Comparison/Review: Bronze-Gold Cream Eyeshadows!

Hello everyone!
Isn't summer beautiful? Not if you love makeup.
Summer is my favourite season, but you literally cannot wear any makeup some days or it will just melt right off your face. Unless you're one of the lucky few who work in an air conditioned area- you might as well skip makeup altogether.
EXCEPT I'm a nut and can't do that. So one my favourite ways to get an easy, lightweight, simple, polished eye look in the summer using little to no effort are cream eyeshadows!
They great for those quick looks to get you out the door in the morning or you're just too hot and bothered to fuss with powder shadows, brushes, blending etc.
So in this post I'm going to do a high end and drugstore comparison review of bronze/gold cream bases that can be used on their own or under shadow.

Left: Maybelline Color Tattoo in #25 "Bad to the Bronze" -Generally around $10

Right: MAC Paint Pot in "Indianwood" -$20

The packaging on these products is incredibly similar. So much that when I was putting the lids back on after photographing this post, I switched the lids and put the wrong ones back on the pots and almost didn't even notice! Both are are in glass pots. great quality and very solid. Can't complain about the packaging of either product.

These bases look incredibly similar in the pots but look very different when swatched (as you'll see soon-- I thought these would be colour dupes but they definitely are not). 

Both are creamy and glide on effortlessly. Both stay all day, no creasing or fading which is impressive for a cream product in this kind of heat. I have especially oily eyelids so I always use an eyelid primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion) anyway and I would suggest you do the same if you notice you have shiny lids as well. But even without a primer (I tested both) they last about 5-6 hours before they start to fade.

There are subtle differences between these creams. The MAC paint pot is a metallic finish while the Maybelline color tattoo is shimmery. What's the difference? Glad you asked, you're so curious- you know I love that about you.

You can see in the picture on the left (color tattoo) that the light is refelected by shimmery particles within the cream. While the on the right (MAC which looks darker than it is in this picture, sorry) is extremely reflective without being able to see definite particles of shimmer. It's more a more even and natural looking shine I guess you could say. 

Swatches? Oh gosh, you know me so well.

Top: MAC "Indianwood"

Bottom: Maybelline "Bad to the Bronze"

Like I said, obviously they are not colour dupes. The MAC is a much more true gold while the Maybelline has more taupe and (not surprisingly) bronze undertones. 

Left: Bad to the Bronze

Right: Indianwood

Overall

Considering both products perform the same for me- creamy, pigmented and long-lasting plus the packaging is almost identical- I would have to say skip the MAC. It's twice as expensive and it has no benefit over the Maybelline Color Tattoos that I can see except that there are only two matte colours in the Maybelline line. The MAC paint pots are made to be used more like a base than worn alone (although they can be) so there are more matte shades. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my MAC paint pots, like the famous "Painterly" which is amazing and I use it every day as a base under my eyeshadow. But I mean, these Maybelline Color Tattoos are awesome, extremely similar and half the price, so if you haven't already invested in the MAC you might as well go for those.

Not to mention there are some crazy awesome colours in the Maybelline line! The MAC ones are all mostly browns, black and creamy nude colours but there are so many more colours with the Maybelline ones.

My favourites are a electric teal (Tenacious Teal), a shimmery emerald green (Edgy Emerald) and a bright fiery orange (Fierce and Tangy) along with a matte, neutral grey-taupe colour (Tough as Taupe). 

I will do a post shortly on how I use either of these bronze/gold bases and a very bright liner for a quick easy summer look!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Tash<3 

Review: Revlon Cream Blushes!

Hello friends!
I have a new review on the Revlon Photoready Cream blushes!
They are limited edition with this summer's "Escapism 2012" collection. The collection also included a bronzer, a mascara, some new shades of the ColourBurst lipglosses and some new shades of nail polish.
I did pick up the bronzer as well, but it was only okay for me. I like the product, it's smooth, matte, and makes a great contour colour- however if you're my skin tone or deeper it's probably not your best bet. If you're looking for a good bronzer and you're lighter than me, I would definitely suggest trying it out.

The cream blushes are what I was most excited about. They looked beautiful and were amazing colours for summer time. There are three shades that came out with the collection and of course I picked up all three!

I think the reason I was so excited about this is that cream blushes are an amazing summer time product. It's hot and sticky in the summer and the last thing you want to do is pile on a face powder, a powder bronzer, powder blush and powder highlight. It's ends looking like a cakey mess at the end of the day. But cream blushes look dewy and natural all day without feeling heavy. I was really hoping that these would be a great summer product.

On to the review!

They come in glass pots with a twist off lid. The packaging is really great quality and functional too. I really dislike when containers have extra glass around the bottom to make them look like the have more product (like the ELF cream blushes, if you've ever seen those). These thankfully are not like that, these are compact and have very little extra packaging which makes them great for travel. I also like that the shade name is on the lid and the bottom is clear. So no matter what side you see them first, you always know which colour it is! They are $12.99 each which does sound pricey but you don't need a lot of product per use and speaking as someone who wears makeup often, I've never finished a cream blush so I think they're worth it. 

The first colour in the line is #100 "Pinched" and like I said, it's the least bright/most natural colour.

It's a light peachy nude with some very fine shimmer in it. The shimmer is subtle, not chunky glitter. I heard this colour was not as pigmented as the other two and darker skin tones would not be able to wear it before buying. I highly disagree. I have used this several times and I think it works great even on darker skin. 

Even in a close up the shimmer is hard to see, it just provides a beautiful glow on when worn. 

The next shade in the line #200 "Flushed" is quite a bit brighter than the first one. 

Damn! That's a bright pink. This looks so so scary in the pot. But I promise you it's not nearly that bright on your cheeks and blends out really easily. No shimmer in this one, strictly matte pink colour. 

This is a somewhat cool-toned pink, which is great because I have some warm tones in my skin so they contrast and it helps to balance my face (which is a weird thing to say now that I think about it). 

And lastly, #300 "Coral Reef" which is the brightest/scariest looking shade of the bunch!

Yes, that is wonderfully orange. However just like the pink blush this is a sheer formula that blends easily. So when you wear this, it actually does show up as a coral colour. 

Again, no shimmer in this one. This one has a much warmer tone than the pink one does, which can end up looking kind of red on my skin, so I have to be careful with this one, but it's still beautiful. 

Overall

I really enjoy these cream blushes! There are not many good, pigmented cream blushes that come out of the drugstore. The NYC Blushable Cream Sticks are really good, but hard to find. They might seem pricey for the drugstore but they are much cheaper than a high end cream blush and well worth the money. 

The formula of these blushes is hard to explain. It's not quite as heavy as the Blushable Cream Sticks if you've tried those. They feel like a gel-cream hyrbid and they have that silky feeling that comes with silicone products like face primers. They sheer out but not so much that they aren't pigmented and they blend really nicely onto the skin.

Once they set, they aren't sticky or tacky like some cream blushes so they can be worn alone (without a powder blush on top). As for how long lasting they are, I would call them average. Even without a powder blush to set them, they remain their true colour, no fading for at least 5-6 hours which isn't bad in my opinion.

The colours are all really beautiful and I have used them all summer since I got them. 

Final thoughts: because these are limited edition, you should pick some up while they're still in stores because they are very much worth the money!

As always hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading!

-Tash <3

Comparison/Review: MAC and Revlon Double-Ended Liners!

Hello again everyone!
I recently picked up a double-ended liner from the MAC Beth Ditto collection and I noticed Revlon has come out with some double-ended liners as well.
I bought one that had similar shades to the one I owned from MAC and as promised- here is my review and comparison!

Top: Revlon "#201 Torch" Smoky Shadow Stick -$8.99

Bottom: MAC "Beth Mask" Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner- $27.50 (ouch).

Both have a pinky-champagne end and a darker brown-plum side. 

Both products are made to be worn alone but can also be worn under powder shadows as a cream base.

Let's start with the MAC double-liner. 

The double-ended liner in "Beth Mask" is a beautiful, creamy liner and shadow duo that came out recently. Both ends glide on really smoothly without tugging on your lid and have great colour payoff. I really like how slim the packaging is and that both caps snap on, so they keep air out which will stop the product from drying out.

One end, the pink side, is angled (which is a little less noticeable because I have used it a lot recently) and the plum side is rounded. I would have preferred the plum side to be angled because it would be easier to use in your crease and as a liner. I would assume most people would use the darker end as the liner and the lighter end as the shadow, right?

This is however one of the best plum-brown cream bases I have ever used. I really enjoy this colour.

Next: the Revlon Smoky Shadow Stick!

You can see the obvious similarities to the MAC version right off the bat. One pink shimmery side, one darker smoky side. I really like how this product glides on effortlessly, just like the MAC. It's much fatter than the MAC version but that doesn't really bother me. What does bother me is the cheap packaging, especially the caps for the liners. They are flimsy and I've had liners with caps like these before and they are VERY prone to breaking. Which really sucks if they do because as mentioned above your product will dry out. They also snap on but it's not a tight fit like the MAC version. And as a personal thing, I don't like that they are clear. They get dirty and the liner smudges are very visible which looks bad. 

The Revlon stick has it right in my opinion, with the darker side being angled and the lighter side being round. This is much more brown than the MAC rather than plum, but it's still a beautiful, rich, dark brown.

Again, I have to say I don't like anything about the packaging of this one. As I was taking a picture of the pink side, the entire brown side fell out! I put it back in and it stuck but I mean, I've only had the product for two weeks, there's no way it should be falling apart.  

To be quite honest, I don't love this side of the Revlon shadow stick. It looks pink in the packaging but as you will see in a swatch it looks very white and ashy on my skin tone. That's not to say however, that it wouldn't look great on lighter skin tones, but you'd have to try it for yourself to really find out I guess.

Top Row: MAC
Bottom Row: Revlon

As you can see in swatches, the pink side of the Revlon stick is very white looking as opposed to pink. I left the swatches on my hand all day, and through plant watering and dish washing, both swatches stayed on really well without smudging.

Overall

I really like both products, they both have their pros and cons. Do I think the Revlon is a dupe for the MAC? Absolutely not, they simple aren't similar enough.

Is it a decent product in its own right? Yes, it could be very useful! 

While I love the MAC double-ended liner, both colours and the packaging- $27 is a lot of money. Technically it's $13.50 per side which isn't terrible for MAC, but it's still too much. 

The Revlon Smoky Shadow Stick is a great product that glides on smoothly, and wears well but the packaging is absolutely terrible. There is a great colour selection in these and if you want something like the MAC without the price tag, you could go for these. But be warned, don't expect to take it with you on a night out or travel with them. 

If you have ever tried the CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast cream shadow stick things, you know that both the cream product and the packaging was the just horrible. The cream product creased on your eyes in minutes and packaging broke just as fast. Both of these are better options but it depends on what you're looking for and what you're willing to spend. 

Personally I won't be getting anymore of the Revlon Smoky Shadow Sticks because bad packaging is a huge pet peeve of mine. But I won't be getting any more of the MAC Shadow/Liners either because they really are too expensive for what you're getting. For now, I'll still be waiting for drugstore companies to come out with a good cream base in a stick form.
Hope you enjoyed this comparison and review! As always thanks for reading,
-Tash <3

A Beach Vacation for your Nails!

Hello readers!
In honour of my family vacation coming up in August (Cuba baby!) I thought I'd do a nail post inspired by the beach! I can't wait to just relax on the sand, swim and have some quality time with my cousin (more like sister really) Devika and the rest of my awesome family!
I am so excited for this trip, but it kills me because I know as soon as I get back I'll be depressed because there will only be 3 more weeks until school. Sad life.
Oh well on to the nail polish!
This is one I know my friend Stef has and she loves it.

I love this colour by Essie called "Turquoise & Caicos" (also I love how cute the names of Essie polishes always are). It's a true turquoise blue, creamy finish with no shimmer. 

The polish applies really smoothly. Any imperfections you notice in the pictures are because I'm impatient and also crazy and choose to do my nails at 1 a.m. 

It needs two coats to be opaque, but really what polish doesn't?

It's really bright and fun to wear in the summer. This would be much harder to wear in the winter, in my opinion, so I would suggest picking it up soon and wearing it as much as possible!

Just a Few Things...

• I finally photographed a few of the posts I've been promising and will have to spend my evening sorting out the photos. 
• Next planned post is a review comparison of a MAC and Revlon double ended liner!
• Recently found a wallflower from Bath and Body Works that I bought in the fall/winter. No tag on it so I had no idea what scent it was. Now that it's plugged in, I can definitely tell it's the Creamy Pumpkin scent, which btw is AMAZING! My favourite winter scent from Bath and Body Works that came out last year. It smells like vanilla, cinnamon, with only a little pumpkin and just holiday time goodness.
• Speaking of Bath and Body Works, I got a whole bunch of stuff for a steal during their Semi Annual Sale! Including the Creamy  Pumpkin scent in a room spray, some body lotion, body wash and a body spray called "Forever Sunshine" that I love so much, it's all I wear now! 
• I have been wearing next to no makeup because it has been so crazy hot in Toronto. So I apologize for the lack of actual makeup looks posted recently. 
• Was cleaning out more of my room- I have THREE unopened razors. THREE. One was a Christmas gift and two came with my Luxeboxes. And that's why I love Luxeboxes, saving me money all the time. 
• Am loving Instagram (tashasingh10) and Pose (natasha.singh) and Tiny Tower (seriously the best game ever) on my iPhone! 

Anyways, as always thanks for reading!

-Tash <3 

It's The Balm.com... Literally! (Haul/Review)

Oh god, the makeup is starting to pile up in my room. I have to clear a path to my door now.
Everyday is a step closer to Hoarders for me...
On that note, here's the second haul/review I promised you!


Before you judge me (because come on, I know you're going to) you should know that I only got two things this time! I have been hearing some really great things about a brand called The Balm from a number of people, most significantly Emilynoel83 of Beauty Broadcast on Youtube. She is my all time favourite beauty youtuber! She's kind, honest, and really articulate, not to mention she takes her reviews very seriously and does a really thorough job. She's so much fun to watch and learn from. She has taught me more about makeup than I can even imagine and after watching her channel for years, she seems like a friend!
(Does that make me weird? Maybe. It's okay).
Her blog is also an amazing place to get tips, ideas and to get to know her better.

She made a video reviewing several products from the line which she got for a steal on a flash sale website called Hautelook. I have heard you can find this line at Marshalls, or TJ Maxx in the US but to the best of my knowledge, there are only two ways to get The Balm cosmetics in Canada. Buying it full price (which actually isn't that bad to begin with)  from their website or waiting and hoping to find it on Hautelook.
I was lucky enough to notice that The Balm was going to be on Hautelook recently and got my items at a very discounted rate :) aww yeah.
So let's look at the new stuff, shall we?

First up, I got the much raved about "Nude 'Tude" eyeshadow palette. This palette retails for $36 on their website but I got it 50% off on Hautelook for $18.

It's a neutral palette with a lot of potential for smokey/darker looks, using the right side of the palette.

There are two versions of this palette on the Balm website. Both versions include the exact same colours. The only difference is that the "Feeling Nice" version that has a cute vintage room as a background for the shadows (the same room that's on the sleeve the palette comes in: pictured above). And the version I have, the "Feeling Naughty" version which has... uhm.. *cough cough* naked ladies on it and the shadows covering up their lady bits. Now since I got mine on Hautelook, I didn't have the choice of which version to get, but I think I still would have picked this one. It kinda rocks.

The first half of the palette is your highlight colours and lid colours. My overall favourite shade out of this palette has to be "Stand-offish" it has the most beautiful multi-coloured shimmer, it's truly unique. I love the colours "Selfish" and "Sulty" as daytime, natural crease colours. 

The second half of the palette is your darker, smokier colours. The "Sexy" colour is very beautiful in the crease for subtle colour at night. I love that this palette contains a mix of both shimmery colours and mattes, especially since one of those mattes is a black which is very useful for darkening a look or using as liner.

I really love that you can tell a lot of thought went into the making of this palette. All the staple matte colours you need are included and all the staple shimmery colours are there too, but there are also some really beautiful, unique standout shades which I have fallen in love with!

The creativity and quality of the packaging is unparalleled by any other makeup palette I have. It's useful, but also really beautiful to just look at as well.

I don't always have the greatest lighting for my pictures but these swatch so beautifully I thought I would try. These shadows are so soft and pigmented, one swipe and the colour translates perfectly. 

Next up: a shimmery highlighter called "Mary-Lou Manizer" - isn't the packaging really cute?

This retails for $24 on their website, but again I got it 50% off for $12!

This product doesn't have any glitter or obvious shimmer particles in it. But even for a darker skinned girl like me, sweeping this on your cheekbones give you the most beautiful, luminescent, natural glow. It's really beautiful.

I just love how they pick a theme and go with it! The picture on the front of the compact is supposed to be a mug shot so there's her "case file" on the back of the box including fingerprints! Really adorable. 

The packaging is really solid, very high quality. Plus it comes with a really big mirror so this would be a great compact to throw in your purse. It could serve as your mirror and you could use the highlighter for a some face boosting touch-ups during the day. For someone with dry skin like mine, that's exactly what I need, but girls with oily skin can definitely use this too.

Just like the eyeshadows, the product is soft and almost buttery feeling. The swatch above is a heavy one so you can see how reflective this highlighter is. My new favourite highlighter, hands down. 

Overall

I m loving both my new purchases from The Balm! I use both regularly in my makeup routine, especially the highlighter. That is a new daily use products for me. My experience has been great thus far with The Balm and I look forward to trying more things from the line when I get a chance! :) 

Just a Few Things...

• I recently picked up one of the new Revlon Colorstay Smoky Shadow Sticks because they look extremely similar to a product that recently came out with the MAC Beth Ditto collection. I have both so I am going to do a review/comparison to see if it's a good drugstore dupe!
• Despite the fact that this blog is just a hobby, it requires an intense amount of effort and time. More than I realized it would. But it's still so much fun to write! That's how you know you really love something...
• I am so excited for my family vacation to Cuba in August, it's so far away but I'm already so pumped.
• The boyfriend's leg is in a cast for 4 weeks! Stress fracture. Poor guy <3 
• Tomorrow is Friday, aka date night! I get to see Jon all day. :)
• I have really enjoyed seeing my friends again frequently since summer started! I never see them during the school year and it's so amazing to see them in the summer so often :)

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Thanks for reading,

-Tash<3

Ombre Orange/Coral Nails!

Hello blog readers (the few of you there are)!
I have a nail post for you today! I have a makeup haul and review coming up shortly with some products from The Balm, but it turns out that post is a little more labour intensive than I thought it would be.
So for now, a nail post it is!

Ombre Nails! Quick note about them: they are not easy. You could go the route where you pick one polish and dilute it with some drops of white polish so it gets paler for each nail. But it turns out I have so much freakin nail polish I had four orange/coral colours that actually created a really smooth gradient. I used the same colour for both my thumb and index finger. This isn't the best pain job I've ever done, but it sure is difficult to paint your nails four different colours. Give me a little credit. 

 From left to right: Wet'n'Wild Heatwave, OPI Special Request

Wet'n'nWild Club Havana, and Essie Tart Deco.

They're in the same order on my nails.

It's a really cute, bright and fun look for summertime! Not to mention it goes with the whole ombre trend that's kind of happening in fashion (I think...). 

Hope you enjoyed this idea for summer nails.

Thanks for reading

-Tash <3

Sleek Makeup: Haul and Review

Hello lovely readers!
I have a makeup haul and review for you today!
I ordered some products from a UK company, Sleek Makeup. They are very popular with makeup junkies both in the UK and elsewhere. The makeup is reasonably priced and I had only heard good things before ordering so I was really excited to finally get it.

I got four products and spent enough to qualify for a little lipgloss. I got two eyeshadow palettes, a contour kit and a blush. The two eyeshadow palettes and the contour kit were all about $10. The blush was $6.50

Shipping was a flat rate of $10, which isn't bad because you can get as many things as you like and it's the same rate to ship. 

They didn't take too long to get to me either and nothing was broken, it was all in very good condition. I have to say the packaging with these products is really beautiful. Black, sleek compacts (hence the name I guess) extremely travel friendly.

So enough about all the details. Let's talk about the makeup!

I'll start with the eyeshadow palettes. This one is called the Oh So Special palette and it cost $10.50.

It ranges from light neutrals, and pinks to darker neutrals, metallic browns and plums and a very useful matte black.

The quality on this palette is great, the shadows are soft , easily blended and beautifully pigmented. If you're looking for a cheaper version of the Naked palette try this one (although this has more pink tones) or another palette from the company called Au Naturel I-Divine. I bought this one because despite being kind of a neutral palette is has some interesting pink and metallic shades that make it unique. 

I've used this almost everyday since getting it and it is remarkably versatile and really great for quick, easy looks when you don't have a lot of time. 

I have neutral palettes coming out of my ears. No, seriously, I have too many. So when I saw this palette I thought it would be great for summer. It's called the Sunset I-Divine palette and it's $10 (not sure why it's 50 cents cheaper than the other one, but whatever).

*Note- all Sleek palettes used to have shadows pressed with the waffle weave pattern you see above. But from what I hear they are phasing that out and making them all smooth like the shadows in the other palette I got. Just in case you were wondering why they looked different. 

This is going to be a repetitive post because I really loved this palette too. Just like the other palette, the shadows were amazingly pigmented and so soft and easy to work with! I wish I had better lighting so I could show you swatches. I can't wait to use this to create some really colourful looks this summer. The one negative I have to say about this palette is that the second and third shadows in both the top and bottom row swatch to be quite similar. These four shadows look different in the palette but swatched, they show up very similarly. Also, it should be noted that every colour in this palette is very shimmery or metallic except the black shade which is matte. This didn't bother me at all, but I figured I should mention it for those who prefer mattes.

Note: Revlon products in the corner put aside for
photographing for a future blog post!

This is definitely my favourite of everything I got from Sleek makeup! I fell in love with this Face Contour Kit in Medium. I have long looked for a reasonably priced, matte bronzer which I could use to contour my face. As it turns out, it was hopeless in Canadian drugstores and I had almost settled on buying a powder foundation that was darker than my skin but then I got this and it is perfect! The compact has a contour shade and a highlighting shade.

Don't you just love my child's flower lamp? Lol I actually recently took
it down and put up a corkboard with pictures.

It's not often that I can find a product dark enough to contour my face but I was actually the medium shade in this kit. Do your research (youtube is probably best) before purchasing this so you can see which shade is best for you. They even make a "dark" shade as well so finally darker skinned beauties can contour for a reasonable price as well! I have used this everyday since I got it and it's honestly one of my favourite makeup items in my whole collection right now (and that's saying something, considering the size of my collection). The highlight shade is beautiful and not glittery at all. It just provides a nice sheen on your skin, giving it a healthy glow. And the contour shade is perfect for contouring and slimming your face. It is a somewhat more warm-toned than most contour shades you'll see, but I actually love that about it. Some people however may not- fair warning.

And finally the blush! This is in the shade Coral and it cost $6.50. The picture on the website makes it look much darker than it is, which again is why research before purchasing is always a good idea. I had already done my research and knew that this colour was much lighter than pictured and that I would probably like it. This blush is one of the most pigmented blushes I own. It's obviously a true coral-orange colour and it looks great especially on my darker skin. I will be using this often this summer. If you purchase- be warned. These are VERY pigmented, I'm not kidding. Be very careful when applying and start out with very little product on the brush. It's way easier to add more blush than to try and take some off. 

Overall

I am impressed with Sleek Makeup! I really enjoy everything I got in my order and with the help of some research, I got things I can see myself using for a very long time! I am especially in love with the Contour Kit. It's smooth, blendable and works great with my skin tone. It's nice to finally see an affordable makeup company that caters to all women including women of colour. While I'm aware CoverGirl does the "Queen" collection, endorsed by Queen Latifah made for women of colour, I've never once seen it anywhere in a Canadian drugstore, so that doesn't help me. Canadian and US companies should pay attention because it's extremely frustrating that in a country as diverse as Canada, I have to go overseas for something as small as this. I would definitely order from Sleek Makeup again, especially considering shipping is reasonable and everything arrived promptly and in mint condition. I've heard wonderful things about their pout paints (liquid lipsticks) and maybe I will try them some time in the future!

Hope you all enjoyed this post. I have a similar haul and review of a couple things I recently got from TheBalm coming up!

Thanks for reading.

-Tash <3