MAKEUP LOOK "Emerald Blossom" | Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows 3 Palette Florals Review with Swatches

Ever since MAKE UP FOR EVER came out with their illustrious collection of Artist Shadows, I have had a hard time controlling myself when it comes to collecting all of the shades. I have my basic browns, but I definitely have a thing for the more adventurous shades even though I never wear them on a daily basis (I have no idea why and really should). Though it's always nice to have a full size, I know that I would never hit pan on a shimmery teal or royal blue like I would a metallic brown so whenever MUFE comes out with Artist Shadow Palettes in those coveted crazy colours I get very excited. The Artist Palette Volume 3 ($52.00 CDN)* is floral-themed with a few neutrals, but is predominantly filled with more vibrant shades that I may not have purchased as full-sized shadows.

NAILS | Born Pretty Chameleon Nail Colour #33 Swatch

Talk about a difficult polish to photograph! I love having a ring light now just for lighting consistency with nail photos, but sometimes there are polishes that need sunlight or multi-dimensional lighting in order to fully showcase its "polish personality". Duochrome polishes were all the rage a few years back and I thought I was done with it until I came across the Chameleon Nail Color in #33* (6mL/$6.99 USD) while I was doing midnight shopping on the Born Pretty website (aka the most dangerous thing ever!)

KOREAN BEAUTY | Aritaum Fair Smile Fermentation Lip and Eye Makeup Remover Review

Korean and/or Asian beauty is going to make an appearance here at least once a week because 1. I LOVE IT and 2. I have so much cool stuff that it seems selfish to keep it all to myself! The thing with trying to amass Asian beauty products is having to purchase virtually everything through online stores or eBay. Though Vancouver has quite the collection of Asian cosmetics retailers, pricing is usually much higher than their online counterparts. I have a number of online retailers that I regularly use to make my Korean beauty purchases and one thing I don't look forward to is the month long wait for my products as they make their way through customs and *hopefully* into my grabby hands. Wouldn't it be easier if I could just get my KBeauty fix through a Canadian distributor? Well, that's what Echoo Beauty is for!

As one of the largest Canadian Korean cosmetic importers, all products are shipped directly from Korea, but I no longer have to worry about waiting a month, getting hit with duty or mourning losses in transit. I received a few products from Echoo Beauty to review and I think you will all be pleased with the selection of brands that Echoo Beauty has to choose from starting with Aritaum!

NAILS | Dandelion Nail Art for Ane Li #SharingTheLoveForAneLi

Today's Mani Monday is a bit of heavy one as all around the world, people inspired by nail artist Ane Li pay tribute to her life and incredible contribution to the nail art community. You may not have known the girl behind the manicures, but her work has been absolutely everywhere with my favourite design being her dandelion nails. 

MAKEUP | ESQIDO Miss Dolly Lashes and Latex-Free Companion Eyelash Glue Review

I made a resolution two years ago to be better with false lashes. Though I still don't wear them on an everyday basis, I have learned how to wear them decently for makeup looks. I still wouldn't call myself comfortable with the process by any means, but at least now I know what makes a good set of lashes! False lashes can be pretty pricey which is why mine need to last at least 10 uses. Not all lashes are created equally though, but with ESQIDO Lashes, you will get up to 25 applications of all-day wear! 

MAKEUP | Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick Review with Swatches #LipstickConfidence

OMG OMG OMG. Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipsticks are here! This is probably one of the few makeup lines where I am scared to even LOOK at products because I know I will more than likely buy something. Anything. There hasn't been a CT product that I haven't liked and now I am about to add one more must-have product to the list. In collaboration with 12 inspirational female celebrities, each Hot Lips Lipstick ($38.00 CDN) is inspired by the personality and style of: Miranda Kerr, Kim Kardashian West, Nicole Kidman, Salma Hayek, Kate Bosworth, Laura Bailey, Cindy Crawford, Helena Bonham-Carter, Liv Tyler, Emily Ratakjowski, Carina Lau and Poppy Delevingne. Quite the lineup! 

MAKEUP | Mary Kay Perfecting Concealer Review with Swatches

I have to say, I was not expecting this as a summer release from Mary Kay! For the last two years, the collections have been brights and fun colours and this year was actually more on the neutral side with the release of the Natural Essentials Palette (review) as well as a product I was not entirely expecting to like - the Mary Kay Perfecting Concealer (6g/$17.50CDN), a now permanent addition to the Mary Kay makeup family. With a lightweight, long-lasting formula and light-diffusing properties, this concealer hides dark circles, blemishes and even reduces the appearance of fine line without any cakiness.

NAILS | Get Ready for Snapchat Nail Art for #ManiMonday!

Some nail art is just amazingly fun to create and after seeing this pin, I knew I had to set aside the time to do some Snapchat nail art! This is one form of social media that I have to remind myself to use because it just kills the battery life on my phone, but the filters are seriously a blast to use! If you're not feeling the way you look, these filters will definitely brighten your day or even give you a laugh!

SKINCARE | b.liv Feel No Sluggish ATP Revival Review with Obligatory Face Mask Selfie

Back in April, I started using Malaysian brand b.liv and their renowned Japan silk masks and was pleased with the hydrating results of the first mask I tried, Immerse Me Utmost Moisture (review). This last two weeks I have been trying another b.liv mask with the fun name of Feel No Sluggish* (1 mask/$2.50 USD) which is a rejuvenating mask for tired, haggard or just "bleh"-feeling skin that uses hyaluronic acid, CoQ10 and ATP to give skin the ultimate boost!

BEAUTY | Smiling Bright with Colgate Optic White #DesignerSmile

This post is sponsored by Colgate - Palmolive. I received product and compensation to aid in this review.

We all have our insecurities and at the top of my list has always been my smile. I have always been self-conscious about my smile what with my one snaggletooth, three chipped teeth from grinding in my sleep and a tea and cola-drinking habit that has kept my teeth looking less than pearly white. While I don't stop myself from smiling, I have kept my lipstick colours fairly neutral over the years in the hopes of drawing focus away from the colour of my teeth.

†When brushing twice daily for 6 weeks

NAILS | BCD NAIL ART CHALLENGE WEEK 15 Has Me Water Spotted on the Beach!

Today's nail art was on my bucket list ever since OPI released the France-only 'Black Spotted" in 2012 as part of the Spiderman collection. I didn't feel like paying a ridiculous amount on ebay for this polish and now years later there are a number of ways to get a similar effect using alcohol with any polish. This week's BCD Nails Challenge is "Beach" which gave me the chance to finally try this technique using this tutorial by ElleandDish to create a beach with some crazy cool white waves!

MAKEUP | Blynqe Cosmetics Matte Finish Liquid Lipsticks Review with Swatches

I love my hometown of Vancouver for its mountains, trees and now Blynqe Cosmetics! Liquid lipsticks have been all the rage for the better part of my blogging life and as of this past May, we can welcome a local Vancouver company to the liquid lippie family. I have slowly been getting more comfortable with wearing brights and what has always held me back was the fear of having the colour migrate to my teeth or face! Matte finishes have taken that fear out of my mind as glossiness or creaminess are what make colour want to jump ship. As they are a brand spankin' new company, Blynqe has just three shades in its liquid lipstick line up, but man do they make a statement!  

NAILS | Julep Birthstone Collection - Ruby for July Iman Swatch #ManiMonday

Named after supermodel Iman, this month's polish from Julep's Birthstone collection was so pretty that I actually added this IN ADDITION to the July Maven Box! I have stayed subscribed to Julep since 2012, but have been skipping each month quite a bit since 2013 when I became more and more inundated with nail polish. Iman is a gorgeously deep red with fine shimmer that was opaque in 2 easy to apply coats. I finished it all off with the Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat and a few glittery stars from Born Pretty.

SKINCARE | Rodan + Fields Current Summer Essentials with the Foaming Sunless Tan and Lip Shield

I had mixed feelings reviewing Rodan + Fields on this blog, but after meeting some fairly normal R + F consultants, looking at the ingredients of the products and of course trying them out myself I figured that just like many of you, I was curious about the brand, but hesitant to approach a consultant. I am not opposed to direct marketing and I love the products of many companies that do, but I think some of us have been turned off by the more aggressive consultants so here's to talking just about the products today and hopefully finding a consultant who works best for you!

NAILS | "Splitting Orange" with the OPI Retro Summer Collection #StayPolished

I actually never thought the OPI Retro Summer Collection would make it to me after a month of being held by Fedex. There was some logistical mishap that made me give up on getting it delivered at all, but late last month, it just appeared at my door. It's a beautiful and summery collection filled with brights and candy colours that I will make my way through over the next two months because there will be A LOT more nail art to come! I haven't worn orange polish in awhile even though I love the colour so I thought this manicure would be a tribute to orange!

MAKEUP LOOK | Mary Kay Natural Essentials Eyeshadow Set Review with Swatches

Yay! The Mary Kay Summer Collection is here! In the last two years, I have been pleasantly surprised with what Mary Kay has had to offer in the way of colour cosmetics. Though last year's collection was a bit more comprehensive, there were a few items from this year's summer line up that I have been enjoying! I am always a sucker for eyeshadows and anything shiny so when I saw that Mary Kay had a shiny rose gold compact filled with six of the most essential neutral eyeshadows, I merely just stared at it with glassy wonderment.

KOREAN BEAUTY | A'Pieu Air Fit Cushion SPF 50+/PA+++ Doraemon Edition Review with Before and After Photos

I am actually quite scared to review today's product because I am such a newbie when it comes to the nitty gritty of Korean beauty. I have seen the brands for the better part of my adult years and started using classic brands like Skinfood and Laneige in 2011, which in the grand scheme of things is no time at all. With the help of Asian bloggers, Youtubers and fellow bloggers who just know way more about this shtuff, I hope to learn and share with you the joys of Kbeauty! 

NAILS | Born Pretty Thermal Purple to Pink Colour Changing Polish #ManiMonday

Thermal polishes are some of my all-time favourite polishes especially when my nails are long enough to have a natural French manicure thanks to the thermal gradient. I have tried a number of thermal polishes over the years from various indie polish vendors and now from Born Pretty Store - the ultimate emporium of all things nail art!

BATH & BODY | Nova Scotia Fisherman Skincare Review

Seeing as how it is the Canada Day long weekend, I thought it would be fitting to share a new-to-me as well as Canadian brand that I have been enjoying called Nova Scotia Fisherman! Can you tell which province this company is from?! I often romanticize the Maritimes and they are still on my list of places to visit before I die so whenever I get a chance to get just a little bit closer to them, I welcome it with open arms! Started by Uncles Perly and his nephew Les, Nova Scotia Fisherman makes use of one key ingredient - Nova Scotia sea kelp which is rich in vitamins and a whackload of minerals. The company itself is also one that prides itself on creating jobs for those in rural Nova Scotia as well as giving back by having a portion of EVERY sale go towards The Nature Conservancy of Canada.

NAILS | Happy Canada Day Sideways Sponge Gradient (aka Happy Birthday to Me!)

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians! This is the only time I get to bring out my maple leaf decals from Beyond the Nail so it's starting to become an annual tradition! It is also my actual BIRTHDAY today so for the first time in awhile, I have the long weekend off and I will be celebrating with friends later today. I haven't had a birthday party in 5 years since I despise party planning, but with all of my friends having had babies and kids in the last few years, it has been hard to get everyone together in one place.

I was torn between doing birthday or Canada Day nails, but Canada always wins out! I also became a Canadian citizen on July 1st and today marks 24 years of being CANADIAN so yay! Today's manicure is a sideways sponge gradient which I have not tried before and don't know if I like more than the typical sponge gradient.