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Everybody has a Mary Kay memory, right? Mine is of this bulky pink square palette that my mom use to have. By the time it got to me the blush was all but gone (it was a dusty rose shade) and there was this hideous olive green eye shadow that had completely hard panned. And the prettiest rose blush that only had the tiny crumbles around the pan edge left. And that being said, I loved that palette-- it made me feel like a grown up. I loved holding it and playing with it. Mary Kay has come a long way since the 90s (and really, haven't we all?) and today I am so thrilled to be partnering with them on this post. Keep reading for swatches and a review of their Gel Semi-Matte Lipsticks... and a giveaway! Retailing for $21 these lipsticks are priced right in that sweet in between spot of the drugstore and higher end products. Similar in price to say, Urban Decay but not getting up there the way Charlotte Tilbury or Dior does. These lipsticks deliver lasting colour, and are so, so comfortab

I have probably said this a thousand times, but one of my favourite things about being a beauty blogger is getting the chance to try new products from new brands and brands that you wouldn't otherwise try. A few months ago (I know! I am almost all caught up!!) Rodial was nice enough to send me some of their cosmetics (they are better known for their skin care) and I have been playing around with them ever since. Keep reading for my thoughts on these beautiful products! I remember when this package came in because the first thing my mom asked me was if that eyeshadow palette was for her. Ummmm no it was not. Sorry mom! But this is literally all I need for a weekend away. I wanted to start with the eyeshadow palette. It retails for $45. This palette has everything that I need: a golden shimmery shade, some matte browns, a transition shade, a base and a black to use as an eyeliner. I was really impressed by the quality of the eyeshadows and most of all by that shimmery shade. Wow! The

A few months ago my friend Courtney and I went to the Bite Lip Lab in Toronto to design our own custom lipsticks! Today I wanted to share with you a quick run down of our experience and to share some tips with you on how to make your trip a success! When booking your appointment you have a choice between the "Custom" experience and the "Bespoke" experience.  The "Custom" experience will run you $55 for 1 lipstick or $80 for two while "Bespoke" will set you back $150 for two lipsticks with no option for just one. With the "Custom" option you can pick from about 200 different shades, and then customize your scent and finish. With the "Bespoke" option you can completely design the colour and also the scent and finish. The "Bespoke" experience also includes a lip kit with a scrub and mask. Here is a quick Instagram video I did featuring our "Bespoke" experience. I don't know if they do this for the "Cu

One night a few days  weeks(ish) ago I was reading some other blogs and I came across a fun post on Erin Azmir's blog titled "5 Things I Wish I Had In My Bag When I Needed It" . It was really relatable, and I thought it would be fun to curate my list! Keep reading to see what I wish I had with me basically all the time. Which really I should just go and put these in my purse now and be done with it... Concealer I'm that girl at work that everybody comes to when they need something girly... tampons? yup. Pink nail polish? yup. Pain killers? yup. So one time a month or two ago a co-worker came to me frantically looking for concealer. Our boss was about to make a media appearance...and he needed a touch up. Did I have something that would work? And my answer, when I was most needed, was no. I felt so bad! But I hardly use concealer, and almost never for work...I almost want to start stocking a concealer thats a bit too dark for me just in case. Toonies Toonies are the ki

Pacifica is one of my favourite green beauty brands! I first had a chance to fall for them when they started showing up in my ipsy bags a few years back, and again at Gen Beauty LA when I was gifted the most fantastic shampoo and conditioner . Today I am here with their latest launch: The Berry Happy Skincare collection! Keep reading to learn about this collection and to get my take on it! This new range of products can be found at your local Ulta! For us Canadians that means it can be a bit harder to get your hands on it. But that's what shopping trips to Buffalo are for, right? I do want to note that Ulta does now ship to Canada however the rates are a bit much. Since the products in this post are Ulta exclusives, all prices listed will be in USD. "Our latest skincare launch is based on our innovative Berry Happy Extract, a combination of plant extracts including a variety of antioxidant rich dark berries and matcha tea, in combination with roseroot (also called arctic root)

Recently one of my friends from Ottawa (hi Sabrina! I know you're reading this!) reached out to my for recommendations of things to do in Toronto for beauty lovers. Based in Ottawa, she is in Toronto for work but is trying to carve out some time to explore the city between meetings. Add to that the fact that Generation Beauty is quickly approaching, and I know we will have lots of ladies (and gentlemen!) in town, looking for their beauty fix. Keep reading to see my suggestions! If you would like a more general guide to the city please leave a comment down below and I would be happy to come up with some suggestions! If you happen to be curious, I took that photo a few weeks ago in Trinity Bellwoods Park. Visit North America's Largest Sephora Toronto is home to North America's largest Sephora. Located right at the corner of trendy Yonge & Eglinton (also simply known as Yonge & Eg) this Sephora has it all. From brands that can be harder to find in other locations to a

Let me start this post by telling you all just how proud of myself I am. 15% off for basically a whole week at Sephora and I only ordered three things. Gold. Star. And honestly, skin care is an investment so it totally does not count... I ordered the  Old Henriksen Walnut Scrub. This scrub is my holy grail. I have been using it since it came in a jar. I love the sweet, nutty smell, and how gentle it is on my face. It leaves my skin looking and feeling great! I couldn't imagine using another scrub as my go-to. I ended up with a few deluxe samples of Clinique's Take The Day Off Balm  over the last few months, and I fell in love with it! It leaves my skin feeling great and does an amazing job at removing makeup (even eyeliner and mascara!). I really put off buying it-- in part because of my samples, and in part because I wanted to redeem Optimum points for it, but Shoppers does not carry it! So happy to have this in my bathroom now. I can see it also becoming a holy grail! The onl

Lately I just have summer on the brain, and this latest delivery from Clarins has my heart. Usually I can tell that I am thinking summer when I stop reaching for matte lips and start reaching for lip glosses. This summer collection from Clarins is bronzey ad beautiful. Perfect for summer! I was sent five items from this collection: a bronzer, an eyeshadow palette, two eyeliners and a lip gloss. The eyeshadow and the bronzer both come in limited edition, tropically inspired, packaging. Say hi to my little turtle dish! I think I got him at Shoppers Drug Mart? Anyways I knew he would be a perfect summer blog prop... I bought the little book in Cuba for literally the same reason. #SorryNotSorry Let's start with the three items I know I will get quite a bit of use out of: Instant Light Natural Lip Perfecter in Pink Grapefruit ($20 CAD) and the Waterproof Eye Pencils in Gold and Copper ($27 CAD). Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time posting about new products and then I don't t

If Benefit has one talent in this world, it is packaging. And brows, I suppose those too. But seriously, before we even get into what is inside these beauties, can we take a moment to enjoy just how beautiful the packaging is? When Benefit sent me these four gems, I was over the moon. Mainly because I was already seriously considering buying three of them and this delivery saved me some serious money. But annnnyways, let's get into the good stuff! Galifornia is Benefit's newest blush, and has me thinking back to my first time in California when I had the chance to visit Disney. PS-- this framed post card will be making its way to my gallery wall sometime between writing this and posting it. This sunny golden-pink blush has a golden shimmer overlay and a print of the sun. Inspired by the surfer girls of the 70s, this blush is the perfect pop of colour for a natural flush (but be careful-- its pigmented!). I like it on me now, but I know it will look so great once I have a bit of

What if I told you that I paid for this whole purchase using points? And that those points were earned by buying things I need anyways? You would probably say that that is the greatest points program ever... and you're right. recently Murale had a bonus redemption weekend, so I decided to wish myself a happy birthday and grab a few things I have had my eye on for a while. I exchanged 95,000 optimum points for $200 in product, and paid about $40 ($30 or so in taxes and then $10 in product). Normally 95,000 points is worth $170. Additionally they have a redemption level of $300 for 135,000 points. I redeemed my points for a Paul and Joe blush with a cat imprint (about $40), two Clinique Lid Pops (Cream Pop and Petal Pop), Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, and the Smashbox Cover Shot eye palette in Golden Hour. I fell in love with this pretty little cat blush. I am sure it will look lovely on, but part of me can't imagine ruining it!  I have had my eye on this warm palette for a while

Recently FarleyCo sent me a curated box of some of their new 2017 products. I really appreciated getting to pick a product from each category (think a brush set, a perfume, a men's product, etc). Today I am here with my favourites from the box I was sent! Real Techniques Eye: Shade + Blend Set I have always loved that Real Techniques offers high quality brushes and tools at affordable prices. This brush duo contains a base shadow brush and a crease brush. I like to use the base brush t apply a lighter wash of colour all over my lid before using the crease brush to build up colour and shadow in my outer corner. These easy to use brushes retail for $14.99 and can be purchased at Walmart, London Drugs, select Familiprix, Lawton Drugs, Pharmasave, Rexall, Pharma Plus, IDA, Guardian, Jean Coutu, and Walmart.ca. So...? Kiss Me So...? Kiss Me is availiable as both a EDT and a Body Fragrance. I had the opportunity to try out the EDT which retails for $9.99 and is availiable at Walmart. Thi

This spring Quo launched two beautiful face palettes. As usual, their limited edition launch has the most stunning and unique design. This season reminds me of tie-dye marble... Retailing for $20, these palettes can be purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart. Each palette has two bronzers, two blushes and two highlighters. I found the products to be a bit powdery, and generally I preferred the bronzers to either the highlighters or blushes. Down To Earth Heat It Up I found I preferred Down To Earth  on my complexion. The baby pink blush is a beautiful, soft pop of colour and the bronzer on the bottom right provides subtle definition while adding some warmth. I think that Heat It Up  would be more flattering on a medium or dark complexion. The pretty shimmery coral pink (that some how ended up chipped!) is quite beautiful.  Wearing the Down To Earth palette...Bronzer: bottom right, Blush: top middle, Highlighter: top right. Read about the palette I used for my eyes and lips here . I was really

Recently Colour Pop had a promotion on for free international shipping at $30 (rather than the usual $50) USD. While Colour Pop is wonderfully priced, shipping and the USD/CAD conversion can make it a bit harder for us Canadians to justify. I decided to take this chance to stock up on some old favourites, and try out some of their newer products! First in my cart was their brow pencil in Dope Taupe . Retailing for $5 USD this brow pencil is the best budget brow pencil I have ever used. I probably have four back ups and have used up two or three since I first started using it. When it comes to my brows I strongly prefer a light to medium brown with warm undertones. Cool undertones looks ashy on me and I just don't like it. My hair has a bit of a red undertone (thanks to my red headed mom and her red headed parents!) so I just find the warmth more flattering. Dope Taupe is that perfect warm neutral. As for the formula it is neither too waxy nor too dry. I find I can get a few months