Long lasting nail polish

Anyone who knows me, knows I used to change my nail polish almost daily, partly because I got bored very fast of one singular colour. But mostly because after one day, my colour would chip! I hate how chipped nail polish looks!! Plus chipping leads to picking it off, which leads to damaging your nails. 

Well recently I have discovered a drugstore brand polish that actually lasts on your nails! It is Wet n' Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color. 

I found these ones at Superstore for about $3.99. I have even noticed them in some Dollarama stores too. 

The colours are vibrant, and one coat can be enough, most of the time! (I usually do 2 coats for good measure) They apply very nicely, without streaking, and they dry very quickly. 

This is the colour "Through the Grapvine" after 2 days. 

So they do eventually chip of course, but I have waited for chipping for up to 5 days on some of these! That's actually a long time in the nail polish world! 

This is what the brush looks like, some people love these ones and other people hate them. They are not my favourite, but it's not a huge deal for me. 

This is the top coat that I always use, just in case you were interested. I always wear a fast drying top coat. I picked this one up at Sally's Beauty Supply for about $12 (No membership required) 

So next time you happen to be in the beauty section at Superstore or Dollarama, pickup a couple of these little guys. Hopefully you are pleasantly surprised! 

PS. This is 4 days later: 

Lip Rescue

I have discovered a perfect lip treatment combo that is non-addictive and not too expensive that actually makes my lips so soft and "uncrusty". I say it's non- addictive because I don't NEED to apply it every couple hours for comfort like other products. 

Both products can be found at Sephora. FYI. 

Before bed, I first apply the Caudalie lip conditioner (it has nutritious properties and vitamins) then I "seal" it in with the Rose salve. Then in the morning, I lightly rub my lips off with a warm facecloth to exfoliate them. Right after that and throughout the rest of the day, my lips are so soft and healthy feeling! 

I've done this every couple of days or so and ever time I do it, I end up with the same result. I had no idea this would be my new and awesome combo, I just tried it out one night and now I love it! 

Anyways, I just thought I would share.

Nat's everyday go-to makeup favourites

So this is all the makeup I would put on after washing and moisturizing my face. These are the essentials I would pack on a weekend away, and the items I would recommend to a friend without hesitation. 

These are my current favourite makeup products for March 2016. 

Review: Tarte BB Tinted Treatment

I have tried so many BB Creams in search of a light feeling product with a bit of coverage, that won't irritate my skin,  but that will also even out my skin tone. I have just never come across anything worth telling my friends about. Until now!

 I really like this one. It's the Tarte BB Tinted Treatment / primer / sunscreen. Since it's Tarte, I feel like it has healing, or nourishing properties (so that's always nice) but also it has nice coverage. I'd say light to medium coverage. It balances out my skin tone without feeling like I have foundation on. I do have to use a good moisturizer under it though, because I notice that if my skin is at all dry, this cream will show it. If I moisturize, then it gives my face a nice glow, and a dewy finish that's not oily looking.  Also, this is paraben free and cruelty free, and has a 30 SPF,  so those are things that I appreciate as well. 

Now, I have never worn a foundation over this product, even though it is supposedly a primer, only because I find that the coverage it gives is good enough for me. So I can't speak on how it works as a primer. 

All in all, I love this product and suggest you get a sample at Sephora to try it out. This way you can be sure it's going to work for you before you purchase it. 

You can find this product online, or at Sephora. 

Burning, dry hand rescue!

My hands have been so dry lately because of the colder weather and because I wash my hands so often. But every time I go to put handcream on, any handcream, the backs of my hands burn and itch and I feel like there's no cure for these dry hands. 

After testing out several different types of handcream and body lotions and body butters and Vaseline and all sorts of home remedies, I have determined that St. Ives mineral therapy body lotion moisturizes my hands so nicely and does not burn the sensitive spots. It even smells nice! 

This stuff has been a miracle product for me. I put it on before bed. I put it on during the day.  Every time I wash my hands. I put it on and it feels so nice on my hands, like it's actually soothing for me. 

I bought this at Walmart for under $5 and it's a massive bottle too, it's gonna last me all winter. 

Best Drugstore Eyeshadow: Wet n' Wild (with swatches)

People are always asking me what eyeshadows are great to use but that are also inexpensive, and my answer is always, Wet n' Wild. 

I have tried many different drugstore brands, Cover Girl, Maybelline, Loreal; but none of them compare to Wet N' Wild. I'm looking for pigmentation, blendability, and colour selection and this brand leads in all of those. These eyeshadows are creamy and soft, and super easy to use. They are so good in fact that I think if I were to hold a "blind" test with these eyeshadows versus some highend eyeshadows, many would choose Wet n' Wild as the better quality product. 

Here are some swatches of some of my favorite palettes from the brand: 

NUDE AWAKENING: $6.99 (Special Edition)

WALKING ON EGGSHELLS: $2.99

KNOCK ON WOOD: $2.99

SWEET AS CANDY: $2.99

COMFORT ZONE: $4.99

SILENT TREATMENT: $2.99

If you're in the market for something new, you should definitely try Wet n' Wild, you will not be disappointed. These eyeshadows can be purchased at Walmart here in Canada or online. They range from $2.99 - $6.99 and they are worth every penny. 

Awesome Eye Primer: Milani Eyeshadow Primer

An eyeshadow primer is meant to be used on your eyelids, before applying eyeshadow to enhance the colour of the shadow, and increase the longevity of the eyeshadow on your eyelids. It keeps your eyelids oil free, and stops your eyeshadow from creasing throughout the day. 

It is very easy to use: 

I find using a nude coloured primer, instead of a clear one, helps hide tiny imperfections on my eyelids which is an added bonus. This way I have a clean slate to apply eyeshadow. 

So I bought this eyeshadow primer online after reading several great reviews about it and I have not been disappointed! Actually, I bought two, one extra for my sister. I'm glad I did too because it's awesome, but I can't find this brand anywhere in Canadian stores.  I bought this from cherryculture.com. They carry this brand, and ship to Canada without horribly high shipping costs. 

This product reminds me of Urban Decay's Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I have both, and I think in a blindfold test, I would have a hard time telling them apart. 

The formula is very light and smooth, almost whipped feeling. (You only need a tiny dot for each eyelid, below shown is WAY too much). 

It blends nicely, not super sticky or too slippery....

 Below is a picture of a charcoal eyeshadow swatched without primer (left) and then swatched again with primer (right)... 

It really makes a difference. 

This primer can be found online and maybe even at Superstore. I know they carry a few things from Milani, just not sure about this primer.  I bought mine for under $10. If you can get your hands on this stuff, you should because it's awesome! 

Best makeup remover: Equate Makeup Remover

So I have tried everything to remove eye makeup from the Marcelle makeup remover to coconut oil, and Bioderma to Neutrogena makeup remover. Usually they do an ok job of removing makeup but then they either burn my skin and eyes or they dry out my eye lids. Plus a lot of them are super expensive which can be really annoying when I go through them so quickly. 

Well this one is not only amazing at removing my makeup, but it's inexpensive too! You can find it at Walmart, exclusively. The formula feels awesome on my face. It seems to nourish my skin and lashes while removing all my eye makeup. 

Now, it's supposed to be oil free but it definitely has something in it that feels a little oily. All I do after I remove my makeup is cleanse my face with warm water and a cleanser and it gets rid of any residue left behind.

I love this product so much! If you're on the hunt for a good makeup remover, I definitely recommend you try this one out. 

Review: Vice Palette by Urban Decay

I LOVE Urban Decay eye shadows. They are so pigmented and so creamy, I just love wearing them. They blend well, they last forever, and the selection of colours is huge! A bonus for me is that urban Decay is a cruelty free company too. The individual colours can be pricy, and so can the palettes, but the palettes are a better value for the amount of product you get. In my opinion, their shadows, are so worth it.   

The Vice palette has several bright colours and also some neutral colours. It's not for everyone, but the palette offers a ton of options which can make this a one stop shop if you want.

I think that this palette is a nice addition to collection of neutral colours if you want to step outside the "neutral box", but if you aren't the type to add a pop-of-colour to your look, then this palette might not be for you.

(Photos curtesy of... who knows... Google images?)

Awesome Mascara: Maybelline's The Rocket

So my lashes are naturally longer, but they are straight too so I have the curl them if I want to actually see them when you look at my eyes straight on. The problem is, the curl doesn't stay if you weigh down your lashes with heavy, goopy mascara. 

I've read that if you curl your lashes and follow that with a very thin coat of waterproof mascara (basically to hold them in place) then continue with any other mascara of your choice, your lashes with hold the curl all day! But, not all waterproof mascaras work for this. The Rocket mascara by Maybelline does work! And it isn't a pain to remove it at the end of day either, as long as you have a proper makeup remover. 

Here are some pics of my lashes with JUST The Rocket mascara. See what a difference it made? 

BEFORE:

With only ONE EYE DONE: 

And now with BOTH EYES DONE: 

Also, my lashes stayed curled for at least 8 hours. This was what they looked like at the end of the day: 

So, all in all, this mascara is going to be a staple in my collection. It will be my base coat mascara for as long as they keep it in stores.