Holts Beauty Bag 2013

Happy weekend, everyone! Today's post features a recent indulgence, a lovely selection of mini-sized goodies known as the Holts Beauty Bag. Every holiday season Holt Renfrew releases their Beauty Bag, which features a hand-picked array of luxury samples housed in a sleek makeup case. This year's offering had a few extra tempting treats inside, so I was lured into picking it up!

Here's a shot of it:

For $35, I got this generously-sized black shimmery cosmetics case, with a mini matching makeup bag inside.The case was filled with 8 samples of Holts' best-selling beauty products, as well as a $10 beauty voucher to redeem anytime before the end of January!

The offerings in the 2013 Beauty Bag were:

ReVive Glycolic Renewal Peel

Darphin Predermine Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Serum

Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+R Wrinkle Lifting/Firming Serum

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Tory Burch Eau de Parfum Spray

Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara in Black

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask

Here are some close-up shots:

And if you notice, there's a furry little bum in this shot:

My kitty Sadie likes to take part in my blog photo shoots, and gets quite grumpy when I have to move her out of the way ;)

Anyways, I'm quite excited to give all of these goodies a try! My first crack at the bag was the ultra luxurious Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask, which I'd been dying to try for ages (the scary price tag has been the only thing deterring me!). It's aimed at deep moisturization and brightening, which is something my skin so badly needs in this cold weather. I've used it only once so far, but was highly impressed! Will likely be writing a review soon. I'm also keen to try the new Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +. I've sampled the original on several occasions (they come with every gift with purchase!), but have always been disappointed. Here's hoping the new version is something special!

Is this a gift bag that would catch your attention? Have you used or loved any of the products featured inside? 

Thanks for reading! xo

Nail of the Day: Marc Jacobs Enamoured High Shine Lacquer in Petra

Hi, everyone! Time for another Nail of the Day, featuring one of the newest nail polish formulas on the market and one of the most unique, stunning shades I've tried in a while. Marc Jacobs Enamoured High Shine Lacquer in Petra has been on my radar for awhile now, so I was thrilled to pick it up during Sephora's recent VIB sale. To see my whole haul, click here! 

Marc Jacobs Enamoured High Shine Lacquer comes in a rounded glass bottle with a shiny plastic black cap and silver accents:

Petra caught my eye because it's a complex shade that's equally glitzy and edgy. It's a mid-tone taupey plum with gold and silver shimmer. In some lights it appears quite brown and in others it looks close to purple. In any light the shimmer is metallic and eye-catching!

I applied two coats to create the opacity seen in these shots. The application was smooth and effortless and the wear has been great so far!

Here's a shot of Petra using flash, which shows off the metallic finish and purple undertones:

A shot of it under artificial lighting:

And how it looks in natural sunlight:

Overall, I've been thoroughly impressed with this formula and the unique, multi-faceted shade. Petra is one of the few nail colours in my collection that has me gazing dreamily at my tips all day! The shade is unlike any other in my stash and the wear time is impressive. Have no complaints, really!

Is Petra a shade that's up your alley? Have you tried any of the Marc Jacobs Enamoured High Shine Lacquers?

Thanks for reading! xo

Look of the Day: New to Naked #3

Hi, everyone! Hope you're all enjoying this brisk, chilly weekend (and if your weekend hasn't been freezing cold, I'm jealous!). It's time for another installment of my "New to Naked" series, where I experiment with my brand new Urban Decay Naked Palette and discover some of the many lovely neutral looks it can create. To see my first and second posts in the series, click here and here!

Today's look features some of the ultra pretty pink- and plum-toned shades in the palette:

I used these shades to create a soft, shimmery smokey eye that is quite wearable, super feminine, and- dare I say- perfectly sultry. I paired the rosy plum eye with one of my favourite warm plummy blushes (the lovely and affordable NYX Powder Blush in Mauve) and a sheer, shiny berry lipstick (the fantastic NARS Sheer Lipstick in Damage).

For the eye look, I started with Toasted, a beautiful shimmery mid-tone plummy brown, all over the lid and blended up into the crease. Next, I layered a bit of Sin, a pinky champagne, to the centre of the lid to add some brightness to the look. I then added touches of Virgin, a shimmery ivory, as a highlight to the brow bone and inner corners of the eye. Finally, after smudging some of my trusty Tarte smolderEyes Clay Liner in Brown on my upper lashline, I layered some of Hustle, a deep shimmery plum, over top of the liner to create a smoky effect. Here's the end result:

And a shot of the palette, showing which shades were used:

Here's a full breakdown of everything that went into the look!

The Breakdown:

Foundation Primer: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer
Foundation: Revlon ColourStay Whipped Creme makeup in Buff
Concealers: BeneFit Fake-Up in Light (under eyes) and MAC Select Cover-Up in NC20 (on blemishes)
Powder: MAC Blot Powder in Medium
Highligher/Bronzer: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Blush: NYX Powder Blush in Mauve

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde/Taupe and Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel
Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Eye Shadow: Urban Decay Toatsed (all over lid and up to crease), Sin (in centre of the lid), Virgin (as a highlight on the brow bone and inner corner of the eye) and Hustle (smudged over top of my Tarte eyeliner to add smokiness)

Eyeliner: Tarte smolderEyes Clay Liner in Brown (on upper lash line) and NYX Wonder Pencil in Light (on lower waterline)
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in Black

Lipstick: NARS Sheer Lipstick in Damage


And a few more shots of the look:

And there you have it! I find that I don't play with plum-toned eye shadows nearly enough, so it was a pleasure to delve into the plummy realm of this palette. I have to say Toasted is one of the prettiest eye shadows I've tried in a while- it really is the perfect balance of brown and purple, is not too deep but still quite pigmented, and has an ideal amount of shimmer. I will definitely be reaching for it often! I could see it pairing perfectly with deeper plummy brown shades like MAC Twinks, which is also tops in my books.

What are some of your favourite looks using the plum-toned shadows in Naked? Does Toasted call out to you like it does for me?

Thanks for reading! :)

Holding onto Fall: Tval's Pumpkin Marshmallow Range

There's no denying that Fall is my favourite time of year- the crisp weather, the coloured leaves, and the pumpkin spice everything! As November begins to wind down, I find myself in a bit of denial that Fall is running its course as well. I don't want to let it go! So what better way to hold onto Fall than with pumpkin-scented bath and body products?!

Tval is a Canadian bath and skin care brand that focuses on small batches, simple, natural ingredients, and incredible, unique scents. They used to have a shop here on Queen street in Toronto (I was a regular), but have since focused their efforts out east. I'd been missing them! A while back, they were kind enough to send me a generous sampling of their most popular products and among them were two pumpkin-scented goodies!

Tval's Pumpkin Marshmallow fragrance is right up my alley- rich, warm, spicy, and subtly sweet. As the label says, the scent is quite cozy!

Tval's Pumpkin Marshmallow Shower Sundae* is a rich shower cream that creates a sweet, luxurious lather. It makes my shower smell of pumpkin pie with vanilla whipped cream on top and leaves my skin clean, but never stripped. And a little goes a long way! It's one of the nicest bath treats I've tried in a while :)

As much as I love the Shower Sundae, I think I'm even more smitten with the Pumpkin Marshmallow Skin Smoothie*. With the same sweet, spicy scent, it leaves my skin super soft and lightly fragranced all day long! It smoothes into skin easily without any white or greasy residue and is rich in natural ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil. It really is a pleasure to use! 

So while I can see December quickly approaching, for now I'm making the choice to retreat to my shower and enjoy a slice of Pumpkin Marshmallow heaven! And even once the snow creeps in, I'll take solace in the fact that my skin will still smell of a crisp, Fall day :)

So if you've never heard of Tval, I highly suggest that you check them out! They have a scent for every taste and an extensive skin care range for all skin types.  If you're into brands like Lush and The Body Shop and are looking to try something new, give Tval a go. Your skin will thank you :)

Thanks for reading! xo


*These products were sent to me as PR samples from Tval. 

Look of the Day: New to Naked #2

Hi, everyone! If you've been reading the blog lately, you'll know that I finally picked up the Urban Decay Naked Palette(!) and have been having a bit of fun with it. Last week I posted my first-ever look using the palette and today's post features another!

This look is a touch smokier than the last and features some of the palette's lovely shimmery brown and bronze shades. It's an eye shadow look that I feel totally comfortable in- warm, a bit sultry, but still totally wearable. 

I paired the soft brown smokey eye with a matte, true peach blush (the ultra amazing Illamasqua Lover Powder Blush- a review of that to come as well) and a soft peachy pink lip (my new and exciting Revlon Lacquer Balm Lip Pencil in Demure).

To create the eye look, I first applied Half-Baked, a warm golden bronze, all over the lid and up into the crease. I then applied Smog, a warm shimmery brown on the crease and outer corner of the eye. Next, I applied a small amount of Dark Horse, a deep neutral brown, to the crease to add extra definition and a touch of smokiness. Finally, I used Virgin, a pale shimmery ivory as a highlight on the brow bone and inner corners of my eye. 

Here's a shot of the palette, marking the shades that I used (again, amazing graphics thanks to Paint ;)):

Shades from the palette used in this look: Virgin, Half-Baked, Smog, and Darkhorse

Here's a full breakdown of everything I used!

The Breakdown:

Foundation Primer: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer
Foundation: Revlon ColourStay Whipped Creme makeup in Buff
Concealers: BeneFit Fake-Up in Light (under eyes) and MAC Select Cover-Up in NC20 (on blemishes)
Powder: MAC Blot Powder in Medium
Highligher/Bronzer: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Blush: Illamasqua Powder Blush in Lover

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde/Taupe and Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel
Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Eye Shadow: Urban Decay Half-Baked (on lid, blended up into crease), Smog (all over crease and outer corner), Darkhorse (lightly in crease), and Virgin (on brow bones and inner corners)

Eyeliner: Tarte smolderEyes Clay Liner in Brown (on upper lash line) and NYX Wonder Pencil in Light (on lower waterline)
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in Black

Lipstick: Revlon Lacquer Balm Lip Pencil in Demure


And a few more shots of the look:

And there you have it! I was instantly smitten with this look- Half-Baked, Smog, and Darkhorse are the ultimate combination for a soft, brown smokey eye. I can see myself opting for this pairing again and again!

Look forward to even more Naked posts, coming soon!

Have you tried a similar looks with this palette? What are some of your favourite Naked combinations?

Thanks for reading! :)

Nail of the Day: Chanel Vertigo

Hi, everyone! A couple months ago I made a pretty fancy haul (if I do say so myself) for a very unfancy price thanks to the ever-handy Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum Points. Free Chanel is never a bad thing! One of the goodies I picked up was the sultry Le Vernis Nail Colour in Vertigo, a nail polish shade that had been on my wishlist for some time. I had thought it was limited edition, so was thrilled to see it in-store!

Like all Chanel polishes, Vertigo comes in a weighty glass bottle with a sleek black cap:

In the bottle, Vertigo is a deep smokey grey with unique purple and silver shimmer. Quite unique!

Because the shade looks so stunning in the bottle, I was excited to give it a go! Unfortunately, on my nails none of the nuanced shimmer showed up. On the nails was a deep slate grey with a sleek sheen and no shimmer to be seen!

I used two coats of the polish to achieve full opacity and the result was rich and shiny, but not at all like in the bottle! I thought that maybe in direct sunlight the polish would show off its subtle shimmer, but no dice!

So while the look of Vertigo on the nails is still quite pretty and ideal for Fall, the fact that it doesn't translate from bottle to nails is very disappointing! Plus, this tends to chip after only two days (even with the help of my Revlon Quick-Dry Top Coat), which is also not on par with Chanel's typically stellar formulas. I hate to do this, but I have to give this one a thumbs down!

Have any of you tried Chanel Vertigo? Does the purple shimmer show up on your nails? Any nail polish flops lately?

Thanks for reading! xo

Face of the Day: New to Naked #1

Happy weekend, everyone! If you saw my last post, you'll know that I finally have the Urban Decay Naked Palette in my clutches. I'd been putting off buying it forever, mainly because I knew I'd be so in love with it (have been using UD eye shadows for almost 15 years) that it would cause me to shun all of the other palettes in my collection. I finally realized it was worth the risk, and I snatched it up during Sephora's recent VIB sale.

Because the palette is so universally known and extensively reviewed, I thought that rather than swatching and describing the palette, I'd do a series of "Face of the Day" posts to demonstrate the multitude of looks this palette can create. So here's my first!

For my first go at the palette (yes, you're really seeing my very first time using Naked!), I opted for some of the softer shades it has to offer. I went for a combination of matte and shimmery hues to create a bit of a contrast in textures. First, I applied Naked, a matte nude brown shade all over my lid. I then applied Buck, a warm matte butterscotch shade to the crease. To add some interest, I added a bit of Sin, a shimmery pinky champagne, to the centre of my lid, and Virgin, a shimmery ivory, as a highlight on my brow bone and the inner corners of my eye.

Here's what it looked like! And please excuse the patchy eyebrow ;)

To contrast the warm, neutral eye, I used a warm, matte pinky coral blush (one of my all-time most loved, Make Up For Ever's Powder Blush #74) and a matte brownish-mauve lip colour, the amazing Armani Lip Maestro #501. I find that this lip shade adds the perfect amount of colour and warmth to the face with an almost '90s feel, which I love! Plus it leaves a sophisticated matte finish, which I find ultra-flattering and perfect for work.

So here's a shot of the completed look:

And a shot of the palette, marking the specific shades that I used. Thanks to Paint for the incredible graphics! ;)

Shades used for this look: Virgin, Sin, Naked, and Buck

 

Here's the full breakdown of everything I used!

The Breakdown:

Foundation: Revlon ColourStay Whipped Crème Foundation in Buff
Concealer: BeneFit Fake-Up in Light (under eyes) and MAC Select Cover-Up in NC20 (on blemishes)
Powder: MAC Blot Powder in Medium

Bronzer: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Blush: Make Up For Ever Powder Blush #74

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde and Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel
Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Eye Shadows: Urban Decay Naked Palette using Naked (all over lid), Buck (in crease), Sin (on centre of lid) and Virgin (on brow bone and inner corners of the eye)

Eyeliner: Tarte smolderEyes Clay Liner in Brown
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in Black

Lips: Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro Matte Lacquer in #501

 

And a few more shots of the look:

And that's it! My first experience with the Naked Palette was, as predicted, a total pleasure! I normally shy away from matte-finish eye shadows, but the matte shades in this palette were extremely flattering and wearable, so I'll definitely be reaching for them often!

Stay tuned for some more looks using the palette- can't wait to see what else this baby can do! :)

What are some of your favourite shade combinations using the Naked Palette? Anyone else delay buying it, only to fall in love with it later?

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading! xo