Sephora Makeover & Keratin Haircare

Hey everyone!

So today I had to take the bus.. uggghhh.. but it's ok. On the brighter side of it, I got to browse around the mall for a bit. I actually managed to go into Sephora and NOT buy anything!!! LOL.. I'm on a budget these days and have already used up my spending money for the week...lol.. I did however, pick up a BUNCH of samples to try out. Plus.. I also decided to give myself a make over and use all different products on my face, eyes etc... lol

First off... I saw a new line at Sephora that I haven't seen yet.. It's a Keratin Haircare line called Keratin Perfect

Shampoo & Conditioner (Suphate Free)

                                      
Replenisher and Oil

Blowout Booster Smoothing Cream
        

                                                      

Here is what the Keratin Line is.. as per Sephora

Keratin, a natural protein found in healthy hair, is constantly depleted due to heat styling and environmental damage. This can cause frizz, breakage, and dullness. KeratinPerfect features exclusive ReBonding Technology, which fills in rough spots and replenishes lost keratin, replacing frizzy, uneven texture with a protective shield around the hair shaft that radiates shine and health. The KeratinPerfect system is a long-lasting, salon-quality smoothing system, and not a straightening treatment that breaks the hair's bonds and causes damage. In fact, the benefits of this system are cumulative: Your hair will continue to improve with each treatment and will be smooth, shiny, manageable, and frizz-free without a lot of time and effort.

I have heard of Keratin treatments when I visit the salon. I LOVE straight hair, but always find that my hair breaks like no tomorrow when I use the flat iron too much. Since I have naturally wavy hair, straightness is just not in it's vocabulary...sigh!!

First thing I noticed was the Shampoo and Conditioner. I am all about trying out new Sulphate-free conditioners. I really really LOVE the Living Proof Line, but I usually like to alternate between different shampoos, because it's better for your hair. I am really interested in trying this, sooooo.. I got a couple of samples to try...wooot!!! The price is about $25 a bottle, Canadian funds. Keratin treatments are supposed to be amazing for your hair, so when I saw this in a shampoo, conditioner and even with oils, creams etc... I was like friggin excited!

I don't think it will make a huge difference in my hair, but I have already noticed a big difference by just using the Living Proof line, that I'm totally wondering if this Keratin Perfect stuff can be even better?? That would be amazing! From the Sephora site, it looks like the line got some good reveiws, so I will have to report after I try out my sample :)

On another note... I tried out a few different make up products when I did my walk through make over...lol.. Here are some of the stuff that I sampled in the store and LOVE!!!

NARS is my absolute favorite make up line and this duo is awesome! It even comes with a mini lip gloss. The blush is a shimmery pink (so you don't need much at all). It's called Anglelika. The duo is paired with my favorite bronzer, Laguna. The mini gloss is Angelika as well, and the color is gorgeous!!! I'm saving for this combo on my next Sephora run! I'm almost out of my Laguna bronzer, so this would be a perfect upcoming purchase!

This is Urban Decay's Limited 15 year anniversary eyeshadow collection. These colors are beyond amazing! I love that you have neutrals, poppy colors and also darks!! It's a perfect collection. Apparently these are brand new colors that UD has never had out before.

Here are the colors:
15 x 0.05 oz eye shadows in Deeper (deep shimmery golden brown), M.I.A. (soft shimmery dark brown), Ace (dark gunmetal shimmer), Blackout (darkest, most saturated black), Half Truth (shimmery smoky purple), Tainted (pale matte purple with golden shimmer), Junkshow (bright pink with fuchsia shift), Omen (shimmery metallic bright purple with blue shift), Evidence (deep metallic blue), Deep End (bright teal shimmer), Midnight Rodeo (medium metallic brown with silver and gold glitter), Midnight 15 (oyster pearl with silver glitter), Vanilla (shimmery white gold), Flow (soft peach shimmer), Chase (metallic bright bronze)

I have wanted this for a long time. I find it doesn't have enough coverage for me, BUT... Paired with my MAC Studio Fix powder, it's a beautiful finish!! Thumbs up for me :)

FAVORITE BLUSH!!!!!  Must buy this....lol

Too Faced Naked Eye Shadow Collection... These colors are beautiful and so natural looking. I love them all!!! If you want prettiness.. this is it people! Invest...

Lastly, I spritzed this Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray after all my make up was done. I wanted to see if my make up would hold through the rest of the day.. I was hesitant.. but.. It totally has! I would buy this in a heart beat. Although.. I'm really oily, so I had to apply a little more powder to my nose since I spritzed this. Still love it though.

Anyhow, that was my day today. I am doing a double between both jobs, so I'm totally pooped out and ready for bed.

Hope you all have a fantastic night. I shopped at Victoria's Secret PINK and bought a cute tee.. I will have to show you on my next OOTD. It's adorable paired with some cut off's and sandals.

Love ya!! :)

Mel

Eyeshadow Favorites & My Attempt at the SUPER High Bun

Thursday!!!!

When I was in my early 20's, forget Friday and Saturday... Thursday was THE party night in the T.O. I remember my friends and I hitting up King Street West for a night on the town. So much fun... but umm... I think I've passed the torch on to my little brother, since he is now a T.O-er... Enjoy it while you can dear brother..lol

So I have been wanting to share some really favorite eye-shadows with you lately. I have noticed that I am grabbing for the same combo over the last few weeks. I am going to call them, my June Eye Favs!!!

The first one is from M.A.C called Filament.

I just adore this eyeshadow. I think because it's so sparkly. I am VERY into sparkle. I don't like too much sparkle on my face, but I LOVE it on my eyes. Filament is a very neutral color that you can wear alone or as a pretty base color. I put this all over my eye lid. It's gorgeous. Yess... I know that sparkle can go all over your face, but sheesh...just dust it off afterwards, it's not like it's a stain or anything harsh right?


After I put on Filament, I put on M.A.C Vanilla

I use this on the inner corners of my eyes, and on my brow bone. I find this is a gorgeous gold-y color that gives off the perfect glow. Filament is gold-y/silver, but vanilla is more  of a creamy gold sparkle, so the colors blend really nice together. This is a loose color, so you can use it dry for a lighter look, or put some on the back of your hand and use a wet eyeshadow brush for a more heavier/solid look (which looks super awesome for a night on the town).


Lastly, I got this shadow awhile ago... Not sure if it's still in stock or not but frig... Do I just think this is the most beautiful crease color. It's made by Shu Uemura in the color Me Silver 945

Like I said above, I use this color for my crease. This is a taupe-y color. It goes beautiful if you have blue eyes like myself, although this color would look gorgeous on pretty much any eye color and skin color. Out of all of them, this is def my fav!!! You only need a little bit of this because it comes off pretty heavy, so I just tap really lightly.

I didn't even think to take a pic of what it looks like on me, so I will do that next time and post it so you all can see. Today I'm in cleaning mode, so I didn't really do a whole lot with my eyeshadow.


OK... So the last week I posted about the Super High Bun!! I absolutely LOVE the cute-ness of that look. It's so playful and super sweet. I just think of lollypops when I do the Super High Bun... don't ask!!! LOL..

Since I'm having a fun filled cleaning day today, I popped my hair into the Super High Bun. Take a look at what it turned out like.

What do you girls think? I'm pretty sure you can't screw up this look... LOL.. You can also see how long my eye lashes are getting in the pics that I'm looking down. Obviously I have mascara on (Million Lashes..fav!!) but they are really starting to bloom like crazy....Love you Latisse!!! I will do a review on my 8 week mark. Stay tuned :)

Last but not least, I got to spend the entire day with Avery and Puppy. Here is a pic of my baby boy and his momma!

Love you Remy!!!

Have a good night everyone :)

Hugs
xoxo
Mel

MAC Buys & Latisse Update Week 4

It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood.....

Hey everyone :)

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, but I had such a busy weekend that there was barely enough time to breathe. I had a wedding to go to Saturday and Sunday BF and I went to see his cousin's gorgeous new little baby girl. I think I fell into baby heaven for a bit there..haha.

The wedding Saturday was a cocktail wedding. It wasn't the "traditional" wedding, but it was tastefully done and everyone looked great. The only thing I didn't like, was my heels sunk into the grass because it was held in the country in like a backyard kind of setting. Since my heels were white (hence "were"), they got really dirty. My favorite part of the wedding was the deep fried pickles!!! I'm not sure if anyone else loves these, but oh-my-goodness...I was in heaven. I could've eaten every one of those times a gazillion...yum, yum YUM!!!

Ok, moving on... Over the weekend I managed to pick up a couple of things from M.A.C. I feel like I haven't spent any time with M.A.C, so my trip there was awesome!

I have been looking for the blush pink cult and I haven't been able to find this blush ANYWHERE!!! I think maybe it kind of came and left? Lots of beauty lovers rave about this blush, so I thought..."hmmmm, must try this" and now it's nowhere to be found :(

With that said... I found another blush that ended up looking so pretty and an eye-shadow that was beyond stunning...I would like to introduce you to...

                                            Eye-Shadow in Shale & Blush in Pink Swoon

Aren't they beautiful colors??? I really LOVE the eye shadow color because I'm really liking purple this season, so this is a really dusty, almost plumb-y, taupe-ish color. For anyone who has blue eyes, it really brings out the color. I wore it to the wedding saturday and was really happy with it. It looks darker than it actually applies...understand?? I just dusted it over a light base color into my crease and blended it outward. Then..I stood there and just sucked in as much mirror time as I could looking at it from every angle...LOL..yes people, I am a strange person!

As for the Pink Swoon blush, I was pleasantly surprised to really love this color. I know it looks a bit "poppy" of a pink, but it actually goes on very light. It doesn't make your apples clown-ish or anything, it just gives a beautiful hint of color. It's very buildable and very matte, so no shimmer for people who aren't fans. It's a gorgeous color for everyday. I love NARS orgasm, but sometimes I prefer just a matte finish, so this blush is perfect.

I then... ran out of money, so I had to say good-bye to M.A.C. Until next time sweet beauty counter...until next time..LOL

I also wanted to give you a Latisse update. It's been about 4 weeks and I wanted to show you a pic. Now, I have been instructed that I won't be able to notice much of a difference until 8-12 weeks, but I have already noticed a difference. Not so much in length (although I have noticed they are a tad longer), but I've noticed most of it in the color. My lashes are naturally blonde...uggghhh, but now.. they are coming in darker, like black which I'm amazed by!!! WOOOOOHHH. I'm really happy can you tell?

K, Look at the picks. The first pic is the very first pic I took. The second pic is the 4 week mark. See the difference? I took it at the same time of day for each. I know the lighting is just a tad different, but I think you can tell the difference no?

What do you think? Do they look longer? I know, it's hard to tell from the first pic, but hopefully I will notice a huge difference by week 8. I will keep you posted.

Alrighty, I'm gonna run. Gotta go get some dinner because my tummy is yelling at me :)

Hugs to everyone and comment below or visit www.formspring.com/colbyavery and tell me what you did this weekend and especially if you have any M.A.C loves that are your CLW's..(can't live without). I need an excuse to go visit again...lol

xoxo

Mel

Weekend Haul: NARS, Smashbox & Dis-Organization

Happy Easter Sunday!

I'm happy to announce that I have made it halfway through my giant stretch of shifts and I have 2 more to go before I get a day off. So excited! I was exhausted today. That might have been because when I was trying to go to sleep last night, BF decided he wanted to vaccum at 12:30am. ARE...YOU...SERIOUS!!! Anyhow, I made it in to work, so tonight will be more of an early night because 4 hours of sleep is just silly.

So, over the weekend, other than turkey, ham and roast beef easter dinners with my fam and BF's fam, I managed to swing by Sephora becasue my beauty insider deal was almost over *tear* so I took advantage of the 15% discount. I also had a gift card that I actually found tucked away in an old purse of mine that had $15 (hello surpise!!!) so I thought I would browse around and see if I could find something that I loved.

Since I received my Sigma make up brushes (which I'm planning that post in my next blog I think) I have been trying to look for a nice neutral eye palette to start out with. I don't really wear much color on my eyelids, so I didn't want anything too overwhelming. There is the Naked Eye Palette from Too Faced I really loved, but I'm going to wait until my next trip there because the Too Faced one is a little more complicating in terms of mixing the colors together. I think it actually comes with a how-to manual....lol

Since I absolutely heart NARS, I picked up this eye palette in Belissima. It's a very neutral palette. It has a nice light color with a hint of sparkle for all over the eye, then a beautiful taupe-y/brown color for the crease. I blended a little bit on the lower lash line too and it looks amazing! I'm very happy with this purchase and I love that it has the little mirror with it. I'm a big fan of the mirrors that come in compacts. lol

I also picked up a lip gloss from NARS called Turkish Delight. This stood out instantly. The color is a beautiful pink. It's a sweet color for spring time. I tend to stick to more pink-ish tones when I go on the hunt for a lip gloss. I can't even tell you how gorgeous this color is! One thing I love about this gloss is that it's not sticky and it glides nicely when it goes on. Love this purchase, couldn't be happier!!!

The Smashbox stick you see there is actually a mascara primer. I got it as a free gift from the Smashbox website a few months ago and totally forgot about it. I used it for the first time this morning and LOVED IT!!! My lashes grew a little in length when I put on my L'Oreal Million Lashes mascara and they felt conditioned and oh-so-soft, and didn't irritate my eyes at all.

Do you have any eye palette's or glosses that you adore?? Comment below and tell me or visit my www.formspring.com/colbyavery . I love to try new stuff!!!

When I walked into Sephora, they had the purfumes displayed at the front. I got a sample of Miss Dior Cherie.

It smells amazing!!! I would love to get this purfume along with the Michael Jacobs Daisy too!! Now that I've smelled Miss Dior Cherie, I'm not sure which one I love more. These purfumes are on the wishlist for sure!

Actually, I totally forgot to tell you all, but last week I picked up a mouthwash because it was on sale at Shoppers. It's Crest 3D White Mouthwash.

I also have the Crest 3D White toothpaste from before, so I've been using both and I have actually noticed my teeth to be a little whiter and brighter with NO sensitivity!!!! OMG, I hate whitening my teeth because of how awful my teeth feel while in progress. They seriously feel like they are going to fall out of my mouth because the sensitivity is unbearable!!! Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this actually does work. I've been getting compliments on my teeth and people have asked me if I have been whitening them... what, are you trying to tell me they were yellow before??? LOL.. Seriously, I use the toothpaste first, then I rinse in the morning and at night before bed. This is definitely a rinse I will be re-purchasing. I just bought the small one to try but next time, it's the large for sure!

Lastly, O.M.G, what am I going to do with this mess????

This is my bathroom counter upstairs and I have no where to put my make up and skincare products. Right now they are sitting beside the sink. I need a good organization idea! Underneath my sink I already have my hair products, bathroom tissue etc, that I can't really fit anything else under there. Does anyone know of a good organizational place where I can get pretty drawers or something to get this off my countertop?? I don't want something ugly or bulky, just cute, plain and pretty! But.. I am in serious need of some advice from anyone! This mess consists of my fav make up items, skincare favs and also notice... my new Sigma brushes in the glass container?.. me like-y them a lot!

Please comment below or tell me at www.formspring.com/colbyavery as to what your make up/skin care organization is in your bathroom, or any ideas as to how I can clean this up! BF can't even look at this disaster.

.....HELP!

Anyhow, off to watch Amazing Race. Really love that show on Sunday nights. Hope all of your bellies are full of Easter dinner and I will see you all back here tomorrow. I am dying to talk about my new make up brushes!!

kisses!

Mel