5 Favs + a Brush for May

Busy Busy May!  I almost forgot to post!
We traveled to Europe in the middle of the month which gave me lots of ideas for this post.
BB creams help when on vacation, as does a tinted lip balm (featured in this post)

May favs

smashbox bb cream in light

this is perfect if you like to wear foundation but want something easy to pack

this is also easy to apply (I used my fingers)

it kept my skin covered, oil at bay and has SPF 35

this is great for summer too!

 maybelline baby lips in peach kiss

8 hour moisturizer and this shade gives a slight peachy tint

I love it even with a full face of makeup

 too faced shadow insurance

I have been using this more and more lately

it helps your eyeshadow last all day, my eyeliner lasts a lot longer too!

this is great for mature hooded eyes...stops the transfer from the lid to the hooded area

 mac eyeshadow in jaunty

warm, light-medium beige with a slightly metallic sheen

great as all over base for my eyes when I am in a hurry 

or just want to wear eyeliner

opi nail polish in hot and spicy

what can I say! the perfect shade of orange for summer!

on my toes right now!

 sigma f88 flat angled kabuki

I have so many different foundation brushes but I always go back to this one

it makes applying and blending foundation a dream!

my skin looks airbrushed

I have 2 now, so I always have one ready to go!

5 Favs + a Brush for April

Well April went very fast...I know I keep saying that but it's already May!

April favs

covergirl outlast stay fabulous 3 in 1 foundation + sunscreen SPF 20 

All day, longwear formula Primer, concealer, and foundation in one Smooth, flawless finish

 this is a great foundation for people with combination to oily skin

for a long-wearing foundation it is a thin very easy to blend formula and it lasts all day!  

i don't have to worry about retouching or blotting or looking shiny

 comes in the "classic" covergirl colours, great for light skins tones

rimmel match perfection 2 in 1 concealer & highlighter

Illuminate your eyes with a 2 in 1 skin tone adapting concealer and highlighter. 

Banish signs of fatigue and let your skin breath!

great all-round concealer, I love the formula, easy to blend and covers well

 close up of rimmel concealer applicator

mac eyebrow pencil in lingering

Self-propelling, self-sharpening, brow defining.  

Like a pen, creates its own just-right point. 

Provides definition, shape, deepens/fills in colour. Creates striking arches. 

Easy to tote around. No sharpener needed

 i have been using this eyebrow pencil for years!

i love how small the tip is, great for thin brows

i always make sure i have a back up, i can't live without it!  

 close-up of lingering eyebrow pencil

volum' express one-by-one mascara

finally, bold without the bulk! instant clump-free volume

the lash catcher brush catches, coats and declumps

great everyday mascara that seperates lashes for a fan-like look

patentpolish lip pencil in revved up

The colour and shine of a gloss, the precision of a lip pencil - now in one colour stick. 

M•A•C Patentpolish Lip Pencil instantly achieves a luscious shine with a single swipe. Effortless twist-up keeps application clean and simple, with no need to sharpen. 

i am not a lipstick person, more of a lipgloss/lipbalm person

these are perfect for people like me!

i have 3 colours (this one is my favourite, i keep it in my purse!)

 but unfortunately these are not permanent :( so you have to get them fast!

 real techniques contour brush

just started using this brush for applying foundation

i love the size of it, great for under your eyes, or sweeping across your eyelids

this is also great for applying highlighter, blush and of course, contour!

Makeover on my Mom!

Happy Easter weekend!
My family came over for Easter this weekend, so I thought it was a great opportunity to do a makeover on my mom!  Her name is Riki, short for Maryke ;)
My mom never wears makeup and if she did, it would be a swipe of blue eyeshadow over the lid, that's all.
As you can tell by the before photo she has beautiful skin!
Maybe that's where I get my good skin genes :)

Before I started, I asked her what she wanted and most importantly, what she didn't want!
She said she sees women wear makeup and it doesn't match their neck, so...I only put foundation where she really needed it, the centre of the face.
Because she doesn't wear makeup at all, I kept it soft and simple. I used grey eyeshadows on the lids.
She has the perfect eye shape for winged liner, I was tempted, but I didn't want to scare her on her first makeover ;)  Next time!!
I love how her eyebrows turned out.
She didn't want bright lipstick either, so I kept that neutral.  Although she could totally pull off a bright peachy lip!

 before

 after (fresh and glowy)

window photo to show her face is the same as her neck ;)

My momma is beautiful before and after makeup!

 products used left to right starting at the back
rimmel scandaleyes mascara - black / rimmel match perfection concealer - light  / l'oreal true match foundation - W3 / mac lipliner in stripdown / mac lipstick in blankety / mac eyeshadows in brule, retrospeck, scene, typographic / maybelline dream mousse blush - rose pedal
mac eyeshadow in omega used for eyebrows

5 Favs + a Brush for March

Wow! March went by fast.
So many things came across my mind for my favs
It was hard to only pick 5 this month...but I did it!

March favs

mac fix +

an aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin 

blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber 

adds radiance, finishes makeup. spray it on. skin drinks it up!

 you can also spray it on your brush before dipping into your shadow. 

it'll make your eyeshadow color even more vibrant!

this is a must for my kit and I use it on everyone after all makeup has been applied

makes skin look dewy and fresh and takes away that "makeup" look

nivea mattifying day care moisturizer

this is great for my oily/combination skin

I can massage a lot onto my face without worrying about looking greasy

it really does keep my oil in control!

when used with my pro longwear foundation, I don't need a primer

mac pro longwear foundation in nc20

this is a foundation for combination/oily skin

for a long wearing foundation it blends into the skin well

I never have to touch up my face and my blush/bronzer stays vibrant all day!

I don't wear it everyday, only if I need my makeup to last

maybelline expert wear eyeshadow quads in mocha motion

these eyeshadows are great for the price

great colour combinations with a lot of payoff

I am going to take these when I travel, they're small, light and practical

I even like the little sponge applicators!

 mac lipstick in candy yum yum

what can I say...bright neon pink in a matte finish

fun for spring/summer and probably looks good on everyone

you will get noticed wearing this!

 real techniques expert face brush
this a very dense brush great for applying foundations
you can really buff it into your skin making it flawless and seamless
I find it perfect for applying heavier or long wearing formulas

 close-up of expert face brush

Bright Lips - Spring/Summer Trend

How to do bright lips!

My lips aren't the best for bright or dark colours, they are thin, dry, uneven and I have a crooked smile... :)

But I don't make the rules, I break them!!

 before

after

MAC lipstick in Candy Yum Yum

My tips for rocking bright lips (no matter how young or old you are!)

1. Keep your skin fresh looking by using a hydrating foundation and concealer
2. Powder lightly if you have to.  Keep it in your t-zone
3. Use a bronzer to warm up your skin
4. Use a highligher to highlight those cheekbones!
5. Use a bright blush that suites your lip colour (I used a bright pink but applied with a light hand)
6. Use a light eyeshadow that's a few shades lighter than your skin tone. I used white eyeshadow, that's all!
7. Use a white eyeliner in your bottom waterline.  It helps brighten your eyes.
8. Lots of mascara, don't forget the bottom lashes!
9. Don't forget to fill in your brows
10. If your lips are dry use a lip balm or lip primer first and let it sink in
11. If you can't find a matching lip liner, fill in your inner lip first with the lipstick bullet then use a lip brush to outline your outside lips
12. If you go outside your lip line use a tiny brush with concealer to clean it up!
13. Rock IT!!

Makeover with my cousin!

This is my cousin Betty Ann.  We are the same age and height etc.
We used to pretend we were twins when we were younger!
I think as you get older your tastes change but we still have a lot in common.
She just came back to Canada last summer from teaching in Australia.
It's been great catching up and hanging out!
Actually, she suggested the makeover!

 before

 after!

 purples to bring out her green eyes!

 Thanks for being my model Betts!

side by side!

5 Favs + a Brush for February

Okay is it just me or did February fly by!!

February favs

mac mineralized blush in warm soul
mid tone beige with gold pearl

beautiful colour to warm up your skin and give a little shimmer during these cold months

great neutral colour if you're doing a smokey or colourful eye

 mac eyeshadow in tempting

a medium brown shade with a lustre finish

this is my go-to colour for a daytime smokey eye

looks great with every eye colour especially blue and brown

 swatch of tempting

nars laguna bronzer

this seems to be a staple in every makeup artists kit

great bronzer for winter when your skin is lighter

because of the colour not being too red or orange it's great for contouring

I use it under my cheek bones and in my eye crease for more definition

 mac studio fix fluid spf 15 in nc20

I always go back to this foundation!

lately I have been having a lot of breakouts due to the cold weather

this is a great foundation that covers well so I don't have to use as
much concealer but doesn't look or feel heavy on the skin

I would recommend it for oily to combination skin

mac brush cleanser
cleans, disinfects and conditions the brush fibers so that brushes will last longer
I fill a small travel spray bottle and take it with me everywhere!I
I have a bigger spray bottle I keep in my kit
very important to keep your brushes clean and bacteria free!

sigma tapered blending brush e40
I use this brush so much I have 2!
great for base eyeshadow and blending out edges of darker shadows
I use the other brush to sweep setting powder under my eyes, perfect size!

 close up of e40 brush

5 Favs + a Brush for January

wow! January is a long month!
I feel I could have added a couple more products to my favourites!

 January favs

 mac prep + prime moisture infusion

I mainly bought this for my kit because I heard so many good things about it for dry skin

but because this winter is very cold and dry I thought I would try it on my oily/combination skin

no need to moisturize and prime, this takes care of it in one easy step!

I never used to be a fan of mac skincare but this line of prep + prime is winning me over!

I have a few more products that I love and will feature on a blog soon

mac pro longwear concealer

I always shy away from concealers that say "long wearing" because I am afraid

of them being to thick or hard to blend into the skin (looking unnatural especially under the eye)

this is the one of the best concealers I have used in a long time!

it is surprisingly very lightweight and easy to blend and lasts all day!

mac extra dimension eye shadow in natural flirt

these eye shadows are great for shimmering up your look

I use it all over the lid or as a highlight on my browbone

I love the colour, it's pink but very subtle, very pretty!

swatch of natural flirt

 maybelline the rocket volum' express mascara

I switch up my mascara almost everyday but then I realized

I have been reaching for this one a lot more than the rest!

this mascara add lots of volume and length and lasts all day!

sally hansen insta-dri top coat

I have been using this top coat for years 

but recently I noticed that it DOES make my nail polish last longer 

compared to getting my nails done at the salon

I have repurchased this over and over

real techniques stippling brush

this dual-fibre brush works great with thinner foundations

dip the brush in the foundation and then stipple all over your face

blend in circular motions and voila you have airbrushed results!

 close up of the stippling brush