The Mini Review: REN HydraCalm Global Day Cream

Recently, I've been hunting like crazy to find the perfect daytime moisturizer for my dry/dehydrated, sensitive and rosacea prone skin and let me tell you, it's not that easy! I wanted to try a couple of products from REN since I heard so much about this brand so I stumbled across REN Fab 4 Kit at Sephora and the HydraCalm Day Cream was in it. I didn't care about it that much at first but right now, I am in love with it! This lovely cream calms and soothes my rednesses, makes my skin feel so velvety and keeps it hydrated all day long. Let's talk about the smell for a bit... It's just, ugh, so lovely! It smells earthy, fresh and kind of like leaves maybe? It is an absolute pleasure to apply this on my freshly cleansed skin in the morning after a couple of spritz of the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixir. The only downside? The freakin' hefty price tag of 66$. The bottom line? I am probably buying this as soon as I run out, yes, even with that price, I will.

How To: Easy Wearable Smokey Eyes!

Smokey eyes are probably my favorite and most reached for makeup look, whether it's for a casual day or nightime. I remember doing really dark black eyes when I was about 15 and go to school like that (yes I know...but I thought it was ''cool''). I've toned down my look over the years don't worry! You are only going to need a few products for this particular look: an eyeshadow primer, a matte taupey/brown eyeshadow, a matte grey eyeshadow, black pencil eyeliner and mascara (of course you can switch the matte shades for shimmery ones if you prefer!)

Start off by putting primer all over the lid, my favorites are Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Benefit Stay Don't Stray. Then apply your matte taupe all over the lid bringing it up to the crease, my choice is Tease from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. Take a fluffy/blending brush and blend this as much as you'd like then sweep your gray eyeshadow on the outer corners of your eyes bringing it inwards through the crease, here I'm using Smoke from my Stila In The Know Palette. Make sure everything look seamless, but it doesn't have to look perfect you know. Use a black pencil liner, I love Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Pencil, line your top lashline (doesn't have to be neat) and smudge it a lot afterwards using a pencil brush. Also take it underneath your waterline and smudge it aswell. If you wish, put it also in your waterline. Mix your gray and taupe eyeshadow on a small brush and smudge your lower lashline with it. Finally, curl your lashes and apply mascara (or fake lashes if you feel like it). The key to this look is to really take your time to blend, blend and did I say blend? 

For the rest of the face, your can keep it simple with nude lips and naturally flushed cheeks or go all out and put a bright lip color. It's up to you really. I also recommend to do the eyes first then your base just because you might have lots of fallout from your eyeshadows. 
Here is what I used on the rest of my face:
-Skin 79 Orange BB Cream
-Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Ivory
-Make Up For Ever HD Powder
-ELF Blush in Tickled Pink
-Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter
-Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar
-MAC Lipstick in Myth

Is Hydraluron Worth the Hype? A Review!

If you didn't know already, I have extremely dry skin so I'm up to anything that promises to hydrate, moisturise or make my patches disappear. Indeed Labs Hydraluron is one of those products I was considering to buy because of the incredible hype and amazing reviews it got on the internet, I swear I see it on every beauty blog! So what is Hydraluron exactly? In a few words it is a moisture booster serum made with the purest hyaluronic acid (which, FYI, holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water, interesting...) Hydraluron is also supposed to help your skin retain moisture overtime so you'll need less moisturiser in the long run.

So does it work? Is it worth all of this crazy hype? Absolutely yes, yes and yes! I have been using this for a week or so, applying it every single evening before my night cream and I noticed such a difference, it's incredible! My skin feels a lot less tight, it produces a bit more oil (which is a great thing for me!), it helped with surface roughness which I get a lot on my forehead and since I've started using Hydraluron, I wake up every morning to a soft and glowy complexion! I have to say, I am honestly impressed, I didn't expect it to be such a lifesaver! I can't wait to see how my skin will feel after a few more weeks of uses. The only downside is you can only get this product in the UK or in Canada (I'm sure you could find it online tough), I actually found mine at Shoppers Drug Mart for 25$CAD. So overall, this has become a solid additon to my skincare routine and I cannot recommend it enough! Definetly check it out if you can! 
Big kisses, 
Laurence xx

Spring/Summer Nailpolish: Essie Bikini So Teeny!

I normally do not go crazy over super colorful nail polishes, I prefer my nudes and pinks, but this one really caught my eye I shall say! I love pastels during spring and summer and Bikini So Teeny is the perfect balance between bright and pastel. It is a beautiful muted lilac/baby blue with specks of silver shimmers running through it ( which you can't see it on once applied on the nails). When I applied the first coat, I was all: ''What the heck, this is so sheer!'' but reaching the 3rd coat had me chew down my words, it looked flawless and opaque with a gorgeous stain finish. This color is not the most long lasting (I tried without a top coat: 3 days and it chipped a lot, meh) but who cares, just put a top coat over it and it'll be fine! This is a lovely nail polish, I haven't seen something somewhat similar to it yet. I absolutely love it!

Currently Loving #1: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains!

Let me tell you straight away, this is possibly my favorite drugstore discovery of the year! I heard a lot of people talking about the Revlon Balm Stains but I never thought that I would love them as much. I got the color Rendez-Vous which is a stunning bright orange/coral then tried it out the next morning and I was speechless. I normally hate orange lipsticks/lipglosses, they just look a bit odd on my fair skin but I swear I was staring at my reflection in the mirror, speechless really. The color suits me like a dream, bright and summery. Apart from the color, the formula is amazing. You can apply it heavily for opaque coverage or swipe it on once for a sheer tint. They look quite glossy at first but they do dry to a kind of satin finish, which looks lovely. I got a good 7-8 hours (eating, drinking and yes, even kissing!) of wear out of this chubby crayon. It never really wears off because it is a stain. It also smells and tastes minty, which I really like. All day long, I kept forgetting that I was wearing it since it feels so comfortable on the lips, doesn't dry them out and doesn't feel gloopy or sticky. I tend to lick my lips a lot, even when I wear lipstick, but it stayed on whatsoever. So overall, if you are looking for a lip product that lasts for a long time and feels comfortable on the lips, you are going to love these (they feel great for your bank account aswell!). I am already spying more shades to purchase, I'll keep you updated if they are as great as the shade Rendez-Vous. xx

(on top: swatched once, on bottom: swatched 4 times)

Too Faced Return Of Sexy Eyeshadow Palette+Swatches!

Hello lovelies! I am pretty excited to share this review with you today since I love this palette so much! I will tell you right now, if you don't like shimmery/glittery eyeshadows, you probably,won't like this one. If you do, keep reading!

First of all, the packaging of this palette is lovely. It's black plastic, lightweight and sturdy. I got this palette at Sephora for 54$CAD, it also comes with a travel sized Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer and the Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner, both of these products are absolutely amazing, especially the eyeliner. The quality of these eyeshadows is incredible, different than everything that I've tried before. They feel really creamy, they have buildable pigmentation and blend out like a dream! What I really like about this palette is that it is divided in 3 sections: The Ingénue which has your golds and browns, The Icon which has purples and The Bombshell which contains smokey grays. Near the mirror, hidden in a little compartment, they are three little ''Get The Look'' cards for each sections of the palette. It's a nice addition if you are lacking inspiration! My only problem with this beauty is that the eyeshadows do crease just a tiny bit. Nothing major, just put a great primer underneath or touch up during the day. Overall, Too Faced got it right with this palette, it is definetly worth it! Now swatches time!

The Ingénue Section (from left to right): Casting Couch, New In Town, Innocent, Ingénue, Naïve

The Icon Section (from left to right): Primadonna, Hopeless Romantic, Divorcée, Icon, Pink Diamond

The Bombshell Section (from left to right): Beautymark, Maneater, Hollywood, Bombshell, 7 Year Itch

My Nighstand Essentials!

Before I got addicted to the beauty community on the internet,I thought that your nighstand should be a place to keep a box of tissue and a book, period. Until I realized it was a nice place to keep a bunch of my beloved lotions and potions. It's nice to keep things at easy access whenever you feel too lazy to get up and apply lip balm or hand cream, I'm sure you get me on that one!

First essential are candles, who doesn't like them? They make the ambience a little more sleep friendly and are just relaxing overall. My personnal favorites at the moment are Bath and Body Works Peach Market and also from the same brand Garden Bouquet. I also keep a little Avène candle that I got in a gift set. Whenever I'm having trouble sleeping, I spray Bath And Body Works Sleep Pillow Spray onto my pillows and sheets and this never fails to get me asleep in 5 minutes or so (and this comes from someone who has really bad insomnia). I always keep a magazine aswell if I feel like reading a bit. Now onto the beauty stuff! Bio-Oil is a wonderful multitasking product that I think every girl should have in their stash, it's good for dry skin, fading scars, strech marks, and so on. I use a small drop, patting it on my face after my night cream and it makes my skin glow the next morning! La Roche-Posay Cicaplast is also a great multitasker, it's a great hand cream aswell! Another product from La Roche-Posay that I couldn't live without is Effaclar Duo, I'm sure your heard about that one. Whenever my skin is getting bad, this is my saviour! Lip balms are also essentials, Nuxe Rêve de Miel is the best overnight one and Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine is a more lightweight option. Since hot weather is kicking in recently, I love to refresh my skin with sprays like the Caudalie Beauty Elixir or Caudalie Grape Water. They both feel amazing on the skin, the Grape Water feels really soothing and hydrating.

So that was everything, I hope you all have a great day! Talk to you soon xx

A Dream In A Bottle: Caudalie Beauty Elixir!

I have to admit, Caudalie Beauty Elixir is that kind of product that  you don't essentially need but I do love a bit of luxury sometimes! I bought my first bottle last year without being sure of what it really was and I immediatly went home to spritz this gorgeous concoction on my face. I remember shouting to my boyfriend: ''Wow, come here and look at my face!'' Yes, I am like this with my man. My skin was glowing, a lot of my redness was toned down, and the smell was divine. That's when I fell in love with this lovely product, I am on my third bottle now and I'm probably never going back. How I use it? In the morning I spritz this before putting on moisturizer and also after doing my makeup, it is also a great prep for whatever products (face mask for example) you are going to put over the top. Feeling a bit blah troughout the day? Use this, and bam! An instant little pick me up for your complexion. I'm not sure how it does everything that it does, but it makes a huge difference which I can't quite put a finger on it. My advice is to try it, if you want an extra little product to add to your skincare stash, this is the one!

Makeup Look #1: Spring Babydoll

Hi ladies! I have never posted a makeup look on my blog so I thought why not? This look has been my favorite lately: milky pink lips, baby pink cheeks and lots of lashes, perfect for spring! I am going to explain to you step by step what I did, so let's get to it!

Face:

1.I applied my foundation which is Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 using a buffing brush. The reason why I chose this foundation is because my skin was really blotchy and I had a lot of redness, this covers them like a dream!

2.After foundation, I conceal little scars and breakouts with 
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Ivory and apply Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer in Radiant on my undereye circles, this makes them disappear in seconds! I always use my fingers to apply concealer.

3.Next, I apply a light dusting of Make Up For Ever HD Transcluscent Powder with a big fluffy powder brush all over my face to set my foundation and concealer, and also to make my blush and bronzer go on smoothly and evenly.

4.Then, I apply my all-time favorite blush Nars Gaiety, it is a bright bubblegum matte pink. Any bright pink blush will do, they are loads of alternatives and dupes for this one!

5.I contour my cheekbones, temples and nose using Too Faced Sun Bunny Light from my Too Faced Sweet Indulgence Palette to give my face a bit of warmth and definition. I apply this with a small tapered contour brush.

6.Last step is highlighter, I can never skip this step, it adds a gorgeous glow to the face. My obsession right now is Too Faced Candlelight Glow, it's a powder highlighter that has a stunning golden sheen to it.

Eyes:

1.I fill in my eyebrows with Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar using an angled brush. This is the best little eyebrow kit, it contains everything you need. I set my brows with ELF Eyebrow Gel to keep them in place all day.

2.I apply an eyeshadow primer all over my lids, I have really veiny eyelids so I need a tinted primer to cover them. I have been using Benefit Stay Don't Stray for over a year now and I can't live without it! It has a beige tint which is perfect for people like me with lots of discoloration on their eyelids!

3.You will only need two eyeshadow colors for this look, a shimmery champagne and a shimmery taupe. I use Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded all over my lids, on my tearduct area and on my browbone to higlight. I just apply it with my fingers, really simple. Next, I used Urban Decay YDK from my Naked 2 Palette on the outer half of my eyes blending it in the crease aswell with a fluffy blending brush. And that is it for the eyeshadow!

4.Next is eyeliner, you can use liquid or gel, whatever you like. I am using my favorite which is Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner to do a thick line on my upper lashline extending it slightly to create a small wing/cat eye. You can either use a small angled brush or a pointed eyliner brush, whatever floats your boat!

5.With a black pencil eyeliner, here I'm using Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Pencil and I apply this on my lower lashline (not into the waterline) and smudge it with a small pencil brush. On my waterline, for that wide eyes look, I chose a flesh toned pencil from Hard Candy.

6.Last step is the lashes! You can either put on fake eyelashes like I did, or use lots of mascara. I used some lashes that I got on Ebay, they do the trick! I used DUO Clear Lash Adhesive. For my bottoms lashes, since I wanted that big dolly eyes look, I applied 3 coats of mascara.

Lips:

For the lips, I chose to go with a milky baby pink and the most gorgeous one I have in my collection is Yves Saint-Laurent Rouge Volupté in Lingerie Pink #7. Another one that I absolutely love to wear with this makeup is MAC Saint-Germain, it is the perfect bright barbie pink.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, I am looking forward to create more when I get some inspiration! Let me know if you enjoyed it ! Have a great day lovelies xx

Sharing My Addiction: Lip Balms!

Hello ladies! I don't know if you are like me but I always buy lipbalms, no matter how many I have in my stash, I keep buying more and more! I have really dry lips all year round so I can't live without these. Today, I wanted to share my favorites with you!

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss:
There was a lot of hype about these when they came out so I figured I should see by myself if they were that good. Oh my! This is a really great lip butter, it smells like something you could eat, really sweet and yummy. It doesn't feel greasy and sinks right into the lips without feeling like you should reapply afterwards. I also really like the little metal tin that holds the product, so cute. It is super cheap, about 3$ I believe, and works wonders!

Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine:
I totally fell in love with this when I was shopping at Sephora! I heard a lot of great things about Korres and I'm glad I purchased this! They have loads of others scents/colors and this is also a great alternative if you don't want to wear lipstick. The smells is just... gorgeous, I can't describe it! Whenever I apply this, my lips instantly feel smoother and soothed. I also like to wear this alone on lazy days to keep my lips moisturised all day long and give them a hint of color!

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm:
This, in my opinion, is the king of all lip balms! The packaging and the smell feel really luxurious. It is a heavy glass jar (not so practical for carrying with you) and it smells like oranges/honey. It is made from a lot of good natural ingredients. The main reasons why I love this is because you can still feel it on you lips after a  great amount of time and it doesn't have a super glossy finish like most lip balms do. It is an amazing base for lipstick. I usually apply this in the morning after exfoliating my lips and holy cow,my lips feel so soft! If you want to treat yourself with a luxurious little product that is not over the top expensive (about 17$), I really really recommend this!

Maybelline Baby Lips:
Yes, I know, a lot of people are tired of hearing about them or hate them but, oh well. They definetly do not live up to the(rather crazy) hype around them but these Baby Lips are the best throw-it-in-your-purse kinda lip balm. They are fairly hydrating, the majority of them are tinted so they give a subtle color during the day and they have SPF which is a nice addition. I have a couple of those which I throw in each of my handbags so when I change quickly my things into another bag, I always have lip balm on hand.

So that's it lovely ladies! What is your favorite lip balm? xx

Stila In The Know Palette Review+Swatches!

Hi beautiful ladies! I am rather excited to share this review with you today! I was eyeing the Stila In The Know Palette for quite a while now so I finally decided to splurge on yet another eyeshadow palette (as if I didn't have enough of eyeshadows, haha). Now let's get to the review!

This palette contains 10 neutral matte eyeshadows (yes only mattes!) and a Stila Smudge Stick which is a grey pencil eyeliner. It retails for 50$CAD. The only reason I really wanted this baby is that I am a huge fan of glitter/shimmer eyeshadows and realized I had little to no matte shades. I've been using it ever since I got it, about a week ago, and I am in love with it! At first I thought that the shades looked a bit boring in the pan and that some of them looked similar but boy, I was so wrong! These are all gorgeous shades and they have a huge versality, you can do any look with those colors, from everyday natural to sexy/nightime eyes. The quality of the eyeshadows is imppecable: smooth, opaque and no creasing at all! I was also a bit ''whatever'' about the eyeliner and thought: why the hell would I wear grey eyeliner? Once I've tried it, I really changed my mind. I love the look of it, it is a bit more subtle than black but still makes my eyes pop. It lasts all day long aswell, it definetly doesn't budge. The only downside to this wonderful palette, in my opinion, is the packaging itself. Honestly...meh. It looks like it's made from really cheap cardboard, a bit filmsy I should say. This isn't such a big deal for me, I still am completely crazy about this palette! I don't think there is much else to say about it, if you are looking for an all matte eyeshadow palette and love neutrals, this is the one for you! 

Now swatches time! 
-First row from left to right: Air, Wind, Desert, Clay, Earth
-Second row from left to right: Driftwood, Fire, Rain, Smoke, Ebony
-Third row: Stila Smudge Stick in Halfmoon

So that's it ladies! I hope this was helpful, I highly recommend checking out the Stila In The Know if you are on the hunt for a new eyeshadow palette! Have a great weekend lovelies xx