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Sunday, July 23, 2017

highend makeup

June Boxy Charm - In Depth Review

June Boxy Charm - In Depth Review
July 23, 20170 Comments
Hello!

This is super super late, but at this exact moment I don't have anything else to write about, so I'm going to post it anyway! A few weeks ago I put out my June Boxycharm review video and explained that I'd put up a blog post that goes more in depth later on. This is it!


A post shared by Amy Sousa (@beautybyamysousa) on

The pic above shows all of the products I received (three face masks stacked one on top of the other). I have used everything, but one product and I'll go into that a bit later into this post.

Let's start off with the most exciting (in my opinion) product in the June box.

Artist Couture Diamond Glow Powder in "Illuminati"

This is the most intense highlighter that I've ever tried... EVER. I thought people were exaggerating in their reviews, but holy crap is this stuff blinding! When I did my makeup for the first time with the products from this box, I went in with my little fan brush like I do with every other highlighter and that was definitely a mistake. I ended up having a bright streak on my face and needed to work hard to blend it out. A little bit goes a very long way so this stuff will probably last me until I'm 50. The colour is amazing so I know I'll be wearing this a lot to any type of event (especially makeup events) and I can use this in my inner corner if I want to be extra fancy. 

There are two downsides to this product. The first is that it is a bit glittery so be careful to not apply it too messily because you'll end up with obvious glitters all over the place. The last issue is that the packaging isn't the best and the little plastic bit that is supposed to protect the powder from falling out through the sifter doesn't do it's job. I ended up with a ton of product going all over the place because the jar had turned sideways (with the sifter part closed) and it didn't stop a thing from coming out. So beware! If you get this, and I highly recommend that you do, please be careful with it because it might make a huge pigmented mess.


Luxie Beauty Pro Precision Tapered Brush - 640

This brush is super cute! I already have two pink Luxie brushes so I was really excited to receive this one vs the black alternative from a different brand (even though I'm sure they probably work the same). This brush isn't very dense, so this will be great for applying pigmented products such as blush so you don't accidentally go overboard. I tried this with the highlighter, but it's a bit too big for my liking. I'm going to use this for blush and bronzer as well and depending on my mood, I might use this with my loose setting/baking powder for all over my face.


Ofra Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in "Santa Ana "

I was very excited for this since I've never tried an Ofra product besides a brow pencil several years back (which sucked). In recent years, so many YouTuber's have raved about the liquid lip formula so I had very high hopes for this. While the formula is nice and not drying at all, it doesn't dry down 100% so I always get transfer when kissing the back of my hand, a bit while drinking out of a glass, and the lipstick comes off easily while eating. 

I do enjoy the colour since I don't have anything like it, but I also don't see myself reaching for it often. I've been trying to go for this, but I'm more of a nude or coral lip kind of girl and I've been into lipsticks and glosses recently, rather than liquid lips. I do recommend this if you don't mind transfer, and just want something that'll be matte and last all day minus food!


Realher Makeup - Eyeshadow Palette #1

I was pleasantly surprised by this palette! I heard disappointing reviews by others online so my expectations were low, but the colours that I use in this palette are actually very pretty. I mainly use the top row of this (are you really surprised?) on an everyday basis, but when it comes to nighttime makeup, I use a bunch of colours from different rows. The shadows aren't the best quality (they don't live up to Makeup Geek), but they are bendable, pigmented, and stay on all day!


Biobelle Facial Masks

I got three of these masks with the first being "#I woke up like this", the second "#beauty secret" and the third being "primer." I loved the first two as they did actually make my skin feel nice and glow, but I didn't go near the last one. I'm super allergic to Tea Tree oil and it gets worse if it touches my face. That's one of the main ingredients (even states it on the front of the packaging) so I decided to not try it out. The good news with that is that I decided to add it into my 1000 subscriber giveaway for whenever that happens!



Here's the video where I talk about the products while also wearing them!
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Friday, July 21, 2017

affordable life

Revlon #ColorStayAllDay Event Recap

Revlon #ColorStayAllDay Event Recap
July 21, 20170 Comments
Hello!

On July 11th I went to the Revlon #ColorStayAllDay event in Toronto. Yes, it's spelt color and not colour since it is an American brand (believe me, several bloggers mentioned the spelling that night). I actually got invited directly by the PR company which was extremely exciting, and other blogger acquaintances that weren't, got the opportunity to go thanks to our awesome Canadian Beauty Bloggers network.

Gigi Gorgeous was the main attraction at the event! If you don't know who that is, you've been living under a rock. I actually vlogged the entire experience along with my mini cottage vacation and that will be up in a few weeks! I have very few photos from the night, but I do have a mini haul from all of the products that came in the goodie bag as well as what I got at the event itself. I'm going to give a few points about my first thoughts of each product, but if you want me to give a deeper review on one or a few of them, let me know!

Before I jump into the products, here are a few actual pics from the night.



Gift Bag



Colorstay Brow Crayon - 310 Soft Brown


This was very scary at first, purely because of its size. It's very large and I couldn't imagine how I'd put this in my eyebrows without making a mess, but it ended up not being a problem at all! It's very creamy and easy to apply and dries down to powder finish (wax to powder according to the packaging). This was super easy to use and looks natural if you have thick eyebrows like me! I just swipe this on and use a brow brush to finish up. This takes me about 15 seconds to use in the morning!

Blending Brush (Stippling brush)


I had only ever seen one review on this, and it was a negative one. For some reason I still had hopes that this would work well, but unfortunately it doesn't. In the video where I try this out for the first time it was never washed and shed absolutely everywhere! It didn't blend or do anything for me. I washed it and tried it again a different day, but had the exact same problem. If it didn't shed, it'd still be a no because the brush is just to sparse and does not blend anything nicely at all. This was definitely disappointing for me. I do not recommend!

Colorstay 2 in 1 Kayal Eyeliner Waterproof Pencil - 104 Graphite


I got a dark grey colour in my bag and was really excited! One end is the product, and the other end is the brush. The right line is just the product, and the left was the same size, but I used the brush to spread it out. This was easy to apply in waterline and tightline, but unlike the claims, it's not waterproof. It actually comes off very easily so don't use this if you touch your eyes a lot, or need this to last. It does work nicely on lash line with brush to blend it out and I feel like it'd have better staying power there as well!

Colorstay Unlimited Suede Lipstick - 095 Finale


This is very very creamy.  I 100% would recommend a lipliner for sure with a colour like this with this formulation. I love the formula though because it's very easy to apply, and feels very moisturizing. The lipstick is also very easy to remove, which is a huge plus for anyone that plans on taking it off to eat, and reapply it. I will have a hand swatch below with the next product as well!


Colorstay Lipliner - Red


This lip liner has a great formula! I love these twist up lip liners, so huge points there for me. The formula isn't very creamy, making it last a lot longer, but it isn't too stiff either. It's pretty much the perfect consistency. This comes with built in sharpener (the red bit), which makes it even easier to apply if you need a really sharp tip. This stuff lasts forever and is very hard to remove with just a tissue and water, but it will come off without too much of a fuss if you use a makeup remover, or even a makeup eraser. This works perfectly with the lipstick I mentioned before!

Colorstay Creme Eyeshadow - 730


This is so pretty! It comes with a mini brush built into packaging that is actually quite useful! But don't forget to wash it. It's still a brush and you should wash them  frequently. The formulation is amazing! It's super pigmented, is very easy to apply, and I didn't notice any creasing! Eyeshadow applies nicely on top, which is a plus, but really isn't necessary because this is amazing on its own! Definitely a new favourite of mine!

Colorstay Gel Envy - Top Coat + 030 Beginners luck


These are proving to be really good! They're still on my nails (two days) without any chipping whatsoever, and that's only normal for me with my Essence or Wet n' Wild nail polishes! The coloured polish also claims to act as a base, so I applied it directly to the nail. This has a nice applicator and dries very quickly, allowing me to add a second coat by the time I'm finished my other hand! More than one coat is required for this colour at least, but I don't mind that since most of my polishes require two. The top coat seems to work really well with this nail polish, but I have yet to test it with a different brands nail polish, so we'll see!

Colorstay Makeup (Foundation) Normal/Dry - 180 Sand Beige (Y)

I'm an idiot and forgot to take a picture of this, but this is the same one I got! At the event, one of the lovely Revlon ladies helped me find my correct colour. I was very adamant on finding something that leaned more towards a yellow undertone, and this one was the closest! This actually matches me really really well so good job! This foundation applies really really nicely with beauty blender. It has a pump now (didn't before) which is a huge deal for me!!! Another big factor when it comes to foundations is them oxidizing/getting darker throughout the day. This foundation remains the same colour that it dries, so if you swatch this and it matches your skin at first when it dries down, it'll match you for the rest of the day as well! This claims to last 24 hours, but I won't be testing that out unless I get into a weird situation where I can't wash my face. I've worn it for 16 hours and it still looked great, so I'm leaning towards believing that claim. I only use one pump and it gives me a nice medium coverage. Two pumps will probably be perfect for anyone who wants full coverage!

That's it for the products! I will have a video up on Wednesday of me applying all of these for the first time, so keep an eye out for that! I will add it to this post as soon as it's up. I will also add the vlog to this when it's up, but it'll be at least another week for that!

Thank you for reading!
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Sunday, July 09, 2017

hair reviews

SarynaKEY Damage Repair Line Review

SarynaKEY Damage Repair Line Review
July 09, 20170 Comments
Hello!

I just posted a video yesterday all about the SarynaKEY haircare line as explained in the title. This stuff has honestly made a huge difference in my hair and I couldn't be happier (Not unless a product came out that would make my hair grow straight... but that probably won't happen in my lifetime).

In the video I give all of my opinions, so please watch that first! In this post I'm just going to write down the prices, ingredients, and talk about my new haircare routine.




Here's a link to the Saryna KEY website: https://www.sarynakey.com/


SarynaKEY products I tested:

Damage Repair Shampoo


Damage Repair Mask


Damage Repair Oil


Prouduct claims:

 "Leaves hair soft, healthy, and shiny!"

Thoughts?


100% true. I don't know about you, but to me my hair looks so much healthier! Unless you know me in real life you probably haven't felt it (I hope), but it feels completely different than my hair did two months ago.  All of these products made a world of a difference! 

If I could only buy one I'd get the deep conditioner since I feel like that's what has done the most in terms of making my hair healthier. The oil is more affordable than my Moroccan oil, so that's a no brainer considering I like it equally, if not more. The shampoo will also be purchased, but not very often since it is very pricey in comparison to my Chorus shampoo, but I will also only be using it every several washes to really upkeep my hair, which makes the price totally fine for me!

My haircare routine is now pretty much complete! The only thing I'm still looking for is a conditioning or gloss spray for when I don't want to use an oil, but I'll be trying a few out soon and will update you eventually. I might have to do an updated haircare routine in the fall, but I'll do a blogpost instead of video for that!

Pictures

The Products (Without Flash)

Hair Without Flash

Hair With Flash


How to Purchase


If you're interested in purchasing any SarynaKEY products, here's a link to their distributor page so you can contact your local one!

The Damage Repair Shampoo is $59 CAD (1L) 

The one I showed in the video is the smaller size and is $32 CAD. I thought my size was this price, but it's the bigger one, so definitely worth it for that amount of product!

The Damage Repair Mask (500 mL) is $55 CAD. 

The Damage Repair Oil (110mL) is also $55 CAD! 

The products are available at several different retailers, so the prices may vary, but these prices (minus the 1L shampoo) were shared with me directly by SarynaKEY!

I hope this review was helpful! If you have damaged hair, I think this is the right line for you! Thank you again to SarynaKEY for sending me these products to review free of charge! 

See you next time!
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Thursday, July 06, 2017

reviews skincare

Msquared Brands June Blogger Box Review! Old and New Brands!

Msquared Brands June Blogger Box Review! Old and New Brands!
July 06, 20170 Comments
Hello!

Today I'm back with another blogger box review! I swear these just get better and better.  There are a few new to me brands included in this post, which is always super excited since I feel like I'm always in the dark when it comes to brands. I'm just going to jump in.



Boo Bamboo - Charcoal Sheet Mask: Hydrating


This was really nice! It was a bit creepy considering I'm used to the translucent/white masks, but cool nonetheless. I did spend quite a while trying to fold down the bit that covers your nose, but turns out there isn't one!

This mask felt super hydrating and my skin still felt really soft the next day. The mask felt really cooling and tingly (in a good way) while on, and the excess soaked into my skin fairly easily. If you like sheet masks, I highly recommend trying this one out!


Urban Spa - The Serious Sisal Buffer


This is definitely a weird looking one, but I'm loving it so far! I've used something that's felt similar in the past, but it was directly taken off of a plant in Brazil. This is a glove that you put on to exfoliate your skin in the bath or shower. I've been using this every few showers with my Weleda body wash that I blogged about last month and the combination is amazing. I'm someone who really likes to scrub my skin clean and scratch my back so this was amazing for that! I'd have to say that the only downside is the size makes it awkward to store, but I just stick it on a shelf with my razor and haven't had any issues with it yet.

Boo Bamboo - Natural Sunscreen Spray SPF 30


I don't have much to say about this other than DON'T spray this around anything that you really don't want to get sunscreen on. The nozzle isn't bad, but it's still a spray and the product inside is obviously thicker than something like perfume. I personally don't see the point of having this in spray form since I still have to rub it in. Maybe if it were one of the really thin sprays that just absorbs into your skin without needing to rub it in. The product itself is good! I'm not a huge sunscreen wearer (I know—I'm awful), but this doesn't feel weird at all! There's barely a smell in my opinion (though I do love certain sunscreen smells) and it's really natural so you don't need to worry about harsh chemicals.

RADIUS: Organic Coconut Oil Toothpaste - Whitening



I received the "Ginger Citrus with Organic Chamomile Flower & Coconut Oil" flavour and was pleasantly surprised after almost having a heart attack. As you can see below the toothpaste itself LOOKS disgusting, but it actually tastes really nice and does a really good job! The tube is huge, which is nice. I don't use this on its own since I like having a minty taste in my mouth after brushing, so I use this at night before my regular toothpaste. I did notice that my teeth have gotten a bit whiter since I started using this about three weeks ago and I'm betting that the coconut oil has something to do with that! Radius is just proving to be great when it comes to oral hygiene products. I highly recommend this product if you want to whiten your teeth a bit—especially because this is organic and cruelty free!

Yuck!


Weleda: Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil


My mother and I LOVE this. We always put it on after we have our showers. I pat the excess water off of my skin so it's still damp, and then I apply this all over my arms and legs and rub the excess onto my stomach. This instantly makes your skin feel smoother and it actually smells quite nice. You don't have to use much at all, which is a huge bonus, and you know that it's very natural. I'm super impressed with Weleda and have yet to not enjoy one of their products! Highly highly recommend!

The Green Beaver Company: Natural Deodorant - Lavender


I haven't actually used this yet since I have two open deodorants open already. If you remember my first blogger box review, you know that I adore a lip balm from this brand, so I have no doubt that this will work nicely. Hopefully I'll remember to review this when I do eventually get to it!

North American Hemp Co.: Soak it Up Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner


As usual with hair product samples, I'm going to be saving these for vacation. I am going on vacation to a cottage  next week so I'll likely bring these with me in case I decide to wash my hair. It's unlikely, but you never know. I am very curious because I've heard a lot of good things about help. I've also introduced a few new hair products into my routine that are full sized, so I don't think I'd be able to give a solid review on these since they are so small, but I might snapchat or post on Instagram about it depending on if I really like it or not!


That's it for the June Blogger Box! Thank you so much Msquared Brands for sending these boxes to me! I truly enjoy them and feel so lucky to be able to try out these products!



*All of the items mentioned in this post were sent to me as PR, but obviously all of the opinions are my own :)

See you next time!
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Sunday, June 18, 2017

Get Ready With Me ~ My University Graduation

Get Ready With Me ~ My University Graduation
June 18, 20170 Comments
Hello!

This past Tuesday I officially graduated with my undergraduate degree! I received an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and couldn't be happier that it's finally over. For the first time in my life since I was three years old I don't have school. Not for a few years at least!

I made a GRWM video that I'll link at the very bottom of this post, but I didn't talk about many specific products that I used. Much of my different routines (skin care, foundation, hair care, ect.) has changed over the past several months and while I didn't show absolutely everything (like my shower routine) I showed the most important parts of the process. Let jump in!


This picture is a bit random and made up of items that I have been using for a while, use on special occasions, or just wanted to try out because they are a sample. The Priorin hair vitamins come with 60 capsules, which last a month as the instructions say to take two a day. I received this for free and had used them all up the week before grad and I did actually notice quite a difference! My hair grows fast as is, but these made it grow even faster. I highly recommend! I'm going to try and finish up all of my biotin vitamins that I've had for years before purchasing this, but if I can find the other ingredients I will probably go with those as this is a bit too pricey to buy monthly (almost $30!).  I used my ISA Professional hair straightener to straighten and add a few waves to my hair. Here is a link to the video I made showing you how I straighten my hair!

I used this black head pore strip gooey stuff that I ordered off of Ebay. I have no idea what the brand is, but if you search up blackhead pore strip on the website you should be able to find it! It works pretty well for how cheap it is, but if I had a big issue with black heads I would personally purchase the Biore ones!

This Skin Inc. brightening mask was nice, but it didn't do very much (if anything at all). I got it as a free sample at Sephora when I bought my best friend's birthday gift and I probably wouldn't purchase it since it didn't make enough of a difference.

I used the Crest 3D White Strips the night before grad. Specifically the flex ones, which my mom got for free in a flyer that came with two. I know you're supposed to use these types of whitestrips several days in a row for a real result, but I whitened my teeth about six months ago (for four days) and my teeth are decent as is so using this one made enough of a difference as you'll see near the bottom of the post in my smiling picture. This was the first time that my teeth felt ridiculously sensitive though. The glamorous white (non flex fit) did not do that at all for me so I don't know what was up with that, but my salt toothpaste from Weleda saved the day!

Last from this pic is the Dr. Brandt Lip Full Effect AM and PM treatments. I used the PM the night before, as well as during my getting ready process just so soften them up. I put the AM on once I was done my makeup and before I did lipstick. The PM does work nicely to moisturize, but the AM doesn't make too much of a difference. It's slightly less moisturizing, but I did not see a plumping effect whatsoever, which they claim. My lips didn't even tingle. Then again, the Too Faced Lip Injection gloss didn't plump my lips at all, but they at least tingled and got red around the outer ridges (not that that's good considering my lips stayed the exact same size).


For skin care I cleansed and exfoliated my face with my MyChelle Sugar Cleanser, used my The Ordinary Azelaic Acid to brighten my skin, my Hyaluronic Acid to promote moisture, and Natural Moisrutizing Factors + HA to act as my moisturizer. My Weleda Skin Food was used on acne spots to keep them calm and not red. Finally I used my IQ Natural eye gel that I put into this sample tub because I didn't want to bring the entire thing to Toronto with me! Still my favourite eye gel that I've tried!


Primers! I used four of them. That sounds insane and it is considering it didn't make an enormous difference. The Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser was used right on the sides of my nose where I have slightly visible pores. I don't like using it anywhere else because it tends to be a bit greasy or just makes my makeup slide around. I used the MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radience primer in the yellow shade all over my face (I didn't see any difference to be honest). The Nivea Men Sensitive Skin After Shave Balm was used on my forehead, chin and nose as those are the areas that get shiny after several hours. This is awesome because it feels a tiny bit tacky, which makes the foundation on top stay on forever! Finally, I used the Estee Edit Beam Team, which is pretty much a hydrating dewy primer / highlighter. I put this all over my cheeks because they are pretty dull. This made my skin look more alive and less flat once foundation was on. I did not use the highlighter that comes in the lid, but only the main product!


These are all of the base items I used and did not show in the video. I used my  Makeup Forever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation in the colour Y117, which is too light for me, and mixed it with the Lancome Teint Miracle foundation in the colour Bisque, which is too dark. These mixed together are really nice because the makeup forever feels a bit more dry and cakey, while the Lancome is very thin and pigmented. Them mixed together is awesome and it was easy to match my body. I used my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the colour 10 Light (what's new?) for my under eyes and any redness or scars I had on my face. I used my beauty blender for all of these, including my RCMA No-Colour powder that I used for baking and setting my face. Favourite setting powder of all time! And finally for Brows, I used my ABH Dip Brow Pomade in the colour Medium Brown with my #18 brush from the same brand. I love this combo so much, but it is pricey so I don't know if I'll continue repurchasing the pomade since I love the Essence one. I used the Benefit Gimme Brow because this is my last tester tube and it doesn't do much so I wouldn't accidentally go overboard.


For the rest of my face items, I used the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer to slightly warm up my face. I went in with the Kat Von D Shade + Light palette to contour and bronze a bit more where the butter bronzer wasn't enough. I went in with my Milani Luminoso blush, and my Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit by Anastasia Beverly Hills. All of these combined created the perfect combination for my face that day!



For my eyes I went in with my Original Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced. This is my favourite eyeshadow palette that I own for sure. I used the lighter pink and gold tones as well as the light and medium coloured transition shades for a simple, but pretty look. I wore  my Lancome Hypnose mascara and applied affordable ebay false lashes with my new Duo lash glue (The black one did not work for me at all).  I forgot to mention my lipstick, but it was MAC's Cosmo!

I'm an idiot and didn't use an eyeshadow primer or set my face afterwards so my makeup was looking a bit odd by 5, but for the pictures and ceremony my makeup stayed in place! Here are a few pictures that were taken after the ceremony was finished! The video will be at the very end of the images. I hope you enjoyed this walk through of all of the products that I used! Congrats to everyone else graduating this year! Go class of 2017!

Bye!
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