Skincare has always been an important step in my beauty routine. I remember when I first asked my mom if I could wear makeup, she turned to me and said: "You have to show me first that you can take care of your skin." That night she stocked me up on Clinique and The Body Shop products and explained the importance of keeping my face clean. Ever since then I have been adamant about keeping a 3 step regimen: cleanse, tone, moisturize. Continue reading to see what products are in my current skincare routine.
Nivea Creme Care All-in-One Facial Cleansing Lotion

When it comes to makeup remover, I have always preferred cream over oil/liquid formulas. I find that cream makeup removers do such a better job at taking of all my makeup, so I don't wake up with racoon eyes from left over mascara. I used Nivea's cream eye makeup remover for a couple years, then switch to Garnier's makeup removing cleansing lotion. But since it has become increasingly hard to find, I was intrigued by the new Nivea All-in-One. I'm pretty surprised at how much I love this product, since I was such a fan of the Garnier one. The Nivea one, however, has almost double the amount of product for the same price!!! I was a little worried when I first saw it, because I thought it was meant as an allover face wash, but when I continued reading the bottle it said it could be used for removing face and eye makeup (which is what I primarily use it for). If you are looking for a great eye makeup remover that even takes off waterproof products, I recommend you look into this product! Definitely become my new go-to makeup remover!

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Daily Cleanser

I am constantly trying different face cleansers, so this is another product that I've recently added to my skincare routine. First of all the smell is absolutely beautiful!! It's a very soft, fresh scent that has a hint of floral in it. I usually don't like my cleansers to be scented, but I'm really loving this one! Along with the scent, this cleanser leaves my skin feeling so hydrated and clean! I usually avoid gel cleansers since I have dry/sensitive skin but when I was reading the packaging of this cleanser, it looked pretty promising. I've now been using it for a couple of weeks and my skin has been responding so well to it!
Ganier All-In-1 Cleansing Water

When micellar water first came onto the scene, I was a little sceptical. How on earth could it be able to do so many things with using so little product? After months of fighting the urge, I finally decided to give one a try back in April, and I am officially converted! I was expecting my skin to feel tight and dry, but it leaves my skin soft and hydrated! I use this product quite a few different ways: 1// To remover my entire face of makeup when I am wearing natural, light products. 2// As a toner after I cleanse my face to ensure I have no traces of makeup left. 3// First thing in the morning. A great product that lives up to its "all-in-1" name!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream

I'm pretty picky about moisturizers. I want my skin to be hydrated, but I don't want to feel like I am wearing heavy products on my face. Luckily this moisturizer is absolutely perfect for me! I could go on and on and on about this moisturizer. It soaks right into the skin and leaves my skin moisturized all day! It also acts as a great primer before you apply your makeup. It makes me skin feel even, which is perfect for applying makeup.
Thank you so much for stopping by!

What are your favourite skincare products?

Current skincare favourites

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Finding a shade pale enough for my skin tone has always been a struggle. For the longest time I could  not find the right shade. Luckily the past few years the drugstore has really upped it's game for shade selection for us pale girls! I'm still waiting for the concealers to join the bandwagon, since no drugstore concealer is light enough to use as a highlight. But this post is about foundation, so enough about concealer!

Today I am sharing my top 5 drugstore foundations that are great for pale skin. Now when I say I'm pale, I mean I'm pale. Even in the summer I don't really tan. I just get a lot of freckles and get a teeny tiny bit darker. I used to have to mix in a white foundation with every foundation in order to get my custom shade. After a couple years of experimenting and trying new products, I am completely confident in these 5 foundations. They all have incredible coverage, last all day and don't make me look like a muddy oompa loompa.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation in 110 Porcelain 

Although this foundation does have a yellow undertone, it is by far the lightest shade currently available at the drugstore. Because it is so light, I find that once the foundation is applied and blended you can't even notice the yellow undertones. It has easily become my go-to foundation, and I know I will be reaching for it everyday in the winter when I am even more pale! One thing to note: the Fit Me Dewy and Smooth foundation in the lightest shade is about 3 shades darker than the Matte and Poreless for some reason. So I definitely recommend you stick to the Matte and Poreless (instead of the dewy and smooth) if you are super pale like me :)

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff

This foundation actually has one shade lighter than this one available, but since I bought it in the summer I knew I could get away with the second lightest shade. The swatch below makes it look a little orange, but it definitely does not look like that once it is applied to the face. This foundation has been a staple in my makeup collection for about 5 years now. I am constantly re-purchasing it and I absolutely love it!
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain

Most Rimmel face products are too orange and dark for my skin, but for some reason the Lasting finish 25 hour foundation along with the Match Perfection have a great shade selection for pale skin girls! I just recently picked up the Match Perfection foundation and I have absolutely fallen in love. The finish is stunning and the colour is so perfect for me! As much as I love the 25 hour version of this foundation, I think I prefer this one because it is lighter and more natural in coverage. It has just the right balance of neutral and pink undertones to match my skin perfectly, I guess that's why it's called match perfection!
L'Oreal True Match Foundation in C-1

I remember reading and watching countless reviews on this foundation. Everyone kept saying that it was the lightest foundation available at the drugstore. And although I do not agree (I still think the Maybelline Fit Me is lighter) it is still a great option! What is so great is that they offer 3 different tones: warm, neutral and cool, along with various shades in each of the mentioned categories. I actually might repurchase this foundation in the lightest neutral shade next, because I think the shade C-1 is a little too pink for my liking.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in Classic Ivory

I find that this foundation is right between Rimmel Match Perfection and L'Oreal True Match with pink undertones. It's not quite as pink as the True Match, but it is slightly more cool toned than the Match Perfection. If you have dryer skin don't be turned off by the "matte" in the name. I have slightly dry/normal skin and this foundation isn't over the top matte. It isn't drying in the least! I'm really interested in trying the Pro-Glow version of this foundation, and by what I've seen both the lightest shades are the same (as opposed to the Maybelline Fit Me mentioned above).

Thank you so much for reading! If you have any suggestions for future posts, let me know in the comments below! 

What drugstore foundations are your favourite?

Top five drugstore foundations for pale skin

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Makeup brushes are an absolute game changer in terms of how your makeup looks. They can make or break the way your overall look turns out. Depending on the types of tools you use, you can achieve anything from quick, and natural to full coverage glam. There are so many different affordable brands to choose from, but if you don't do your research you can end up with some real duds. Today I am sharing my entire makeup brush collection with you as well as highlighting my favourites.
Real Techniques

I have been using Real Techniques products for almost 4 years now, and they are definitely the best all around makeup brushes at the drugstore. From face brushes to eyeshadow brushes they get 5 gold stars from me! They're soft, blend makeup like a dream and are such amazing quality for the price. I haven't tried a brush of theirs that I don't like! Although each brush has it's use written on the handle (great for beginners), you can experiment and use a brush multiple ways. For example theircontour brush is perfect for highlighting.

If I could only recommend one thing from this entire line it would hands down be their Miracle Complexion Sponge. I do not go a day without using it to apply my foundation and concealer. Such a phenomenal product that is a great dupe for the Beauty Blender, and it's less than half the price! With that being said, anything from this brand is incredible! So you really can't go wrong picking something out.
Quo by Shoppers Drugmart

These brushes are the most expensive out of all the brushes I own, but they are often on sale for 40% off, which gives them a more budget friendly price tag. Their eyeshadows brushes aren't the best at blending, but their face brushes are incredible!

I bought their large bronzing brush 5 years ago and it still performs as if I bought it yesterday. I also love their cream blush brush for blending out cream blush seamlessly. Their fan brush is great at packing on the highlight and giving an intense glow. Unfortunately this brand is only sold in Canada, but for all my Canadian beauty lovers out there, I would definitely check them out!
Miscellaneous 

I've got a few random brushes from a bunch of different stores that I thought also deserved a little shoutout. Elf Cosmestics and Wet n Wild do extremely cheap brushes ($1-$8) that both surprised me with peformance. I wasn't expecting much from them but they are SO good! I particularly love the Elf blush brush for setting my under eye area with powder. Because it is slightly tapered it fits right in the corner of my eye to protect from creasing throughout the day.

Angled brushes are an absolute must have in my opinion! I have 2 that I use for  cream eyeliner and brow pomade/gel. One is from Essence and the other is from F21 (believe it or not!). I can't complain about either one of them! Because they are so small, thin and stiff I'm able to get a really precise sharp line. I would recommend picking up the Essence one, since it is such a versatile product!
eBay

Now although I do not encourage purchasing makeup on eBay since they are 99.9% of the time fake, and made with super sketchy ingredients, you can find some great "fake" makeup brushes on eBay that are extremely affordable! I've never spent more than $2 on a brush. The only downside is that they do shed quite a bit, and can be a bit scratchy feeling. Just make sure to wash them a couple times before using them and they are fine!

I can't get enough of my fake Nars brush for contouring. It is the perfect size to define my cheekbones and jaw. I also really love my fake MAC eyeshadow brushes. I was pretty sceptical when I ordered them since they were only $0.99 each, but I use them on the daily to blend my eyeshadow. I don't consider myself a pro in terms of eyeshadow application, but these brushes definitely help!
I hope this helped you out! Thank you so much for stopping by!!

What are your favourite affordable makeup brushes?

Affordable makeup brushes

Thursday, October 13, 2016

I realized a couple days ago that I haven't posted anything about myself on this blog. Most of you probably know me from my personal blog, but I thought I would post 10 random facts about myself so you can get to know me a little better.

1. Most of my closet consists of the colours blue, white and black. I'm definitely a neutrals kind of gal.

2. I prefer water views to mountain views. River, lake, ocean, doesn't matter, I just love being near water.

3. I got my first pet when I was 22. Samwise Gamgee is the cutest tuxedo cat that I still call kitten.

4. When I get sick the only two things I want are my bed and someone to keep me company.

5. I always count the pages in a chapter before I start reading it. I have literally been doing this for as long as I can remember. I can't start a new chapter without counting the pages. Every. Single. Chapter.

6. My favourite actor is Matt Damon. He's just, uh, the best.

7. I can fold my tongue into the shape of a clover. Not going to lie, I'm pretty proud of it.

8. If I could trade places with any fictional character it would be a toss up between Pam Beesly and Sookie St. James. My two favourite characters from my two favourite shows!

9. Over the years I have collected quite a few hats, and I love each and every one of them.

10. I have been married since July 2013, and have a toddler son. I'm officially outnumbered but I absolutely love it!

What is a random fact about you?
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10 random facts about me

Friday, October 7, 2016

(Don't mind my dirty brushes since these photos were all taken before they were cleaned)

I don't know about you, but I always seem to put off cleaning my makeup brushes. It's a really bad habit that I need to get out of! Every time I clean them I think to myself: "That's it! Going forward I'm cleaning my brushes once a week." Then an entire month goes by and I realize I haven't washed them. It's bad, but it's life and I'm convinced that everyone is like this! I used to really hate cleaning my brushes because all the cleaners I used wouldn't get the job done as well as I wanted them to. Luckily I've found a routine that is super quick yet still offers a deep clean.
You will need:

A hand towel
A place for your brushes to dry out on

Bowl of water/tap
I prefer using a running tap, but you can also use a bowl of water. (I was watching the newest episode of Once Upon a Time so I didn't want to be stuck in the bathroom when I could be in the living room)

Baby shampoo 
Out of all the cleansers I have used over the years, this is definitely my favourite! It's super gentle and creates a great lather. Not to mention it is super cheap!!
Step One
Lay down the hand towel to avoid drips and spills. Put your bowl of water on top and lay out all your brushes

Step Two
Squeeze out a small amount of baby shampoo into the palm of your hand. I try and squeeze out a nickel size amount which should be enough for 2-3 brushes, depending on their size and the product buildup. 

Step Three
Dip your brush into the water. You don't need to place it all the way to the handle, just enough to have an even distribution of water on the ends. 

Step Four
Rub the brush around in circular motions on your palm until the shampoo is lathered.

Step Five
Rinse the brush in the water and repeat step four if there is still makeup on the bristles.

Step Six
Very gently dry off the excess water using a paper towel.

In order for your brushes to dry properly, lay them on a flat surface, evenly spaced, with the bristles in their natural position. I like to keep them like this until the next morning to ensure they are completely dry and not damp.

And there you have it! Clean brushes that are soft and look brand new!

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How to clean your makeup brushes

Thursday, October 6, 2016

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