Super Easy Holographic Eye

Hi everyone! 

Sorry about my little hiatus, things have been a bit hectic here.

This look is definitely more of a nighttime one (unless you rock glittery eyes during the day in which case more power to you). I think it would be great for parties, concerts, clubs (if that's your cup of tea) or New Year's.

*cue creepy closeup of my eye

If you've followed my blog for a while now, first off, thanks for that. Second, you'll probably know that my resources for photography are not that stellar. Please bear with me.

For this look, you'll need:

Eye Primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion)

A Silver/Grey Cream Shadow (NYX Jumbo Pencil in Pots & Pans or a combo of Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 hr eyeshadows in Tough as Taupe and Audacious Asphalt)

A Purple or Blue Eyeshadow (Urban Decay Ransom)

A Black Eyeshadow (Urban Decay Creep)

Clear Glitter Liquid Eyeliner (Quo)

Loose Glitter

Plus black eyeliner, mascara, and all the other usual suspects.

*Oh hello there, strangest facial expression I've ever made

After priming the eyes, apply your silver/grey cream shadow all over the lid, keeping it below or at the crease and blend. 

Press your purple or blue shadow onto the outer third of the eyelid and pull it into the crease. 

Using your black shadow as a definer, place it in the outer V of the eye and bring it down into your lower lash line, limiting it to about the outer third.

Bring a bit of the blue or purple shadow down into the lower lash line, layering it on top of the black shadow and bringing it a bit closer to the corner of the eye. You don't want to go too much farther than the pupil.

Blend it all!

Take your glitter liquid liner and paint it on the lid, over the grey. I tried to concentrate it on the inner half of the lid but to get more of a gradient, I applied a bit of it up to the purple shadow as well. 

Using a stiff-bristled brush, press loose glitter over top of where you just applied the liquid glitter liner.

Line everything you usually line (tight line, waterline, lashline, whatevs)

I lined my tight line and then added liquid liner to the upper lash line. I actually didn't mean to line the waterline but there was a bit of transfer. In the future I'll probably use a white liner on the water line.

Curl your lashes, add mascara/fake lashes/ whatever you like!

*Nothing like a bathroom selfie to show you what the look is all about

I ended up wearing this with a soft nude lip (Mac's Hue) and a clear gloss to keep the rest of the look simple.

If you want a more detailed tutorial, let me know in the comments! I'm actually trying to get myself organized so I can start filming but who knows how long it'll take for me to get myself in gear.

Thanks for reading, if anyone decides to try this look, let me know how it works out!

Kendall

x

Eeek! Eyebrow Bleaching

Hi guys!

I just completed the extremely nerve-wracking experience of lightening my eyebrows at home and I'm pretty happy with the results.

My eyebrows are naturally quite dark which means they do tend to look prominent against my lighter blonde hair. I didn't want to lighten them completely but I was aiming for a colour 2-3 shades darker than my hair.

I used Jolen Creme Bleach (the mild formula) which is designed for facial bleaching.  Keep in mind when using a facial bleach for your brows that this type of bleach is designed to make dark hair (i.e. unwanted facial hair) become transparent. Because you probably don't want transparent eyebrows, you will have to be more careful about the time than the instructions indicate.  The instructions said to apply the bleach for 8 minutes.  I began checking my brows every minute after an initial two minutes.  All in all, it took about 5 minutes with the bleach on my brows.

The bleach kit comes with a vial of powder activator, a pot of creme, and plastic spatula and mixing plate.  Using the spatula, all you have to do is mix the activator and creme together then apply thoroughly to your brows.

Make sure you don't get any of the product in your eyes or mouth!

Once you've achieved your desired colour, wipe off the product, then clean your brows several times with a wet cloth. It's also a good idea to wash the area a few times to ensure the bleach is completely gone.

Before

Right After

The next morning

(better lighting but no makeup! Ah!)

Overall the process was quite simple and painless.  Bleach is something I'm always quite careful about so I'm super excited that I didn't end up with crazy orange brows or something equally terrifying!
Kendall
x

Products I've Used Up II

I've finally hoarded enough empty containers to warrant another empties post!

The fact that I've been experimenting with a lot of different products lately hasn't exactly been helping my "use everything up" initiative but I've made a bit of progress.

I've talked about a few of these products before so I'll link to those posts for the curious.

Here we go:

Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner (Sample)  I did enjoy using this conditioner but I feel like I didn't see any real changes in my hair during the time I tried it.

Bioderma Sebium (for oily/combination skin)- I didn't like it as much as the pink-capped one as my skin tends to get a bit drier.  I really only tried this because they were out of my usual

MAC Brush Cleaner- pretty standard.  This used to be my favourite but I've since found a much better alternative (I'll be sharing that in a future post!)

Josie Maran Cleansing Oil

Lush Sweetie Pie

L'Oreal Power Moisture Infusion Mask was really good for a drugstore mask.  It still can't compete with Macadamia Oil though

MAC Studio Fix in N3 -it finally died!

Organix Everstraight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Anti-Breakage Serum

I know feel a weird sense of pride at finishing a product- hopefully you guys can relate!

Kendall

x

U.S. Shopping Haul! Ulta, Target, Nordstrom, CCO

Okay I am just too excited to share with you guys to wait anymore!

I was planning on finishing my Summer Glow Series before posting this but I was feeling a little uninspired by my picks for blushes/bronzers.  If you guys do want to see that sooner than later let me know!

In the meantime, let's all enjoy looking at what my bank account has turned into.

A little disclaimer: I've done a few hauls before but never one of this size.  I know I really enjoy haul posts so I'm hoping this doesn't come off as show-off-ish.  I recently was able to travel to Seattle (which was awesome!) and have been saving up for the trip for months. So without further ado- let's see the result of all that saving!

Target

Rimmel ScandalEYES Waterproof Kohl Kajal in (005) Nude and (002) Sparkling Black

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hr Eyeshadow in (25) Bad to the Bronze

Pixi Lash Line Ink (Waterproof) in Black Silk

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lip Pencil in Spice

Nordstrom

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Portobello and All About Eve

Ulta

Lorac CC Colour Correcting Cream in (CC1) Light

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer (fair)

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Ivory

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Light

Aqualillies for Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye and Cheek Palette

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer

Stila Afterglow Lip Color in Electric Pink

Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipstick in Wild

NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss and Caramel Cream Kiss

Cosmetics Company Outlet

Smashbox Blue Eyes Shadow Palette

Phew! I'm planning on doing individual reviews of quite a few of these items which is why I haven't gone into detail in describing them. 

If you want me to review any specific products in this haul sooner rather than later, let me know in the comments and I'll get on that first!

I hope you've enjoyed perusing my characteristic lack of willpower

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think?

Kendall

x

Summer Glow Series Part III:Eyes

Hi guys, I'm back with part three of my Summer Glow Series! This post is all about my favourite products to help brighten up the eye area.  A lot of those products have been included in other posts of mine before so I'll try to keep it short.

My Stila In The Light Palette has been a huge favourite of mine for quite a while now- it's even named appropriately for this post. To add a bit of illuminating shimmer, sometimes a quick swipe of a cream shadow is all you need.  My personal favourites include: MAC Paint Pot in Vintage Selection, Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in (70) Barely Branded, and Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin is another great option that looks beautiful under shadows or on its own.  

As I mentioned in my Drugstore Favourites Post, I really dig the L'Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadows (pictured here in Hourglass Beige) because while they are quite shimmery, the quality of the shadows is quite high.  Sometimes when cheap, poorly formulated shadows are high shimmer, you just end up looking like a glittery mess.  These shadows look and feel more luxurious than the price tag would have you think.

Finally, a well-placed highlight with a white or flesh-toned pencil can make you look much more awake and alive. For the waterline, I love Rimmel ScandalEYES in (005) Nude or Revlon Matte Kohl Eyeliner in (04) Pure White. For the brow bone and inner corner, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in (604) Milk and Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Highlighter Crayon in Camille are two beautiful options.

Okay guys, one more Summer Glow post to go.  I realized these posts are sort of serving as a very detailed favourites series so hopefully it's working for you! 

Kendall

x

Summer Glow Series Part II: Bases

This part of the Summer Glow series is focusing on my favourite bases for a luminous, natural look.  

I love these foundations because they are light, luminous and dewy and still offer a decent level of coverage.

(L-R): Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Makeup in 0.5, Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in (110) Ivory, L'Oreal True Match Lumi in W1-2*, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in (100) Ivory

*Though I loved the finish and coverage of L'Oreal True Match Lumi, I think one of the ingredients in it might have caused me to break out, so I could avoid this one if you're sensitive.

Before I apply my foundation, no matter which one I choose, I always start with a combination of Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector (00) Rose Shimmer and Elizabeth Arden Visible Skin Difference Skin Balancing Lotion for Combination Skin (what a mouthful!).  Sometimes I will add a bit of primer to the mix and maybe even a few drops of foundation for a light, "home made tinted moisturizer".

Lately I have been loving these two concealing products to bring a bit of extra light to the under-eye area.  Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser (Fair) and Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (Very Fair) and both tried-and-true favourites for many people in the beauty world.  I'm currently testing a couple of higher-end options but as far as drug store products go, these are difficult to beat.

I hope you've enjoyed part two of my favourite products for achieving a glowing look.  I'm sorry it was interrupted for a while but I was actually away for a week.  On the bright side, I brought back quite a few cool American products to share with you so stay tuned for a haul post or two in the near future!

Kendall

x

Summer Glow Series: Highlighters

Today I'm starting a new series of posts all about my favourite summer products for a fresh, glowing look.  Recently, I posted about my Sunny Day Cosmetics Essentials so these posts are going to be along the same lines, but a bit more detailed to give you all some more options.  

I'm starting with my favourite highlighters because they really are the quickest, easiest way to add that little something extra to make you look fresh and glowing.

It was difficult for me to limit it to five as my love for highlighting products runs quite deep but here we are:

MAC MSF Lightscapade

This is a great cool, pearly highlight that I think would be quite similar to Benefit's Moonbeam.  Although I've had this one for quite a while now, you can see it doesn't appear to be over-used.  That's not because I don't like it but more because a little bit of the product is all you need to get a great highlight.

MAC Beauty Powder in Play it Proper

I bought this when it was part of the Chenman collection at MAC last year, but it looks like it is still sold (at least on the website).  This highlighter looks more like a blush but the pink pigment does not really transfer onto the skin.  It is more of a slightly pink-toned pearly shimmer.

Dior Shimmerstar Amber Diamond

You can read my ode to this glorious highlighter here.

CoverFX RadiantFX Luminescent Powder in Platinum

This is quite an interesting product.  I would almost describe it as a blush/bronzer/highlighter in one as it has pink, bronze, and shimmery tones without being too much of one or the other.  It definitely is not overly-pigmented but a little goes an extremely long way as it has very high shimmer.  I (very self-sacrificially) posted a photo of me wearing it so you can see the look.  Please ignore the messy bun, dopey smile and my eyebrows (this was a couple years ago).

Benefit High Beam

Obviously, this product is massively popular so I'll try to keep it short.  I love the versatility that comes with a liquid highlight- it's easy to use not only on the cheekbones but on the browbones, cupid's bow and really anywhere else you want to highlight.  The pink tones allow for a very natural looking pearly glow.

That's it for highlighters but stay tuned for my foundation favourites coming soon!
What are your favourite highlighting products?
Kendall
x