Preaches n' Cream

I have a beauty pick that I need to tell you about.

You may have already guessed by the title: it’s Origins GinZing Eye Cream. Origins calls it a de-puffer and brightener for your eyes and I agree. I also call it an amazing-fix-all-miracle-in-a-tube-addition-to-my-top-10-favorite-beauty-picks.

It has a pearlescent shine to it, which gives a dewy youthful look. Use it around your eyes, and a few dabs on your cheek bones and you’re looking pretty healthy, dewy and sexy and you don’t look over done because it’s just a subtle cream, not a highlighter.

Some key points:

• Allergies are killing me; GinZing seems to work in de-puffing my eyes when they’re at their worst. 
• It works as an under eye concealer and it doesn’t cake up. 
• It looks nice under foundation, giving that glowy healthy look.
• It’s fragrance free (a must for my eye cream). 

You don’t need to use a tonne of this stuff, and it’s $37 for a jar: I think that’s pretty reasonable considering it works and it lasts. I got my sample at Sephora about a week ago and I still have a good amount left. 

Here’s the product shot:

And here it is on my hand. See the pearlescent texture/Ignore my weird hands:

So, I love this stuff and I seriously recommend that you try it out, you will love it.

Let me know what you think!

I recently tried Bliss Poetic Wax. An at home hair removal wax kit from Sephora (Okay, seriously Sephora, you need to start sponsoring my blog). I’m really sick of having to schedule waxes at the spa and my last wax experience was horrible, the esthetician was such a beotch and was taking her bad day out on my body. I hate her. I bought the Bliss wax because I wanted to wax at my own convenience and I was feeling a bit cheap, thought I’d try saving money for the first time ever. It cost me about $50 vs about $100 at the esthetician/spa. 

I did an eyebrow, leg and bikini wax using Bliss Poetic Wax and here’s what I think:

Good:

• It smells really nice
• It works really well: takes out short and long hairs
• Pretty painless
• Didn’t cause irritation
• It’s the best at home wax product I’ve ever used (case closed)

Bad:

• OMG I made the hugest mess
• There are still little wax balls appearing around my place
• REALLY, it was just so damn messy
• I ruined a $25 towel

Ugly:

• I mistakenly spilled some wax on my lady no-no and had a real dilemma moral/ethical debate on how to get it off (nuff said).

I am typically good at all things girl; beauty DIYs are a snap for me, but I just had the hardest time waxing my own legs, the time it took (90 minutes) and the clean up afterwards made the whole process not worth the $$ I saved.

However, if you’re good at at home waxing I totally recommend Bliss Poetic Wax, the product is great, but the user has to be great as well. 

A few years ago I got hooked on Stila’s eyeshadow palettes; I bought one at the beginning of summer and used and almost finished every colour by the fall (this is unheard of as I hardly ever completely finish eyeshadow before I get sick of it).

The Stila colours were so pretty, the colour combination, the eyeshadow textures, their finishes-everything was perfect. I loved the fact that I could just wear one of their colours over my lids with just mascara, no contouring or highlighting needed; the eyeshadow had enough going on for itself, it didnt need no help.

Since that time I’ve purchased a few more of their palettes and have been equally pleased, but never as much as I was yesterday when I went to Sephora and bought Stila’s “Naturaleyes Eye Shadow Palette”.

It cost $50 and here’s what I got:

I’ve got my eye on “luster”…actually I guess I’ve got Luster on my eye, bahaha:

These 4 colours alone make the purchase worth it:

I am so excited to try these colours!

The palette comes with a booklet of eyeshadow ideas and I’ll probably give them a go, but like I said earlier, these shadows do wonderfully on their own, swiped over your lid with mascara, liner if you’re fancy. This means it’s a great choice for makeup beginners and ladies who dont have lots of time to do their makeup, but even cosmetic pros will love this set.

Back to School has me thinking about beauty habits I formed in high school and how they followed me into my adult life and the work world. 

Having important essentials stored in my high school locker got me through the day comfortably and beautifully.  

I would have never been seen with a hair out of place, oily skin or a blob of pizza sauce on my shirt; stored in a cute makeup bag in my locker would be the tools required to combat these problems if they ever occurred.

Naturally when I started working I kept this system; to me, looking beautiful and appropriate for all work scenarios is very important. Starting the day off clean and fresh is lovely, maintaining that image throughout a long day is key.  

Creating yourself a Beauty Tackle Box is a great way to get through long days and not be be foiled by beauty blunders.  

Go out and get yourself a nice makeup case or makeup bag and fill it with the following essentials:

1. Brush
2. Dry Shampoo
3. Bobby Pins
4. Nail File
5. Clear Nail polish 
6. Mascara
7. Blush
8. Highlighter
9. Make up brush kit
10. Oil Blotting Sheets (industrial toilet paper used in most offices doubles as a great oil blotter)
11. Lip Gloss
12. Toothbrush, Toothpaste & Floss
13. Hand Moisturizer
14. Fashion Tape (to fix fallen hems or a gap between your breasts on a button up shirt)
15. Nude Pantyhose
16. Black Cardigan
17. Pair of flats
18. Tide Stick

*A great way to collect some of these essentials is through cosmetic “Gift With Purchases”, they always come with a nice makeup bag and travel sized cosmetics. 

**Sephora also gives away little samples with purchases, those samples come in handy stored in your desk. 

It may seem like a tonne of stuff to store in your desk at work; it may even take up one whole drawer, but it will help you feel fresh and pretty throughout the day and rather than worrying about a bad hair day, your breath smelling like your lunch or dark circles under your eyes come midday you can concentrate on your actual job and meeting clients or talking to VPs: where it’s important to be especially presentable. 

This may not be “New” for you, you may have been using this for the last three years and want to know what’s taken me so long to find this stuff.

Two reasons for taking me so long to find HD Microfinish Blush:

1. I banned myself from Sephora a while back and only went in yesterday for the first time.
2. I refuse to let myself buy new makeup until I need it, actually need it. Meaning: what I’ve been using is all used up. 

But now I’m almost done my NARS “Desire” powder blush and am ready for something new. By the way, I love NARS blush, Desire is a really hot pink in the case but looks really pretty on, it has served me well and there’s a good chance I’ll buy it again, however I’m in the market for blush and need to check my options. 

Here’s what Sephora says about HD Microfinish Blush:

What it is:A cream blush that naturally sculpts and highlights the cheeks for a healthy glow.

What it does:HD Microfinish Blush combines mattifying and reflecting powders to create a soft-focus effect for a radiant complexion. Its ultra-fine, second-skin texture blends seamlessly, imparting a healthy glow that’s hard not to notice.

I tried in on in a colour called “Truth or Dare”, another hot pink (hot pink seems to give me natural glowy results for everyday use).             

You need the worlds smallest amount for this stuff, like I’m talking a bit more than a pin drop for each cheek.

I rubbed it in with a make-up sponge (provided by Sephora) and I couldn’t believe how pretty it was. It was creamy in texture but didn’t look creamy or cakey on my skin. It really glowed prettiness. 

It also stayed on for the day giving me a healthy complexion and I want to say dewiness, but not shine.

I could see this working everyday for every occasion. With a full face of makeup or just on it’s own, HD Microfinish Blush is up for the job.

If you’re anywhere near a Sephora or a MAKE UP FOREVER counter and you’re in any form interested in being good looking, you have to stop and try this stuff for yourself.

More product info and reviews here.