Halloween Throwback Homage

Hi Beauties, 

So I learnt I am not too old to play dress up. My girl Mo along with Helena decided to dress up as the famous female trio rap group  Salt n Pepa, yes I said trio because Spinderella was also a member of the group. I was supposed to be Salt and I think I did a good job. Finding  late 80s, early 90s vintage clothing was harder than I thought. I ended up borrowing my bfs vintage varsity jacket, got the tights from american apparel for way too much money and thirfted a bathing suit from Value village to be my leotard. I had the gold chain at home and Mo provided the door knocker earrings. Oh and she also made the hats for us which definitely sealed the look.

Makeup in that era was pretty heavy and intense so I pretty much packed on the foundation and blush and rocked a bright red lip with MAC Ruby Woo and Revlon Really Red together. The eyes were a simple brown smokey eye. We headed to a Halloween party on Saturday night where most girls were nurses, police women, maids and pirates. I guess we didn't get the memo. lol 

Monday in class we did zombies and another look using tape to make anything you wanted. I had no clue what I wanted to do so it ended up looking like a cat behind bars lol. Check out the pics below

LITTLE SHYNE NEVER MADE IT HOME FROM THE WALK PAST THE GRAVEYARD...

CAT BEHIND BARS LOL

WHAT DID YOU DRESS UP AS FOR HALLOWEEN?

Love affair with Ruby Woo

Why hello there... lol Where do I began to describe my love affair with MAC's Ruby Woo lipstick? Ruby Woo seems to be the holy grail of red lipsticks in the makeup world. It is described as a coral red by MAC but I find it to be one of the bluest reds out there, trust me I searched long and hard for a dupe. Alas, I was not successful as she is one of a kind. On me it seems more orangey but that's because of my skin's warm undertone, on someone who is cooler, it would definitely look more blue. When I first tried this on at MAC a month ago I loved the colour but hated the dry feeling and I was of course advised that it is a bit dry because its matte and perhaps I should by the lip primer to go with it since I loved the colour so much but I just couldn't get pass the dry feeling even though I loved the colour.

Bare with me through explaining my journey with this lipstick. Its a bit long...

 Well this lipstick decided to haunt me in my dreams and my daily life, I would go on blogs or youtube channels and see black beauty bloggers rocking this colour like no other red lipstick existed in the world. Oh the temptation was great and I resisted.... until last week when I went into MAC to drop off my student Pro application and I gave in. I opted not to get the lip primer ($18) however and thought if I exfoliated my lips and used my Nivea Hydrocare lip balm on my lips, the dry feeling wouldn't be so bad. I got her home and decided to wear her out the next day, I put a red dress on with my leopard print scarf and exfoliated my lips then applied lip balm and let it soak it so my lips weren't too slippery when I applied the lipstick, 15 minutes later, I put her on my lips bare because I thought she would be pigmented enough to rock without lip liner.

First glance- she went on smooth and beautifully pigmented. I loved the colour and the matte look of her. Five minutes later after pouting and touching my lips together my top lip began to fade a bit but I just decided to reapply. Left the house with her in hand just in case I needed a touch up.  An hour later at Walmart, my lips felt extremely dry and felt like they were peeling so I went to the bathroom to inspect my lipstick. Upon inspection, she was almost gone from my top lip and was clumpy on what remained on my bottom lip. With a disappointed hand and heartbroken look at myself I decided to wipe her off completely to avoid walking around with dry clumpy lips.

A day later I had a discussion about Ruby Woo on facebook  where most women had great things to say about her when I described my dilemma. Everyone agreed she was a bit dry but it seems I was the only one who had the peeling. I decided to give her another try again without liner but more lip balm on my trip to Moncton. She was fine on the drive up with one reapplication after drinking a large Chai tea but an hour into walking around the exhibition I felt the dry peeling on my lips again. I felt embarrassed walking around with half worn peeling red lipstick on and went to the bathroom to completely removed it and put it back on. I did not want to give up on Ruby especially since every one else loved her. So its been a love-hate relationship with this one but I didn't give up on her. I lined my well moisturized lips with a red lip liner and put her on then blotted then applied some more lip balm on top then another coat of Ruby Woo to seal it and on top of her, I wore Really Red by Revlon and that seemed to do the trick. It didn't peel or dry out and didn't even have to reapply the whole night. I can see why so many are in love with her, she is a pretty matte red lipstick.

BEAUTIFUL ISN'T SHE??

TOP LIP FADING A BIT AFTER ONLY 15 MINS.

LOVE THE COLOUR.

Here are some of my friend's views out it.
Megan said " I have it too! If I didn't have any lip conditioner or prep+prime on it wouldn't work. But I don't think it too bad; I haven't had it peel but it does go very matte/fades a lot easier. I find myself reapplying a lot more than I would normally have too."

Juella said "I have the same problem minus the peeling. I usually fill in my lips with a red liner I also got from Mac then apply the lipstick. Lasts longer but I haven't figured out how to stop it from drying out which is my biggest issue with it."

Nilka said " Yaaayyy!!! U got it! But we may have to buy that primer bcuz it is dry. I haven't worn mine since the Trey Songz's concert back in February. Only had to apply mine once and I was good the whole night apart from it being dry."

Chido said" I have this lipstick and if you are not using a base red liner prior to putting it on, Intense bleeding occurs!! ♥ this lipstick and best red lipstick out there, you just have to apply it properly!!!"

NB All these women are different shades and all find that it works for their skin tone. 

Hope you enjoyed the review. Go out and try Ruby Woo by Mac.

Allied Beauty Association Beauty Exhibition in Moncton

Hey Beauties,

I just came back from my first ever beauty show in Moncton, New Brunswick on the weekend. My class decided to take the 3 hour drive from Halifax to Moncton to go the ABA's this year and see what all the fuss was about and score some goodies at discount prices as you had to be in the industry to get in. Most of them were excited to score some Moroccan Oil hair products as you have to be a licensed hairstylist in Nova Scotia to obtain it. We got there after 10 that morning and made our way into the Coliseum where the show was. It was a great sight to see... if you were a hairstylist, nail tech or aesthetician but for a MUA, there wasn't much to see. It actually says so right on the program- " Canada's largest Beauty Exhibition and Educational Event, All your professional needs under the same roof; Hair, nails and Aesthetics."

 There was one makeup company there- TIGI which is the makeup line for Bedhead which is a hair products company. I got two things from their selections as nothing else really appealed to me. They had live demonstrations of their products on woman there but that's another story. I also got all into the Moroccan Oil frenzy and got a shampoo and conditioner whereas most of the other girls got their entire product line. lol I also scored some OPI nail polishes on sale. Thank god there weren't too many makeup suppliers or I probably would have done some serious damage. My instructor informed us that Modern Basics Cosmetics were part of the show up until last year. I wonder what happened? But if the association is going to represent the Beauty Industry in Canada then they need to think about including MUA's more (one booth really?) There are so many MUAs here but sadly somehow they seem to be left out. I have to ask myself if Altantic Canada is really a good place to thrive and grow as a makeup artist. But if somehow there are supplies who would love to be a part of a roadshow for MUAs in Canada, specifically the Maritimes, I would love to be a part of that. I wish the IMATS would come here because I could do some serious damage there. lol So all in all if you were in any of the three professions mentioned about this was a great networking opportunity, the hairstylists got to meet Tabitha Coffey. I would love to meet Sam Fine. lol (a girl can dream)

Other than that I got to experience Moncton night life on a Sunday which left much to be desired but the girls I was with gave me some lasting memories, phones were lost, people went missing and we got stuck in an elevator. lol Good times.

WELCOME TO THE ABA'S

OPI BOOTH

GOT TO TRY OUT METALLIC AND BLING NAILS. I LOST MY SILVER ZEBRA AT THE END OF THE DAY.

FRENCH INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE IN MONCTON

VIEW OF MAIN ST FROM THE HOTEL 

MY LOOK FOR THE NIGHT. MY EYES WERE SUPER IRRITATED THAT NIGHT,

TRAVEL MAKEUP

EVERYONE GOING OUT FOR  A NITE ON THE TOWN IN MONCTON. MY FIRST TIME

MOROCCAN OIL GOODIES

OPI MINI POLISHES

MY ABAs HAUL. RECEIVED A FREE SAMPLE OF BLACK 15 IN 1 TO TRY OUT ON MY HAIR. APPARENTLY JESSICA ALBA SWEARS BY IT ACCORDING THE PRO.

 All in all I enjoyed my first Beauty Industry Exhibition.

My version of Beyonce's Colourful Cat eyes

Hi beauties, I am trying to do this post before I go to work but I don't think the perfectionist in me will allow me to rush it. lol I watched Beyonce's Countdown video and all I really liked about it was the makeup which was mostly inspired by the 50s and 60's, some 80's too. My favourite look was the different cat eyes in several bright colours to match her leotards. I decided to try two of them ( I didn't wear matching tops lol)- orange cat eye and yellow cat eye. My eyes are slightly bigger and more round than Beyonce's so it doesn't look exactly the same on me but I loved how it turned out.

The key to bright colours on your eyes is using a white based primer to help the colour pop and to pat the colour on adding layers till you get the desired colour payoff you want. Never rub eyeshadow with the brush because you will just end up wiping it off, you want to pat it onto the primer so it will stay put.

MEOW lol. JUST BRONZER ON THE CHEEKS.

DEFINED THE CREASE USING AN ANGLE BRUSH WITH MAC EMBARK E/S THEN BLENDED IT OUT SO IT DOESN'T LOOK TOO HARSH

LOL BEING SILLY

USED THE MATTE ORANGE FROM MY 42 DOUBLE STACK PALETTE TO ADD COLOUR TO THE MUFE 18 E/S

MUFE 18, BRIGHT ORANGE E/S packed unto the eyes.

FOR THE FACE THE USUAL SUSPECTS AND NUDE LIPS TO GO WITH THE BRIGHT EYES

DID A DOUBLE WING FOR THIS ONE AND CUT THE CREASE USING MAC EMBARK E/S.

GOT A NEW BLUSH FROM PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA CALLED HAPPY BOOSTER GLOW AND MOOD BOOSTING BLUSH IN ROSE. WILL DO A REVIEW LATER. (CUTE HEARTS )

On the eyes: NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk as a base then packed on MAC Chrome Yellow E/S ( LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE PALETTE). Lined with Annabelle Liquid Eyeliner in Blackout and Maybelline Eyestudio Gel liner followed by losts of Mascara.

Hope you liked it. Going to bed now. Night beauties.

Skin and Hair care routine Part 1

Hi Beauties,

Since it's been getting a bit colder and drier here, its been damaging my skin and hair so I had to change up my routines from the summer for the colder months to come.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an Esthetician or a Hair Stylist but this is what works for my skin and hair right now in the Fall and probably Winter months. A lot of women ask me about my skin care routine so here is PART 1 of this post dealing with my routine for skin and low key makeup. Part II will deal with my hair care routine.

SKIN TYPE: OILY

SKIN PROBLEMS: EXCESS OIL IN T-ZONE, LARGE PORES, DRY PATCHES ON CHIN, SLIGHT BREAKOUTS ON MY CHEEKS, SCARS LEFT FROM ACNE.

Here's my skincare routine:

Products include:
1. FACE WASH/ CLEANSER: L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser. It comes with a face scrubber. It can be a bit drying though.
2. EXFOLIATOR: Biore Daily Scrub Detoxify Exfoliator -Oil Free. I love this b/c its not too harsh on my skin and the tiny beads do really feel like you are removing all the dead skin cells when you work them in.
3. SKIN RENEWAL: C. Booth Derma M 36 Glycolic Acid Skin Resurfacing Solution-  I use this to help remove old skin cells esp since I have old acne scars due to the amount of melanin in my skin and my face scars easily. It contains about 10% Glycolic Acid and it's gentle enough for me to use it once a day, at nights before I go to bed. Its also ideal for mature skin, this resurfacing solution exfoliates deeper than scrubs and cleansers, sloughing off dead skin cells more thoroughly.
4. BREAKOUTS: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control 3-IN- 1 Hydrating Acne Treatment. I use this as my acne spot treatment whenever I have a mild break out. The great thing about it is that it doesn't dry out or irritate the skin around the pimple. It contains salicylic acid which works as a comedolytic agent (kills bacteria) by causing the cells of the epidermis to shed more readily, opening clogged pores and neutralizing bacteria within, preventing pores from clogging up again. It takes about 2-3 days for my skin to clear up.
5. MOISTURIZER: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Gel- I use this on my dry patches and sometimes under my eyes. I love this because it comes in gel formula doesn't feel greasy or oily which is great for my oily skin and it does keep my skin moisturized in the areas I need it the most.
6.CHAPPED LIPS: Nivea Hydro Care lip balm- It literally feels like putting water on your lips. Makes my lips soft, smooth and moist. Love it. Don't forget to exfoliate your lips if you have chapped lips.

Low key makeup. I opt not to wear foundation sometimes if I am just going to work at night for a few hours. Just a few basics. We put makeup on sometimes three times in class so my face gets pretty irritated from the makeup and the removing so some days I am glad to go "au naturale", well for the most part. :)



Products for my low key makeup:

1. Clinique Up-lighting Illuminator in Bronze . This is a highlighter but I love this product because it has so many uses. I put it on my cheeks and on my eyelids pretty much to give my skin some radiance and add some dimension because my skin is pretty uneven and dull without foundation.

2. Hard Candy Glow All the Way 24kt gold infused face and body luminizer. I applied this along with the Clinique up- lighting Illuminator on my cheeks.

3. Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara. I have no eye makeup and my brows aren't filled it so to bring some definition to my eyes I just put two coats of mascara on.

4. Covergirl Queen Collection Au Naturale Lipstick with L'oreal Colorjuice lipgloss 230 Passionfruit squeeze. For nude lips I wear these two together.

5. Forgot to mention I apply Ponds Oil Control Cream all over my face first to soak up any excess oil and keeep me from getting shiny throughout the night. It works up to about 2 hours then I could see a bit of shine but not like a greasepot or anything. lol

MY SKIN DOES LOOK RADIANT. YOU CAN SEE IM BREAKING OUT ON MY FOREHEAD AND I HAVE SLIGHT UNEVEN PATCHES BUT I LOVE MY SKIN ON MOST DAYS. LOL


DAB OF HIGHLIGHTER AND BRONZER ON THE CHEEKS. I AM POSITIVELY GLOWING :)




AT THE BUS STOP ON MY WAY TO WORK.

There you go ladies, my skin care routine. I will post Part II - My hair care over the weekend. Have a good one and stay beautiful.

10 items for under $10.

Hey beauties, wanna look like a million bucks for under $10? I decided to share some of my makeup that makes me feel glamorous without breaking the bank. Every item that I wore that day is under $10 but they should be worth more because they are really good products. You get a bang for your buck. :)

 PRODUCTS INCLUDE:
1. Hard Candy Sheer Envy Skin Perfecting Primer $7.98 at Walmart. Great size for the $ and goes on very smooth. Helps my foundation last all day.
2. Stila Natural Finish Oil Free Makeup in K. $8.99 at Winners.  Great everyday Foundation that provides medium buildable coverage, works well with darker skin tones that have golden undertones. It does leave skin a bit shiny after a few hours but it doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin at all.
3. NYC Loose Translucent powder 741A. $5 at Walmart or $3 on amazon.com. It sets makeup without looking powdery or dry. Just make sure to blend into the skin properly so it doesn't leave an ashy or ghost like look to your face. I use it to set my concealer. Naturally oil-absorbing ingredients help control shine without clogging pores--perfect for all skin types. 
4. Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Eyeshadow Palette $4.77 at walmart. My new favourite eyeshadow palette for neutral eyes or dramatic smokey eyes using green eyeshadow. I love that you can get alot of looks out of this palette and the colours all compliment each other perfectly. All for less than $5.
5. Annabelle Liquid eyeliner in Blackout. $6-7 dollars at Lawtons or Shoppers Drugstore or Walmart. I went to the drugstore one day to look for an affordable liquid eyeliner and stumbled on this one. I wanted to try something from L'oreal or Covergirl b/c they got good reviews but I must say I give it to the underdog in this one. I love this liquid eyeliner. It goes on smoothly. I only have to draw a line once and get great coverage and it dries really quickly.
6. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara $4-5 at any drugstore. This has been around longer than I have-40 years... Its definitely a classic. I love this mascara because of the small wand that picks up every lash and the way its curved makes it easier to get from the root to the tip of the lash.
7. Coastalscents Sunless Body Art Bronzer in Dark $7.95. coastalscents.com The perfect bronzer for my complexion and women of colour. It doesn't make me look muddy or too shimmery. Its just right. Use where the sun would naturally hit your face.
8. Hard Candy Bronzer in Tropics $8 at Walmart. I actually use this as a highlighter because of the gold shimmer. It enhances my natural glow when I use it just above my cheeks after I apply my bronzer. Hard Candy is a really affordable brand that offers really good quality products. I am always checking out their stuff at walmart.
9. Relvon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry $6.99 on sale at Shoppers Drugmart. Perfect red lipstick for the fall. I love the deeper tone red lipstick for the vampy look but it also makes me feel a little glamorous when I wear it. Goes on smooth and very pigmented. Didn't even have to line my lips.
10.  Elf Eyelid Primer $3 eyeslipsface.com. My go to eye primer. Keeps eyeshadow in place all day without creasing for less than 5 bucks.


So looking great doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg and your face :). Go to your nearest walmart or drugstore or even online and look around the cosmetics aisle. They always have deals going on and you'll be surprised that you can find good quality makeup and beauty products that are affordable. Remember we are still in a recession but you don't have to look like it.