A few of my Drugstore Favourites

Being the makeup collector that I am, I come across a lot of products not worth the money. Here are a few affordable products that I certainly think are worth the money and some that I reach for on a daily basis.

Favourite products definitely vary from person to person - so keep in mind that this is just my opinion.

Here are a few, but not all, of my cosmetic drugstore favourites.

Below are Revlon Lip Butters ($10.99 CAD) .. They are wonderful when you want to add a bit of colour to the lip without wearing a full blown lip colour. They are very moisturizing and come in 20 different shades. I will say that there is not a lot of product in the tube, so they do run out fast. The colours I have are 090 Sweet Tart (the pink one) and 035 Candy Apple.

I also love the shades Raspberry Pie and Red Velvet. Try them out if you want to get into wearing lipstick, but just aren't ready yet.

Now, if you're looking for the opposite of Lip Butters you might want to try out the Covergirl Lip Perfection lipstick ($10.99 CAD). These are highly pigmented, longwearing lipsticks and I love them! They're not lipsticks you can just put on without a mirror, and they stain quite well so avoid getting them on other parts of your body.

I have them in the shades Euphoria (burgundy shade, which is a dupe for Mac's Rebel) and Hot (red shade). Hot has become a go to red colour for me because of how long it lasts on the lips. Definitely great lipsticks to take for a night out!

Next are the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr eyeshadows ($9.99 CAD)
I love wearing these alone when I don't feel like putting effort into my makeup, or underneath eyeshadows as a base.

The shade below is called 25 Bad to the Bronze. Although they don't last for 24 hours, they definitely last me about 8.

Basically an every day staple for me is the L'Oreal Infallible Lacquer Liner 24H ($12.99 CAD). I wear this almost every day because it glides on amazingly well. If you're not sure how to apply gel liner you can check out my post here.

It also comes with a fancy brush!

This, along with the Maybelline gel liner, are comparable to Bobbi Brown and to Mac. I'll save the $15 thanks!

Next is the Maybelline the Falsies Volume Express ($9.99 CAD, but I got it on sale for $3.99)

This mascara is one of my all time favourites. I always have a back up of it in my make up vanity, and right now I'm waiting for my other mascara to be finished so that I can use this one :)

It lasts on the lashes all day, doesn't chip down and it holds a curl amazingly well! 

Below is the Covergirl Liquiline Blast Liner ($12.99). Obviously mine has seen better days, but it's awesome when you're in a rush and want to pop on a little liner. It glides on smoothly and doesn't print on the top of my lids (which is a huge problem for me.)

This one is the shade 420 Brown Blaze (lol) and it's a perfect liner for every day. It has a great little smudger on the end too! It lasts much longer than other drug store liners I've tried.

Next is my beloved Rimmel Stay Matte powder ($7.99 CAD) in the shade 001 Transparent.
This is my go to powder because it does exactly what I want it to do. It keeps me shine free for most of the day and it doesn't add colour to my face.

You can purchase a translucent powder from almost every company, but in my opinion I'm not going to shell out the money for something twice the price that does about the same, if not worse.

Next are these Quo lashes ($7.99 CAD), let's be clear, just these ones (style 814.) I am not a huge fan of the Quo lashes but the shape of these particular ones are beautiful. They are very doll-like and add a very glamorous look to your eyes. They are a pretty good dupe for Benefit's Big Spender lashes (if you don't want to spend the 20-something-dollars for those.)

A go-to eyeshadow palette of mine is definitely 249 Vanity by Wet n Wild ($5.99 CAD)

I love it because I get great use out of the top two colours and it has a fantastic maroon colour in it that is definitely ~on trend~ right now. I reach for this when I travel because there aren't many other colours I would use for an every day look.

Some brushes that I use every single day without fail are the elf cosmetic brushes. I bought a 14-piece elf brush set from Winners for about $16.99 CAD and I never looked back. These brushes are comparable quality to Sigma make up brushes and even to Mac.

I reach for the Complexion and Blush brushes every day because they have never shed a hair on my face. I highly recommend these brushes for beginners and for pros.

The Essence lash & brow gel is my favourite brow gel. Especially because it's $1.99 CAD and does the same thing as an expensive brow gel. I use it to keep my brows in place all day. I don't think I will ever bother to try out another eye gel.

One of my favourite drug store nail polishes are the Revlon Colorstay longwear enamels ($8.99 CAD) because they are really long wearing! They come in a wide variety of colours and they last about 5 days on my nails without chipping. 

Below is the shade 040 Provence.

Lastly on my list is the Quo brush cleaner ($6.99 CAD) - it keeps my brushes clean in between washing, I don't feel the need to buy a $20 brush cleaner that does the same thing. It does the job, it's inexpensive and it lasts a long time.

Thank you SO much for reading! Please let me know below if there is anything you want me to write about! And please subscribe to my blog, if you have a gmail account it's super easy!

Comment below and tell me your drugstore favourites!!

-ellewar

(Keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway in the near future! You have to be a subscriber to enter!)

How to: Full Coverage Foundation

Sometimes our skin acts up and we can get things like acne scarring or discolouration that we just don't want to look at.

So what to we do about it? We cover it up. With foundation.

Often times it's really obvious when people wear a more full coverage foundation, but usually that's because the colour is too dark.

It's important when you're choosing a foundation, especially if it's heavier, that the colour is as close as possible to your skin tone. If it has to be darker or lighter ALWAYS go with lighter, you can put colour back in your skin with bronzer and blush, but no matter how much you blend a dark foundation down your neck - it still looks too dark.

So, how can you do this? Let's start:

No makeup on this face, you want your face to be moisturized and ready to go.

Start off with some primer to help keep your makeup in place, I'm using Smashbox Photo Finish dark spot correcting primer ($48 CAD)

You'll need about a pea size amount. If you're unfamiliar with primers, check out my post on them here

After you apply that all over your face, it's on to foundation. I used Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation ($43.50 CAD) in the shade 1W2 Linen 18.

Start with a small amount to be sure not to waste any. Apply from the middle of your face towards your ears and down towards your neck.

To be honest I usually just dab a foundation brush in the foundation on my hand and start in the middle of my face and bring the foundation outwards.

After you apply your foundation all over, it's time to conceal any uneven skin tone that's still showing through. I'm using my trusty Boi-ing by Benefit ($26 CAD) in the shade 02. I applied it under my eyes, to the red areas around my nose and on a few spots still showing through.

You're going to want to set everything in place with a powder to help keep away any oils that may build up. I'm using Rimmel Stay Matte powder ($7.99 CAD) in 001 Transparent.

That's it! Finish applying the rest of your make up and you're finished! 

I hope this answers any questions you have about full coverage foundation, and I hope you try it out!

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see me blog about!

-ellewar

Review: Lancome Hypnose STAR Mascara

I have always been a fan of Lancome mascara, one thing about it that I especially love is how well it lasts on the lashes.

Their newest mascara, STAR ($33 CAD) also lasts quite well on the lashes.

It has a very attractive packaging, and although the outside has a sparkle to it - the mascara itself definitely does not.

It only comes in Black, which is typical when Lancome releases a new mascara.

STAR, intrigued me because of it's brush.
It has a thick side, which is wonderful for volume, and a skinny side which contributes to length.

When applying it, it's best to use the thick side at the base of your lashes, and once you shimmy up about half way, turn the brush to it's thinner side to create a curl and then to add length to the lashes!

I prefer wearing this mascara with a full eye makeup because it is dramatic. But for the purpose of this review, I just wanted to show the lashes.

Here is Hypnose STAR:

Bare lashes

Curled lashes

A coat of STAR

Overall I really like this mascara because of how easy it is to put on. Above is only one coat, and I find with many mascaras it takes quite a bit of quirking with the brush to get a desired lash look.

It doesn't chip, it holds a curl well, and it lasts basically all day.

If you're buying a Lancome mascara, you're going to shell out $30 CAD at LEAST.

Just remember the next time you're at a drug store that L'Oreal and Lancome are sister companies.

(Actually, Lancome is made by L'Oreal.)

Hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know if there's a product you'd like to see reviewed, or a makeup look you'd like to see (could be anything from every day, to a celebrity look!)

Thanks so much for reading!

-ellewar

Ask ellewar: All about BB creams

It was requested by a lovely lady that I do a post about BB creams.
I'll follow this post with another one about my favourite ones, and how to apply, but this one is just going to be a little tidbit of information on a product that almost every company has these days.

So, what are BB creams?

BB originally stood for Blemish Balm and was created in Korea to promote brighter and whiter skin (which is huge in asian countries). Originally, Blemish Balm was created to be the only product used on the skin every day - an all in one serum, moisturizer, SPF and foundation balm.

In Western markets, BB stands for Beauty Balm. This should NOT replace your moisturizer or any part of your routine EXCEPT what you would normally use for foundation.

Most BB creams are moisturizing, have light coverage and a high SPF. Some BB creams on the market aim towards being anti-aging (but really, anything moisturizing and with an SPF is anti-aging.)

Because it is a balm, it's best to apply these creams with your fingers to help warm up the product. If you use a brush it will leave lots of streaks on your face and your brush will eat up a lot of the product.

Beauty Balms don't offer a lot of coverage, they just help to balance any uneven skin tones. They're kind of like a light foundation. In my opinion, BB creams work best for people with normal to dry skin types, on oily skin they feel especially dewey and do not help to mattify whatsoever.

So, which ones are worth the hype?

From my experience most of the high end companies have it down pretty well. The BB creams they make are truly balm textures and give the appearance of dewey, healthy skin.

Most (but not all) of the drugstore ones I have tried are more like a light foundation. They don't have the balm consistency and basically they are just calling it a BB cream as they know it's huge in the cosmetic market right now.

When you're choosing one for yourself, go for one that has a thicker balm-y consistency (if you want the full effect of a BB cream that is.) They're not for everyone, but they are nice to try out!

Ones I like: Smashbox, Estee Lauder, Quo and Vichy Pro Even.

I am anxious to try some more as they are lovely when you do not feel like wearing much makeup!

Hope you enjoyed this post. Please follow and leave a comment if there's anything you'd like me to review/write about!

Thanks for reading!

-ellewar

PS: I'm planning a super exciting giveaway- but you must follow my blog to be entered!

Review: Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipstick

I decided to try out some Revlon Ultimate Suede lipsticks ($13.49 CAD) because I am always on the hunt for a long wear lip colour, and these babies promise to last for 12 hours! So I couldn't resist.

They also promise not to dry out the lip as well as exfoliate with ingredients like shea butter, aloe and vitamin E.

I went for a colour that I thought would be more of a true red, and the colour that Olivia Wilde is wearing on the ad because I loved how it looked.

They are 085 TRENDSETTER and 035 BACKSTAGE (which is what Olivia wears in the ads)

The colours are very sheer with one coat, so if you want a good colour pay off you have to apply a few coats.

Here's what they look like swatched:
Trendsetter on the left, Backstage on the right.

Today I am wearing Backstage, I started with bare lips, without any lip balm.

After a few coats (ok, more than a few - five coats) this is what the colour looked like:

Although the colour is beautiful, you have to use quite a bit of product to achieve it. These lipsticks also have an unmistakably unusual smell. It's like you can smell the shea butter, but there is also a certain scent of something a little sour.

My main reason for purchasing these was to discover whether or not they were long wearing. They are if you eat and/or drink absolutely nothing. But if you eat anything with even a little oil or grease, forget about it.

This is what the lipstick looked like after four hours of wear:

As you can see, it does stain the lip a little bit. But the rich beautiful colour is gone. However, this stain will last for a really, really long time. To the point where if you go to bed without using make up remover to take it off, it's still there in the morning.

I did also find that Trendsetter also lasted a LOT longer than Backstage. But it's not a colour I would wear often.

These lipsticks don't dry out the lips too much, but I wouldn't say they're moisturizing.

My verdict: probably won't purchase any other colours, but I will likely still use them as the colours are beautiful when applied generously.

Thanks so much for reading!

-ellewar

PS- I will be doing my first blog giveaway in the near future, but you MUST be subscribed to my blog in order to enter to win! Keep your eyes peeled :)

How to: Lasting lipstick!

Sorry it's been a few weeks since my last post, but I've been busy with work and some surprises from out of town friends!

Something that I get asked a lot is how I get my lipstick colour to last on my lips. 

You can buy long wear lip colour, but often times they dry out the lips and are very flaky, here's my favourite way to make my lipstick last longer than normal: 

Make sure you always start out with moisturized lips. The photo below is Burt's Bees Grapefruit flavour (which I sneakily peeled the label off of.)

Here it is, on my lips! (I'm really glad I don't have black moustache hairs)

Then, what I like to do is take some concealer and really rub it onto my lips. This will give your lipstick something to stick to, and also makes the colour more vibrant.

Here I have NYX Concealer in a Jar in the shade #03 Light ($7.99 CAD) and Benefit's Boi-ing in shade #02 ($22 CAD). Both are cream concealers which tend to be a little more tacky than a liquid concealer.

Here are my lips with Boi-ing on them. I usually rub the concealer in pretty well, otherwise it will make your lipstick too creamy.

Next you'll need some tissue, a small precision brush and of course - a lipstick colour! Today I am going to wear MAC's Russian Red ($18 CAD) because I think it's wearable all year round and a perfect colour to rock at your next Christmas party.

The precision brush I am using is by ELF ($3 CAD)

To start off, take a small amount of your lipstick onto the brush and really rub it into your lips. Don't worry about getting the shape right, just really get the lipstick pushed into your lips.

Here's what it looks like after the first application. Then, take a tissue and blot off any excess colour. For those of you who don't know what blotting is, it looks something like this: 

Now it's time for the second coat of colour. Repeat what we just did. Take a little lipstick on your brush and really work it into the lips for a second time. Once you get the lipstick worked in, blot again! 

This is what my lips look like after a second coat. 
For your third coat, you want to concentrate more on the shape of the lips, as you can tell from my lips - not everyone's are evenly shaped!

So, take some lipstick on your brush and really focus on trying to make your lips as even as possible, sometimes even standing away from a mirror will help. 

As you can tell, my lips look very even and the colour looks wonderful! This method of putting on lipstick is great! After applying this I grabbed a Second Cup coffee and walked to work and although some lipstick transferred to the cup, you couldn't tell by looking at my lips!

I hope you give this a go to see if it helps your lipstick last longer!! And don't be afraid to go for a bold colour!

Thank you for reading! Leave a comment if you have a request, or any questions! 

-ellewar