For the month of July, Birchbox has teamed up with Best Health Magazine to provide a curated selection of only the best in beauty. This “Go for the Gold” Birchbox is all about making sure that you have your “healthiest summer yet”. This is a pretty bold claim so let’s see whether it lived up to my now sky-high beauty box expectations!
MAKE UP FOR EVER has me covered for the most part in the eye makeup department from Aqua Liners to Aqua Creams to Aqua Brows. I almost always use liquid eyeliner along my upper lash line and over the years I’ve gotten very selective about what I use. Some days I feel like a felt tip applicator, other times a little brush. This month, MUFE released the brand new Ink Liner*($27.00 CDN) with a calligraphy style tip and more uniquely, a jet black MATTE liquid eyeliner that promises 12 hour wear time!
Every time Benefit Cosmetics comes out with a new product, I am faced with both excitement and curiosity. Regardless of the product, we know the packaging will suck us in like a black hole so I have been trying to be more objective. Just released on Boxing Day in Sephora, Benefit’s Puff Off! ($35.00 CDN) promises to instantly “iron out” puffiness and fine lines with an innovative undereye gel and precision tip applicator.
It’s here. The time has FINALLY come. Birchbox* has now come to Canada! In what feels like a game of Survivor: Beauty Box Edition, Birchbox has outlasted, outwitted and possibly outsmarted many of its competitors. Monthly subscriptions are $10/month (plus $4.95 for shipping) or save two months by signing up for the year at $100 (plus shipping). To ensure that your Birchbox suits you best, make sure to fill out your beauty profile so that your straight hair isn’t subject to products that restore curl (true story…).
When I first entered the beauty box subscription ring 3 years ago, oh how I fantasized about getting a Birchbox. With its variety of makeup brands and rarely a sample packet, subscribers have seemed consistently happy with the service and boxes. More importantly for me, Birchbox has been running for 4 years which is a record after having gone through shutdowns from other beauty box companies. I’ve yammered on for long enough and I’m sure most of you have already scrolled to the bottom to see what was inside, but let’s go through the unboxing anyway shall we?
In my excitement over the release of Benefit’s new They’re Real Push-Up Liner, I forgot that I had signed up for the Topbox Prive box and promptly went out and bought the full size of the liner AND the makeup remover! Nonetheless, I was still VERY excited to receive this Topbox the next day and share what was inside with all of you!
Now that summer’s here, all I can think about is getting my Vitamin D on, SPF and most importantly, makeup that doesn’t crease or melt off my face! I was not a cream makeup lover before, but after learning this year that cream blush is as Martha says, a “GOOD thing” I decided to make my move into cream eye shadows. Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadows ($24.00) come in 10 totally wearable colours and promise to be long-wearing without creasing or smudging. So far, so good! Today I have the colours Bikini-Tini, an oyster pink, and Always a Bridesmaid, a pearly lavender to share with you as well as an eye look that was super fast and easy to do!
It’s Benefit, so it HAS TO be amazing right? I had heard some mixed reviews on one of the newest foundation-like products to be joining the Benefit Cosmetics family, but Big Easy ($46.00) turned out to be just a wonderful product for me as I could not believe that a formula that felt so light could give me so much coverage! This is a liquid to cream formula with SPF 35 (my press sample does not have this coverage) that is also oil-free and non-comedogenic.
May’s Topbox actually “made me” go out and purchase one product almost the day after and in terms of percentage, makeup products were 50% of the box which is not bad. What I was most pleased about was the new release from Benefit that was included! I’m sure you all know what it is by now, but it was nice to receive it around the same time stores like Shoppers Drug Mart did. This month’s Topbox also did not come in a box, but in a purple organza bag. I personally don’t mind either way as long as the products inside are good!
Everyone let us welcome Julie from Swatch & Review who I have always admired for her beautiful photography, easy to read and honest reviews and her wonderfully sparkling personality! Today she is going to share with all of you some ways to make your makeup last through the summer heat! Take it away Julie!
Hello friends and fans of Cosmetic Proof! I'm Julie from Swatch and Review here to talk to you about making sure your makeup can last through the warm Summer days. Because there is nothing worse than a melty face at an outdoor festival or family picnic!
First, prime your face to make sure whatever foundation you choose to use goes on evenly and stays put. I like MUFE HD Primer, which now comes in a variety of shades to help correct your skin tone first.
I can only assume you'll be wearing sunscreen which can leave your eyelids extra oily. Creating a good base for your shadow to stick to is key to a smudgeproof eye look. I've been using MAC Painterly Paint Pot for years to keep my shadow in check. 
Finding a good waterproof eyeliner pencil can be tough, I have tested at least 20 and the Avon No Place to Run line is the only one that can outlast a good cry. 
Sometimes mascara can flake and smear all over your face if you're perspiring. Try Cover Girl Flamed Out mascara in the Waterproof formula for volume, length and long wear. 
A good lip and cheek stain will give you a finished look all day long. Benefit's liquid lip and cheek stains have lasted on me even after going snorkeling! This month I'm rocking Posie Tint! 
The last step to locking in that makeup look is to use a makeup setting spray, like MAC Fix +. Not only does this spray lock in your makeup, but it also has antioxidants and caffeine to keep your skin looking great.
New products from Benefit are always cause for excitement because we know that Benefit never disappoints when it comes to packaging, colours and innovation. As an extension to the lip and cheek tints come the matching tinted lip balms! There are four colours to choose from: Benebalm, Posiebalm, Chachabalm and what I have for you today, Lollibalm ($22.00)!
Lollitint’s little sister, lollibalm conditions & hydrates with mango butter and sodium hyaluronate. This candy-orchid tinted kiss of sheer, buildable color gives you the softest, flirtiest lips.
March’s edition of Topbox was alright, maybe not the most exciting as past ones due to some familiar faces, but it’s not that the faces were bad. I think I just have so much that it’s hard to find something I haven’t tried before so I’m going to try to be more objective in these unboxings and try to be more like the Jayne of 2011 when beauty boxes were only just in their infancy.
That’s right you heard me. JANUARY favourites because I refuse to skip months and ruin the order of things AND it’s the first set of favourites for 2014! How can I possibly skip that?
I will admit that I totally don’t remember checking the Benefit box for my Topbox wish list and I’m almost 95% sure I just opted for a regular Topbox, but hey, I won’t say no to Benefit! This is the special Chinese New Year edition that came in very festive CNY packaging, but came with an empty lucky money packet…kind of bad luck to do that isn’t it?
When it comes to favourites, I’m going to have to cheat a little bit and combine November and December because moving last month didn’t really give me a chance to truly enjoy any new products nor the brain power to remember what they were. I’m very sure I have forgotten some things, but those can always make their way into January’s favourites!
One thing I l always look forward to around the holidays is seeing how much more awesome Benefit Cosmetics packaging can get and this year I happened to spy quite the beauty of gift sets! There are a few versions of these Benefit sets, including smaller tins that instead of full sizes, have deluxe sized products of Benefit bestsellers, but all are bound to get the heart rate of any makeup lover racing! I purchased mine at Shoppers Drug Mart as it was 20x the points day and chose “Primed for Lovin” as I loved almost all of the products inside and knew I would use everything!
First of all, these collectible tins had me from the get go! All I could think of was how cute this would look on my dresser (filled with product of course)!
Included inside are FULL SIZED items of: The Porefessional, High Beam and They’re Real Mascara plus a mini of the Sugarbomb Ultra Plush Lip Gloss. Can you believe that all of this retails at $109 and it’s currently selling for only $50?! If your Shoppers Drug Mart carries the Benefit Cosmetics line, I would wait until there is either a 20x or redemption event because it is an AMAZING value! Or if you just can’t wait to get this for yourself or a loved one, call your Beauty Boutique and put one on hold like NOW!
At the end of August, Topbox alerted subscribers to a special Chatelaine Edition Topbox upon signing up for a Chatelaine magazine subscription. After receiving a copy of Chatelaine in the September Topbox, I decided to sign up for a yearly subscription as the magazine was surprisingly interesting (aka “I’m getting old”) and was at promotional pricing ($14.95/12 issues).
I am so sorry I have waited so long to post my September favourites! I think I may have forgotten as my brain as been elsewhere the last couple of weeks. I have been literally SICK with wedding jitters and have been throwing up which really bites…when I get excited or anxious my stomach is the first thing to react along with most recently my lips and I have often said that I might need to be hospitalized on my wedding day! I really hope that doesn’t happen, but even as I write this I am feeling so nauseated…anyway, I hope this stops and I can feel somewhat normal again. On that note, time for favourites?
Last month was mega redemption time at Shoppers Drug Mart which meant that instead of the usual $170 worth of product for 95 000 points, it was $220! I had enough points for TWO redemptions but decided against redeeming all of my points as $440 of product is quite a lot of stuff and my redemption from my birthday in July is still sitting in mint condition all wrapped up…
This was a particularly fun redemption because all cosmetic purchases over $75 included a rather large Fall beauty bonus bag jam packed with oodles of samples!
We are now officially full swing into summer and I can finally bring out my more summery makeup colours to celebrate! June was mainly about makeup products for me, it’s funny how each month differs in product assortment. I didn’t have a lot of lip products this month because of the weird allergy on my lips I was battling with, but it forced me to discover other products that DIDN’T go on my lips! I hope you guys enjoy!
1. Origins Incredible Spreadable Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub
This smells just like ginger candy! It’s sweet and almost edible, but has a wonderful grit to it. I like my body scrubs to have fairly large crystals as that is the only way I feel like my body is getting any exfoliation at all. The crystals are packed quite densely and dissolve as you rub. What is great is that this scrub is gentle enough to be used daily.
2. NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige
As you can see, this colour is far from beige as it is a gorgeous pink with a medium tint to it. It smells like cherries and gives your lips an incredible shine. I have been layering this over lipstick, but can also be worn alone for a healthy pink sheen. This lip gloss is also smooth and non-sticky which is nice, but as a result does not last long and must be reapplied about every two hours.
3. Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose
I got this in a swap from the UK (which I promise I’ll post soon because I got some awesome goodies!) and it smells like raspberries and cream! It’s very moisturizing and has been one of the few things I have been wearing on my lips since I was suffering from my stress-induced lip allergy throughout the month of June. It goes on virtually colourless and is very smooth on the lips.
4. China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Too Yacht to Handle
This is just such a beautiful teal, perfect for summer! The formula is wonderfully opaque in two coats and goes on much brighter in person than in the bottle. This is a colour I feel I will keep turning to again and again this season.
5. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
I have read about this product for years, but never bothered to try it until last month and it’s great! I actually don’t notice too much of a difference between this and the Out the Door top coat and is much easier to find! I also like the width of the brush. This is a keeper for me!
6. Benefit Sugarbomb Blush
Now that I have a little bit more colour from running errands in the sun, I find that I can get away with less pink and more bronze-pink for colour. Sugarbomb has made its way into most of our makeup bags so I’m sure you all know WHY this is a favourite of mine! It has the perfect combination of pinks and browns that look wonderful on any skin tone.
7. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
I feel like this is an oldie, but a goodie. This is my favourite colour out of the whole collection and lasts all day even without primer for me! It’s such a pretty shimmery neutral brown that I use it for work often. It’s also very blendable and creamy for an eye shadow that lasts an 8 hour work day!
8. Pandora’s Makeup Box Eye Shadow in Nugget
I got this colour a few months ago, but it wasn’t exactly a “cold weather” colour. Now that I am unearthing my summer makeup, wearing a gold eye shadow seems like part of the summer uniform! The pigmentation of this eye shadow is good and is soft and blendable.
9. Boscia Vanilla Scented Blotting Papers
I actually have my blotting papers in a reusable holder which is why you can’t see the original packaging. These blotting papers have a faint vanilla scent and in my opinion, work like any other blotting papers so it really is the scent that I am loving!
And that’s a wrap for June!
Summer is finally upon us and as all of us have seen, bright and vibrant colours in everything from clothes to makeup are what’s making a splash! The Aqua line has been a successful one for Make Up For Ever as each lip and eye product is truly long-lasting. I have reviewed Aqua Rouge before in #8 and was completely floored by the industrial strength hold it had on my lips and have purchased two more on my own. This summer, Make Up For Ever has introduced five new shades in #16 Fuchsia, #20 Baby Pink, #17 Bright Coral, #18 Coral and #19 Pomegranate Pink which I will review for you today!
This long-wear lip colour is perfect for the summer months! Use the highly-pigmented, liquid lip colour alone or top it with the clear gloss to create beautiful, non-transferable, kiss-proof and smudge-proof lips. A combination of high molecular weight polymers and volatile oils work to lock colour on lips while providing coverage.
As you can see, the actual colour of #19 is quite different from the promotional picture. There is definitely more red than pink in the actual colour.
Blogging since 2011. Beauty with a drop of science. Career woman by day. Nails to perfection. Sheet masker.
