OPI's Hello Kitty Collection*

The OPI x Hello Kitty* Collection has landed in stores and I played around with some of the colors from the set. Many of the colors appealed to me but I only tried the ones I was most curious about (since I figured there would be so many other bloggers who are going to do single color nail swatches anyways.) My favorite combination of three that I did is My Pal Joey with dots of My Twin Mimmy make a great combination. The yellow, which reminds me of Hello Kitty's buttons, contrasts with the blue so well and the lightest of each shade gives it a cartoon feel.

A Creaseless Cream/Liquid Shadow (ft. Pur Eye Polish in Cashmere*)

*Press Sample

Pur Minerals Eye Polish in Cashmere* ($32CDN, 8ml) is a pure pigment eye primer and top coat which promises crease-proof long wearing eye shadow with a luminous metallic sheen. It comes with a smudge resistant silicone applicator and is supposed to build up with ease. It washes easily off under water.

Masks Made with Bacteria? For Beloved One Extreme Hydration Mask Review*

*Press Sample

Following the launch of For Beloved One, I wanted to give the masks a try right away. I cracked open the Extreme Hydration Bio-Cellulose Mask* ($63CDN, 3 masks) since I knew that dehydration was something my skin suffered from. This is my impressions from one use.

Video: Makeup Collection, Storage and Evaluation Plans Part I

In this video I:

- head off on a year long makeup use evaluation and purge/declutter

- benchmark my starting point collection size
- show you that, yes, all my drawers are divided this way

Look out for Part II!
and

Part III: 1st Quarter Update

Part IV: 2nd Quarter Update

Part V: Year End Results

In the Moment #33: Notes on A Product Launch (ft. For Beloved One)

The way a brand launches says a lot about their risk tolerance and where they think the market is heading. For Beloved One is a Taiwanese skincare brand that is sold in most of Asia and it can be found in Sephora's asian locations. Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and China are already very familiar and in love with this brand and it is finally launching in Canada.

Oil Testing (ft. Skinny Coconut Oil)*

*Press Sample

I've seen the rise in popularity of other oils and Coconut is one of the most common. Some of my friends have suggested I use it to cook. Others have told me the benefits of using it in their hair. The internet also momentarily confused me with the idea of "oil pulling". With so many potential uses and equally as many claims of benefit, I'm pretty happy to be testing out the Skinny & Company Coconut Oil* ($15CDN, 2oz).

Burberry Complete Eye Palette Dark Spice*

*Press Sample

I absolutely love the Burberry single shadows and have showcased them on the blog before. If one shadow is good, then four in one palette would be at least four times as awesome. Carrying over from last Autumn, I'm still loving burgundies and oranges so the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Dark Spice* ($64CDN) is the perfect palette for me right now.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula and Giveaway*

* Press Samples

Though it gets cold in Vancouver, it never gets much below zero. Even so, the cold here is seeping and I still need to moisturize. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula is ubiquitous. It didn't really peak my interest but I've given a few options a try and there are some winners in the pack. I'm hosting a GIVEAWAY for my favorite item.

Two Ingredient Pancakes

One + One = Pancakes.

All you need in this recipe are two ingredients. There are a bunch of add ons if you'd like but if you're in the mood for pancakes and don't have all the items for the traditional sort, two eggs and one banana will get you very far.

FOTD #14: Because Matching isn't a Bad Thing (ft. Pur Minerals Epic Illusion Palette)

*Press Sample

Thought process while trying out the Pur Minerals Epic Illusions Palette* ($32CDN):

- I don't like palettes with multiple formulas. My preference is for either all creams or all powders, never a mix. 

- Getting a face palette where every shade is truly multiuse means a lot pinks (and variants) and browns (and variants).

- I wasn't convinced that such a matchy matchy palette would really work (even though I should have learned by now that it does).

Making Mistakes (ft. Born Pretty Lomeou Makeup Remover Pen)

Though much less impactful, makeup errors can be as annoying as some other life mistakes. Nearly perfected makeup needs only a slip of liner or a lid imprint of mascara and all your efforts just go to shit. In that moment, I usually go with two options: wash and redo, or the wet-finger-rub. Neither ideal but, in life, you've got to roll with the punches. Thankfully, a thir (and much better) option has recently presented itself, the Born Pretty Make Up Remover Pen* ($5USD, 1.5g). 

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation*

I'm finally writing about the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation* ($50CDN, liquid: 30ml, stick: 12.5g)! So many people have fallen in love with this foundation and it won an Allure Beauty Award in 2015. I'm a fan of light coverage foundations but this medium foundation option is checking off a lot of boxes.

That Party in My Heart

I'm so cool, I wait until the end of the year to listen to all the cool music. As I sat on my couch last night perusing list after list of top 10, 20, 50 albums, songs, new releases of 2015, I laugh at myself for how 'with it' I am. 

Pretty Awesome (ft. a Born Pretty Eyeshadow Palette)

You won't believe how good this is. Seriously.

There have been times when I've cut finance corners by finding the cheapo version of something off Ebay. Why pay $9 at My-Partner's-Name-Tea-Shop for a tea steeper when I can buy the same thing for $2? Why buy Fruit-Branded-Tech-Store charger cords for $40 when I can get the exact same thing for less? Ebay is my friend. Ebay saves me money. Though I like a bargain, I am equally likely to splurge on items and make up can be one of them. But when I touched the Born Pretty Make Up Palette* ($7 on sale), I was like 'Woah' and, I was humbled....you know, just a little and reminded that good quality makeup doesn't always come at a price.