion is a warm toned red lipstick with a hint of orange.
340 Lily Extase is a nice cool toned fuchsia
320 Funtime Fuchsia is an even cooler toned fuchsia with a duo chrome finish- it has some purple/blue reflects in it- really pretty on the lips :)

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These Lasting Finish Lipsticks by Kate Moss have amazing staying power and stain the lips! All cream finishes
02 is a cool toned Fuchsia (yes I own a lot of these colors) but this one is pretty intense, and again the lasting power is great.
08 is a Nude Pink for those who hate nude shades and want some pinky color, this is perfect.
10 is a kick ass cool toned red! super pigmented color that is the best of both worlds- Red and Pink :)
12 is an orange red- pretty straightforward. Great color payoff like the others, a nice orange :)

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These Kate Lipsticks are Matte but are not the least bit drying which is perfect. These lipsticks smell like watermelon candies...so yummy!!

101 is a pretty muted pink, great for those that want baby pink lips without looking like a barbie :)
102 is a brighter version of 101, more of a light coral pink. Gorgeous

Thank you for reading! Hope this inspires you to go try some Rimmel Lipsticks! They're my favorite for a reason; Great color payoff, staying power and always moisturizing never drying :) 

XO Caroline

Essence Cosmetics Haul!

Ok, so I recently discovered Essence Makeup at my local Pharmaprix and I went a little nuts! I literally want everything this brand has to offer because;
a) It's dirt cheap and let's face it I'm FOREVER on a budget.
b) The products are actually great quality! and 
c) I'm a sucker for all things drugstore..I'm no makeup snob! If it works I'm using it on me and shoving it in my makeup kit ;)

http://www.essence.eu/us/home.html 

On to the Haul we goooooo!

The first thing I bought was the I <3 Extreme crazy volume mascara! It really does the job. It's kind of a dupe for the Benefit they're real mascara because of the brush- the formula is less wet than Benefits and I actually like this one a hell of a lot more than Benefits...I might actually be the only one in the world who thinks so, lol! It's $4.99 CAN

Next thing I purchases are these non-sticky and sweet tasting lipglosses! I'm not one for lipglosses, but these ones are so pretty and non-sticky that I just had to have them and at $2.99 CAN you can't really go wrong ;) Nude Candy is a very soft pinky creamy color, Sparkling Papaya is a coral-orange with crome sparkles shining blue/purple/silver (SO gorgeous on the lips). Red Blosson is a deeper orange red, kid of looks like blood haha, but with a bronzed skin this would look good over red lipstick to give the lips some dimension!

I also got this glossy lipbalm- i enjoyed the color and it's just a pretty gloss without a super sticky feel! I believe this one was $1.99 CAN

This next product I've seen being talked about and used a lot by YouTube girls everywhere and it's the clear lash and brow gel. Standard clear mascara that I use to tame my brows! Works well and it definitely rivals the Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara that I use religiously on my brows. It was around $2.99 CAN

They had eyebrow pencils, so I decided to get one in 'Brown'. I did not regret it. I goes on waxy and it's not too soft which is important for staying power! This one was around $1.99 CAN

Next stop- Lipliner! I figured I'd give this a try and it was on sale at the time for $0.99 CAN!!!!
I got it in Nude, and it's a pretty nude with a hint of pink/peach not brown :)

Another great find is this tiny tube of waterproof liquid liner! It comes with a felt tip applicator, however, it's not stiff or too loose- it's actually quite perfect. Makes application quite easy. It's the blackest black and it didn't crack (which some waterproof liquid liners tend to do!) $2.99 CAN

I bought a fun colored sharperner for $0.99 CAN- it has a small and bigger hole for any pencil and is pretty standard :)

Last and final product is their 16 hour concealer. I mean 16 hour staying power really?? I've tried it for a week straight now and the consistency is pretty creamy and easily blended (if blended right away). It provides medium coverage and it doesn't crease like crazy! The only downside is that it comes in two pale colors. Good for us pale girls, not so much for any skin tone above NC/NW 20

Swatch from left to right: Brown eyebrow pencil, waterproof liquid liner and nude lipliner!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my post!

if you have any questions, leave them down below!

Love you all <3

xo Caroline

WISTA's GYPSY- Hair and Makeup Design

I had the awesome opportunity to be a part of the West Island Student Theater Association's Production of GYPSY- The story of an overbearing stage mother who pushes her two daughters into becoming stars. When her youngest daughter June leaves her to pursue her own dreams, she forces her eldest daughter, Louise, into being the center of her show. Her mother tries to make Louise act exactly like her youngest daughter June, but Louise wants to be her own original act. When the money stops coming in, Louise is forced to become a burlesque dancer- scared and nervous at first, she later becomes a natural, turning into the beautiful and sexy Gypsy Rose Lee leaving her mother to pursue her own successful career.

I was hired as the Hair and Makeup artist for the show and for the last few months, I bought the necessary materials for the show, developed a guide for main actors and went to many rehearsals trying to get a feel for the actors/characters. It was so much fun and unlike anything I had every experienced before. 5 shows of the same routine of hair and makeup and getting the actors ready before the show started and running around making sure they had the right hair accessories, adding more blush and lipstick and spraying clouds of hairspray so their hair stayed in place! It was NUTS! But SO MUCH FUN! So happy I got to experience this- I met some really cool people and i'll forever have these memories <3

    Backstage and On-Stage! Photos by Robert Gallant

    Backstage Makeup and Hair- Photos by Robert Gallant and Me

   Necessary Hair and Makeup products for all 5 Shows!

                              white, brown and black eyeliners, mascara, gel liner, sharpener and eyelash curler!

Eyeshadow and Lipstick Palette

Face Powder, concealer, contour color and super pigmented Blush!

June, Rose and Gypsy's Lipstick colors for the Show!

                          You Curl hair curler, extra hold and volumizing hairspray, BOBBY PINS!!!! 

and a heat protector!

my brush belt and brushes!!

Thank you to everyone involved and to everyone who went to see the show. It was amazing, and I'm so thankful for this experience. It was hectic, stressful, tiring, rewarding and fun! LOVE YOU ALL <3

NYX Cosmetics HAUL: Show and Tell!

About a month ago, I was advised that the Cherry Culture website was having a 40% sale on all NYX products. I really wanted to try some blushes and lip products so I randomly picked out some shades that i thought would be to my liking. I got three blushes, three lip liners, one soft matte lip cream and the coveted beige lipgloss.

So let's talk blushes ($8.99 CAN)
I purchased: Bourjois Pig, Taupe and Pinky Blush

Bourjeois Pink is a soft peachy pink color- more on the pink side and warm toned with a subtle sheen.

I purchased Taupe blush not for use as a blush but for a contouring product; and believe me and Nikkie Tutorials, this works for fair-medium skin tones! A subtle matte neutral taupe shade, perfect for accentuating those cheekbones :)

Pinky is very true to it's name! It's a medium cool toned pink and has just a nice sheen to it. The perfect pink blush :)

Next stop, Lip Liners ($3.99 CAN)

I have a few other NYX shades that I purchased before, so purchasing more was a no brainer- they glide on so effortlessly and come in amazing shades!

Pumpkin Spice is a shimmery warm orangey/red shade. Thought it was going to be matte, but it's still a great shade.
Sand Pink is a nice true pink shade perfect under many different lipsticks!
Nude Pink is literally that- a nudey/ pink shade. Perfect for those pink lipsticks or nude lipsticks.

 Up next, Lip Creams ($8.99 CAN)

 NYX Soft Matte Cream is unlike any lip product I've ever tried! It's like a lipstick and lipbalm in one. It is completely matte and has a VERY silky feel! It's very comfortable on the lips and it isn't drying. The shade I picked out is Addis Ababa- a fuschia color, quite bright and totally my color ;)

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream isn't my favorite texture. It's quite thick, slightly drying and doesn't smell as yummy as the other lip products; It definitely more like a lipgloss/lipstick product. Because of it's opaque texture, I like to dab it on my lips and just rub instead of applying it with it's doe foot applicator. The color I picked is Candy Land and it's a medium warm pink shade and is a great color for every day wear.

                                            (Addis Ababa, Beige, Candy Land & Marroon)

And Finally, Lipglosses ($7.99 CAN)

So I got ANOTHER Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige...and it's the opposite of Beige! Worst name ever, but whatever. This neutral pink gloss goes on like a dream, has great staying power, shines really nice WITHOUT the sticky feel and has amazing color payoff! OH and it smells like cherry bubble gum- YUM!

The second one I got, Maroon looks SO dark in the packaging, almost black! I can't believe it's a Mega Shine Lipgloss because this shade is so opaque and looks pretty sexy on the lips. Looks like Rebel from MAC.
I like to apply this product with a lip brush because it is pretty glossy (non-sticky) and is SO pigmented!

Overall, I'm super impressed with these products and I can't wait to start using these to death <3

Product Rave For Eyebrows!

OK, so I was looking through my makeup collection and I came across my Maybelline 24 Color Tattoo in 35 Tough as Taupe. I love using this MATTE shade as an eyeshadow base and sometimes even for a contour; it's an amazing product and you can use it for just about everything, which brings me to my next point!
I decided to use this product to fill in my brows! I was inspired to do so because I saw another YouTuber use a MAC paintpot to fill in her brows. I searched through my collection to find something similar and came across my color tattoo! It's the only neutral matte shade in the collection and it's literally the perfect shade for filling in my brown haired eyebrows! I'm just so happy to have discovered a new way to wear this product and the bonus is that because it's a color tattoo- it stays on all day and doesn't budge! :D

Watch My Video on this product rave!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFBcvLnZGSQ