Reviews galore! N.Y.C., E.L.F., WnW, Quo, Bioderma & BH Cosmetics

Recently at my local Real Canadian Superstore, I stopped for a moment to linger at the NYC Cosmetics display. Sure enough, a few items jumped out and I decided to give this line another try.
I picked up this beautiful palette that has everything I wanted for fall, the IndividualEyes eyeshadow compact in Union Square.
A common complaint about eyeshadow palettes no matter the price point, is that too often, they lack the matte transitional shades (slightly darker than your natural skintone) that one needs to achieve a complete look. Well this affordable little palette contains four shadows, a nude primer plus a white cream highlighter; there isn't a single element that I would switch. See that third shade, the matte brown latte shade? It is my ideal crease colour, and now gets used often, no matter what else I'm applying. The light vanilla shade below it is a natural and effective highlight shade for browbones, in the center of the lid to brighten the eyes and add dimension, and in the inner eye's tear duct area to make everything pop. The shimmery copper just above it is a must-have fall staple and looks stunning on fair-skinned beauties who want to rock a smoky eye that isn't scary-dark. The burgundy shade at the top was what I was after when I was dreaming of lush autumnal colours. It is well-pigmented and vivid, properties I specifically look for in dark-toned eyeshadows, in deep burgundy satin. I've experienced minimal creasing with these shadows but I haven't yet tried it without my favourite lid primer (not the one in the palette, but the I <3 Stage Eyeshadow Base by Essence).

The problem with being darker-skinned in a beauty marketplace that caters mostly to those much lighter is that many (most) nudes are not so for us. The lighter nudes tend to look very chalky and darker ones usually look pink or coral-orange against my skin. I spotted this NYC In a Minute Nail Polish in Brown Stone and picked it up along with the Matte Me Crazy Mattifying Top Coat, which looked white and pasty around my cuticles when worn over the whole nail, so I guess I'll have to practice a bit more with this one. However, at $1.99 each, I'll find another way to use it for nail art or something, so I'm not upset I got it.
Brown Stone however? Look for yourself. It shows up as a true neutral/cool grey-brown, a shade I was craving this fall for my nails (and lips). When you have olive skin, many neutrals are too light as mentioned above, but they often show up with an orange or pink hue that isn't what I was going for. The colour selection was enormous, but the thing about this polish is that it lasts and lasts! For the price, I did not expect to go five days (as pictured here) before it started to look a bit less immaculate, but still had no major chipping! I will definitely look to NYC's nail polishes, which I like almost as much as Essence Cosmetics' nail polishes that is currently my favourite affordable brand,

Finally from this brand, I picked up NYC's Show Time Volumizing Waterproof Mascara in Black. I prefer tubing mascaras to any other, as I find they are the only kind that do not smudge, flake or smear, especially under my eyes. I have not yet found a drugstore mascara can replace my Blinc, Geisha or Fairy Drops mascaras. This version had a small-medium brush, applied without clumps, maintained lash separation, and I noted that it preserved the curl of my lashes very well, even after three coats. It has decent staying power and wasn't a pain to remove, but for my tiny Asian lashes, I want something that's more 'industrial-strength' volumizing and lengthening. If you already have long lashes and want an affordable waterproof mascara to darken and set your lashes, this may be a good affordable option for you.

Now to a pricier brand that made its name with the world's favourite micellar cleansing water, Bioderma. It seems that for my whole adult life, I've been looking for a face sunscreen that I love. I have SO MANY criteria that matter to me it's almost impossible that anything will ever fully satisfy everything I want. My sunscreen demands include: non-chemical/natural mineral protectants, paraben/sulfate/fragrance/irritant-free, moisturizing but non-greasy, SPF 50 or higher, non-chalky, lightweight enough to be worn under makeup comfortably, and I could go on nitpicking from there. Bioderma's Photoderm Cream SPF60 sunscreen is working nicely so far. My biggest problem in fitting this step into my routines, be they quick or more painstaking, is that I struggle to consistently remember to use it. I know that face products with SPF built-in do not provide adequate protection, so I will keep trying to change my habits for the better. Designed for sensitive skin, it is much less irritating than so many sunscreens I've put on my face, and after about 20 minutes, I felt like it had dried down and absorbed enough so that wearing makeup was not only viable but it acted like a primer - most high-protection sunscreens I've used cause makeup to slide around resulting in a patchy mess. Rated SPF 60/UVA 42, it is scentless, paraben-free, waterproof, photostable and won't clog pores and so far, hasn't burned my eyes, which is my #1 problem with face sunscreens. Fingers crossed it keeps performing, and we may just have a winner!
The Refreshing after-sun milk for body is a gentle moisturizer intended to soothe and cool hot, dry skin while adding back hydration. I didn't mind the light, fresh scent, and although my always-dry skin generally favours the thickest, richest emmolients it can get, I like how this milky lotion glides onto the skin. It makes sense as a summer moisture layering base, but once again, it's hard to fit a new product into my routines so I struggle to remember to apply this after I bathe or shower. It's in a generous 200mL tube and is available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall's in Canada.

Next we have three items from e.l.f. Cosmetics, starting with this High Definition Undereye Setting Powder. Although the lipbalm pot-sized jar is smaller than I expected, there is still plenty of product for the price. It is definitely an impressive setting powder; ultra-finely milled, it is brightening and crease-resistant. Even though it looks quite light in the container, it disappears on my skin when applied. The diminutive packaging would be improved by some kind of sifter or stopper top to prevent messy poofs of powder when I open the jar (and one clumsy drop will result in a 100% loss of product contents) and would make it a perfect item to take when traveling. At $4.99 CAD, it is well worth the price.

While I wait and wait to hopefully one day get my hands on e.l.f.'s Small Tapered Studio Brush, I decided to give this simple Studio Blush Brush a try to placate me in the meantime. I am delighted to say that I ended up with a dream of a beauty tool! I wanted that other brush specifically to apply setting powder (usually yellow) under my eyes. As it turns out, THIS is the brush I should have been shopping for all along. It is perfectly ideal with luxuriously soft bristles that don't shed, with a rounded head which is perfect for picking up and buffing in face powder, in a size that is better suited for the task than the original brush I sought.
Although originally labelled a blush brush, this one is just too perfect for setting your face powder, especially in targeting spots as when contouring.

The third item I bought is the Studio Powder Brush, a flat-topped synthetic face brush. This brush is really well-suited for a final overall layer of translucent setting powder all over the skin, as the bristles and shape make buffing and blending effortless. With a sturdy handle and well-constructed ferrule, it is hard to believe that this brush too will only set you back about $4.99 CAD.
The e.l.f. line is available in-store in Western Canada at London Drugs, Real Canadian Superstore and Walmart and online.

I could hardly do a faves post without including my current favourite brush from Quo, Shoppers Drug Mart's consistently excellent in-house brand. I've been a fan of their makeup brushes for many years, and I recently found this Quo Multipurpose Brush, an dense, angled synthetic kabuki-style brush with a comfortable, sturdy feel. I've been alternating between using it to apply (Quo's amaaazing!) CC cream and LeiLani's tinted moisturizer, and it results in an impeccable application of colour. The packed-in bristles do not absorb product unnecessarily but leave it on your skin instead. Although it cost a bit more than some drugstore brushes at around $22.00 CAD, the consistent high-quality of Quo's products as well as the variety of specialized brushes they offer make it totally worth the money.

I put in another order with BH Cosmetics - I was so happy with my first order that I decided to do it again! This time I wanted to try some of their brushes so I picked up their Brush 8 - Round Stippling Brush for face, pictured here. The bristles are stiffer than any of my other stippling brushes, and denser too. Neither of these are drawbacks however, since this brush is ideal to apply any face products that are thicker and require good blending, like cream foundations, concealers, blushes and contour/highlighters. At $4.50 USD, this brush is real a steal.

I added Brush 22 - All Over Brush and Brush 11 - Highlighter Brush to my order, with mixed results. I like the 22 brush much to set and blend my under-eye powder since it is just the right size to do so with just a couple quick swipes. The 11 brush however, is not my favourite. It left me wanting by not being as soft as I imagined, nor as tapered, so instead of being a brush that I reach for to highlight, it just seems like a big ol' crease blending brush on steroids. Both of these natural bristle brushes were only $3.50 USD each, and neither has shed any hairs, so I'll find a way to love them both.

The final brush I got was their Brush 16 - Deluxe Fan Brush. Sometimes, when something is really so difficult, I have to stop and ask myself if the struggle is really worth it. That is how it is for fan brushes and me. This one is too small, and that one is too large; one is too stiff, the other too flimsy; too sparse, too dense... arrrgh! Well, add another to the collection of "Fan Brushes that Got No Love". This one is massive and floofy and too hairy and it sheds. It would be effective to bronze/highlight all over the face or body, but since I wanted something that would pinpoint and target areas of dazzling fleekishness, my search will continue.

Speaking of the f-word, also from BH is this perfect little 3-in-1 eyebrow kit appropriately named the Flawless Brow Trio in Dark. For me it is the quickest, most fail-proof option for any complete brow look. The consistency of the tinted wax on the left is ideal to colour in sparse brows and then set them in place for the day, and I seem to favour it to pencils. I think pencils deposit too much product on the brow hairs whereas this wax, applied with a stiff angled brush allow you to wiggle the wax into the base of the hairs instead, which is neater and feels less heavy. The complementary brow powders can be used alone, which I've been doing almost every day since I received it, or with the wax, for dramatic, long-wearing eyebrow fleekness. Changing the combination and placement of these three products results in many different brow looks. Wax over powder makes the darkest, boldest brow, best suited to pair with evening or glam looks where that intensity won't look overdone. Powder over wax can be used for a more natural effect, especially if you place the lighter shade in the center and inner edge of the brows with the darker powder filling out the rest, adding depth and realism. I can't believe this palette was only $4.00 USD and it is now a staple product in my beauty routine.

I spotted the Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone when I was grocery shopping at my neighbourhood Real Canadian Superstore and I had to grab it. It has been about a decade since I last ventured into WnW eye makeup, but tales of the legendary dupe in the bottom right corner and the ridiculously low price made this a no-brainer. Named "Definer" in the pan, it's a true duochrome shadow, with a chocolatey-taupe base and a metallic teal-reflecting overlay and it is gorgeous. It's a great substitute for pricier versions from MAC or ColourPop, but what makes this even better is that there are seven other shadow shades along with it, all surprisingly well-pigmented and totally wearable. If only there was a matte transition shade and a matte black shadow to use as eyeliner, you would have all you need to achieve endless eye looks for just a few bucks.

 

Sweet LeiLani Cosmetics: my HOLY GRAIL, must-have products list (Part 2 of 2)

For me, it all started with just one eyeshadow many years ago. I spotted a big, beautiful shadow pot from a cosmetics line I had never seen before in the most gorgeous shimmery olive/khaki colour, at a Save-On Foods (a retail grocery chain here in B.C.). Intrigued, I had to buy it. To my delight, the buttery-smooth shadow glided onto my lids, leaving behind exactly the brilliant hue I was looking for, a terrific alternative to a heavy, dark smoky eye (particularly true for those with fair skin).  The Seaside Mineral Jewels Eye Shadow in Seaweed continues to be one of my favourite shadows, applied wet or dry for different effects. Delving deeper into Sweet LeiLani's cosmetics formulations, one quickly learns why the products cause no irritation. I discovered that her complexion products are so purposefully formulated with skin-healing ingredients that some people use them to treat scarred or damaged skin overnight while they sleep, with dramatic results!

Naturally this sounded preposterous to me at first. Sure the Purely Tinted Moisturizer that the in-house makeup artist colour-matched for me immediately made all my existing face products obsolete. Not only was the shade perfect, but it left my skin feeling hydrated with a glowy finish that I love. As I age, I'm steering clear of overly drying/mattifying formulas that suck the moisture from my face and enhance dry patches and fine wrinkles. It's also increasingly important that I pay attention that face products match my current skin tone. Wearing makeup several shades too light makes my ever-darkening under-eye circles and skin discolourations elsewhere on my face even more noticeable. But never did I expect an all-natural tinted moisturizer to be long-wearing and so wonderful to wear on my skin that I was actually sad to have to wash it off at the end of the day! After two weeks of wearing this tinted moisturizer almost daily, my sun-parched skin was not only much less dry, but I see less dark spots and no bumps or texture whatsoever since I began using it. This product delivers much more coverage than your average tinted moisturizer, and includes a non-chemical sunscreen, so it perfects and protects the skin; the older I get, the more I appreciate face products that provide built-in SPF protection.

When the in-house makeup artist told me that some people are drawn to the healing and treatment aspects of the face products and wear the line's mainstay Skin Care Camouflage Cover to bed at night, I was skeptical. I picked up the Camouflage Cover in the shade Brown Beauty. This all-in-one skin treatment/complexion perfector is now one of my top 3 'desert island' products; I could survive with only this, a tinted lipbalm and a tubing mascara if I had to, the perfect under-5-minute routine that can be done in the car, at the office, and on mornings when you've slept through your alarm (again). The rich creamy product comes potted in a tin so there's no mess and is ideal for travel. Chosen in your exact shade, this is both a layerable foundation and a mid to full-coverage concealer. Pick a few shades lighter or darker if you're looking for smoothly-blendable products to use to highlight and contour.

In about the time it would normally take to apply your moisturizer and sunscreen, these face products can be used together for a picture-perfect, long-wearing makeup application (Tinted Moisturizer on clean skin, Camouflage Cover to spot correct and define eye area, set and perfect with the powder), separately or in any combination (except powder first, obvs), to achieve varying levels of coverage that still allows your natural skin to show through. It's only a matter of adding light layers and blending out visible lines with a brush, damp makeup sponge or clean fingers for your desired level of opacity.

The immediate difference I noticed with Leilani's face products is how perfect they make my skin tone. Since I have naturally olive tanned skin that becomes much darker in the summer with visible areas of discoloration and hyperpigmentation (that are unfortunately becoming more pronounced as I barrel through my 40s!), combined with a yellow undertone, many foundations, concealers and powders just bring a grey pallor to my face. I'm guessing that LeiLani's background in film and TV makeup is responsible for these realistic, completely comfortable-to-wear, perfectly-pigmented formulas. I can't describe how shocking it is that they actually have shades dark enough for me, in such perfect tones that I don't need to 'add colour back' once applied.
Now, after a full month of wearing all three of these products almost daily (and sometimes nightly!), I can tell you that I have found my ultimate perfect complexion products. More than once this summer when my skin was irritated and dry, I put aside my doubts and applied either the Tinted Moisturizer and on occasion the Skin Care Camouflage Cover and was absolutely amazed to realize that yes, they both in fact do, calm my skin down and restore moisture to flaky-dry areas and even sunburned skin.

It happened mid-summer that the skin on my nose received an overdose of sun and was red and sore for a few days before becoming discoloured and flaking for several more, my first such experience. I now feel immense sympathy for my fair friends who burn at the (literal) drop of a hat and need to safeguard daily against UVA and UVB exposure. Imagine my surprise when these formulas made my first sunburn ever feel less raw and painful, while providing immediate sun protection to prevent any further damage.  I haven't wrapped my mind around the idea of wearing these complexion products to bed at night, but with the surge of sleeping masks and overnight treatments on the beauty market lately, it no longer sounds weird to me. I'm also now less concerned about staining to my bedlinens since I've found these products to be transfer-resistant on clothing and such, but still easily dissolve with makeup remover or my cleanser of choice.

Reading more about how this line was created, it all begins to make sense. As a Cosmetic Designer and Certified Paramedical Makeup and Tattoo Specialist in Canada, LeiLani's professional expertise combined with her desire to help patients deal with skin problems and hyper-sensitivity in the creation of this line. 

To set and perfect my face, I'm now hooked on this powder compact, the Island Radiance Bronzer Powder in the shade Sun. Although packaged as a bronzer, I use this as a pressed powder and it's another can't-live-without product that I reach for almost every day. My ultra-dry skin really agrees with this unscented, perfectly matte powder, which is a rarity that I attribute to the stringent choice of ingredients. This is an ideal product to use to contour fairer skin, and to my surprise there is even a darker shade in the line. The Camera Ready pressed powder compact provides the same perfecting, oil-absorbing finish for those with fair skin. The main reason I'm loving this powder is that it resists settling into my fine lines and pores. Too many powders and mattifying products highlight my increasingly obvious dryness and wrinkles. It is most pronounced under my eyes, where creams and powders quickly begin to look crepe-ey, where products slide and bunch together, at which point the purple hue I was trying to conceal shows through. Then I can choose to add more product in an attempt to remedy the bare patches (this rarely works BTW) or I can try and smear the existing mess back into place. If any eye makeup is already applied, this becomes an increasingly risky manoeuvre. All of this is to say that for a flawless face, it's best to avoid overly-mobile products, and once I set these three products, I don't need to re-apply or touch-up - they stay in place without fading, creasing or oxidizing.

The blush you see here is the Colour Tides Blusher in Hibiscus. While it may look dramatic in the pan, the product is the perfect shade of flushed cheeks on natural skin. Finely-milled like all of LeiLani's powders, it glides onto the face but doesn't streak or look harsh and gives a healthy glow to the face, minus juvenile-looking sparkles and messy bits of glitter all over. Lately I find it is all I need to warm up and add depth to my face, another instant favourite, here in an ideal fall shade suited to a wide range of skin tones.

Finally, let me tell you a bit about these lip products. I sampled many of the shades in-store and settled on three to take home, two lipsticks and a lipgloss. The larger photo is of my most-beloved everyday lipstick, the Hawaiian Petals Lip Shade in Macadamia Nut, a rich satin lipstick that was exactly what I wanted when I was shopping for a new fall lippie. It's not quite matte, is long-wearing and isn't glossy or glittery. It's an almost nude brown with a brick hue, absolutely perfect, and unscented too.
The smaller photo is the same product in the shade Sea Urchin, and was a surprise to me. While it wasn't the first shade I gravitated towards in the tube, once applied, it shows up as a beautiful duochromatic, almost metallic purple-mauve. The Lip Splash lip gloss in the shade Snorkel (pictured below) is simply perfect; it's a natural formula so I don't cringe knowing I ingest most of it, in a sheer, hydrating gloss that has just the right amount of sparkle with particles that are small enough to not feel gritty on the lips. It's so comfortable and not sticky to wear that I've put aside my NYX Butter Gloss in favour of this unscented version.  In a final twist of lip heaven, I found that wearing the Sea Urchin Lip Shade under a layer of Snorkel Lip Splash combines to create a stunning metallic purple-tinged lip colour that I've had people stop and ask me about.
 

The photo on the right is swatches of my Sweet LeiLani Cosmetics lip products on my hand. TOP: Lip Splash lip gloss in Snorkel; MIDDLE: Lip Shade in Sea Urchin; BOTTOM: Lip Shade in Macadamia Nut

With more and more cosmetics lines vying for our money, it's easy to become jaded and lose that sense of excitement over a new line or natural products. But every once in a while you find something made with such consistent attention to detail and stringent quality standards that it stands out. This is definitely one of those lines. It is by far and away higher-quality than anything I've seen for the price, and besides, I think that the number of medical patients who use and rave about her products to treat and conceal is more convincing than any airbrushed photo of a model could ever be. I feel like right now there is a bourgeoning of 'all-natural' cosmetics (some fraudulently so) and indie makeup lines. While it may be fun to play with new products and ideas, at my age (45) I'm not willing to compromise the health or safety of my skin. Knowing that a long-time makeup industry professional is responsible for every aspect from formulation, packaging and sales of these cosmetics means I'm confident about the integrity and the quality of the products. Honestly, just give this line a try, I really do think you're likely to find several 'can't-live-without' items, and if you do, please let me know what you got and how you like it - I'm planning on ordering more and can't decide what to get next!

Sweet LeiLani - BC's hidden beauty gem goes nation-wide! (Part 1 of 2)

I've wanted to spread the word about this wonderful brand of makeup that's made right here in BC's Lower Mainland for a long time (now available across Canada and internationally online. I stumbled across it several years ago at a local Save-On Foods and discovered a wonderful company story in the process. Sweet LeiLani Cosmetics was created by a professional film/tv makeup artist named Leilani, the line was initially developed to treat and cover skin conditions and discolouration resulting from illness or surgery. She used her experience and expertise to address the hyper-sensitivity of patients' skin with full-coverage, easy-to-use products that assist skin healing. This paraben-free, vegan, gluten-free line of unfragranced products is also cruelty-free, something that matters to more and more beauty buffs, especially out here on the Wet Coast.

  


It's no wonder that creator/owner Leilani's namesake brand of makeup and skincare feels different; everything is made with unique attention to ingredients and it translates into the quality of the finished product. Understated packaging reveals painstakingly formulated cosmetics that give maximum natural-looking coverage (for males too!) with no adverse skin reaction. The line's foundation and powders rival the priciest versions you can buy, but at your local grocery or drug store!






Since I've developed low expectations for natural complexion products, I was surprised to learn how different this line aims to be; products require minimal amounts to get perfect results since everything is formulated to industry standards by a seasoned professional artist. Her emphasis is to care for skin that may be healing, while seamlessly covering and evening out one's tone so those with skin problems can feel confident about their looks while not compromising skin health. This line is full of good stuff like rosehip oil, green tea and grapeseed extract, the kinds of ingredients I would use if I had the wherewithal to make my own.

LeiLani Cosmetics products are available at Rexall and Pharmasave drugstores, Save on Foods locations, in the BC Ferries on-board stores and at select salons & boutiques, as well as online. However, since the line's complexion products are so heavily pigmented, if you are able to make it to their sales boutique in Langley, BC to be properly colour-matched, you are certain to leave with the perfect shade for your skin tone. Since I am rarely able to find shades of complexion products that suit me well, I will admit that I was more than surprised when the in-house artist matched me with foundation, concealer and powder that are the best I've ever worn.

(Part 2 will contain the products I hauled on two visits to their boutique and my in-depth reviews after several weeks of using them.)

find these high-quality affordable beauty hits near you!

Hailed as one of the top long wearing eye shadow creams available, this winner by Maybelline lives up to the hype. Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow in Tough as Taupe is likely the longest-wearing cream shadow I've ever worn, and it does double duty as an eye shadow primer. I'm glad I chose this matte shade since it works perfectly alone to add depth to my cease area or as a base layer under other shadows. It feels much lighter on the lid than other cream shadows, but crease-less stay-put wear are what really makes this product a keeper. The metallic shades combine gorgeous shiny colour with no messy powder shadow mess to stray all over your face, which is great when you want to control where you want to sparkle, and avoid highlighting areas (like under the eyes) where you don't. I picked mine up at Shoppers Drug Mart on sale for $6.99 (regular price is $9.99), but will wait to see how long the formula lasts before drying up before repurchasing.
 

Next up is a similar, and equally worthy beauty reviewer favourite, L'Oréal's La Couleur Infallible Eye Shadow in Hourglass Beige. This little glass jar has a small black stopper instead of a sifter top since the shadow is more creamy than powdery (though it applies and blends with no stickiness), which keeps the product tamped-down and tidy. This shadow glides onto your eyelid and leaves a bright metallic pop of colour that stays in place with no fallout or creasing through hours of wear. Aside from feeling lighter on the lids than glittery cream shadows of yore, this version surprises by being incredibly smooth, and is a delight to combine with powder shadows since it isn't tacky or greasy at all. I bought mine for $7.99 on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart (regular price is $10.99) during a promo for L'Oréal products. While I'm very pleased with this shadow, this level of sparkle is not an everyday look for me, so I will wait to see how much use I get from it before I repurchase.

Since I'm now fully addicted to highlighter, I've been looking for one that's just right for me. I've been trying different illluminators for weeks after my cream and liquid highlighters made me breakout just where I applied them. Here was the unequivocal winner of that quest:

Through my weeks-long search for a pressed powder highlighter, and I had a long list of criteria: I wanted it to be a dry, non-liquid/cream formula that manages to not look chalky on my skin; I was leaning towards a golden toned version (as opposed to white, pink or bronze shimmer), and even though my Milani Bella Chiffon does an adequate job, I wanted something with less discernible bits of glitter, more of a wet-looking sheen on the skin. Hell-bent on getting my hands on one of The Balm's 'Manizers' series of highlighters, I located the one of the last remaining, currently on clearance at all London Drugs locations (they will no longer carry the line). To my dismay, only the bronzey Betty Lou-Manizer was left, and when I swatched the sample on my skin, it managed to be both invisible (exactly same colour as my skin) and ashy (too powdery). Seeing my dilemma, the helpful beauty advisor suggested I give NYX a chance. She showed me a comparison swatch of this NYX Illuminator Powder in Ritualistic next to the Betty Lou and one swipe of the buttery-feeling powder left a gorgeous golden sheen in its wake, it is exactly what I was looking for! The dewy glow it gives makes skin appear smooth and fresh. The shine particles are milled so finely that pores, bumps and imperfections are less obvious. As such, I've also been lightly sweeping one quick pass with my fan brush after I've highlighted my face/nose/forehead/cupid's bow, lightly under each eye with whatever residual product remains, to brighten and deflect just a bit more light; the yellow-gold tone is perfect to subtly counteract any blue-purple undereye discoloration. For just $10.99, like everything I've tried from NYX, the quality is far above the price point. I think this is a better highlighter for darker skin than either my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector liquid highlighter which I have in Moonstone and wanted to love sooo badly but made me break out, or Hourglass' Dim Light Ambient Lighting Powder which looked muddy and patchy on me while providing very little 'lighting'. The only other highlighter product that is a long-term favourite of mine is Lorac's Double Feature Concealer & Highlighter, which I have in Medium, and is quite a good match for my winter skin tone. The portability of twist-up face coverage on one end and a top-quality highlighter with a doefoot applicator on the other makes it an ultimate essential for any travel makeup kit.

My Essence obsession is in full swing, and I'm somewhat overcompensating now for all this time in ignorance of such an excellent line of cosmetics. I can no longer walk into a Shoppers without visiting the Essence display, and I'm even detouring to remote or rural locations in the hopes of finding: a) racks replete with their full product selection, and b) a clearance section rife with Essence goodies. Well recently I found both at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Langley, BC. The Long Lasting Lipstick in Cool Nude from the i love nude trend edition was irresistible, and was only $3.49 CAD! Never mind the price, you will not believe how creamy, pigmented and long-lasting these lipsticks are - I can't get enough of them. I also bought the I ♥ Trends nail polish in 02 i nude it, which I just love, especially at $2.49 CAD.
 

I was drawn to this sparkly Smokey Eyes Set in 01 Smoky Night since fall is approaching and I'm thinking about darker eye looks. I was delighted to realize upon closer inspection that the black shade is multiprismatic (imbued with many-coloured shimmer). Combined with a true satin grey and a dazzling diamond highlight, once more the silky shadows from Essence have won me over.

I picked up this Gel Eyeliner in 05 Miami's Ink after seeing several reviews about how nicely this applies and wears. True enough, it is the first cream or gel eyeliner I've enjoyed using in ages and am looking forward to fall when I tend to wear greys more for everyday looks. Finally, I grabbed one of these Easy 2 Use Jumbo Eyeliner Pens which only came in black. I wasn't sure about the chubby barrel of this marker-style eyeliner, but I now love the comfortable control and precision I can get with this liner. Both of these gems were a mere $3.99 CAD; this German-based cosmetics company keeps offering what are basically luxury-brand-quality cosmetics for just a few dollars, to my delight and amazement - I can't get enough of this great line!

Back to drugstore dupes worth buying, I'm a huge fan of Quo's Blending Sponge, the in-house version of the Beauty Blender available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart locations. I realize that not all complexion blending sponges are created equal, but among knock-offs, this one is so far the best I've used. The original, other than being vastly overpriced, does succeed at delivering a flawless application and resists absorbing lots of product. Many of the cheap fakes soak up loads of foundation instead of dispersing it efficiently, others are not as soft and comfortable on the skin and I've even heard of some that smell so bad it's hard to put them near your face! Thankfully Quo's blending sponge is none of those things plus it's latex-free and when moistened (I use a few spritzes of pure lavender hydrosol instead of water which calms skin, is sterile and smells divine) is just as good as the chintzy original. For only $4.99 CAD at regular price instead of upwards of $20 for the Beauty Blender, I like this one much, much better.

I'll close once more with a favourite cleanser recommendation: this time it is Shu Uemura's Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil. I've been using his original cleansing oil to remove my makeup for decades; if something works well, why mess with it?
However, I did recently venture so far as to try a different version of this classic cleanser, and I'm very pleased with the results. On days when I have more makeup on, there's really no hesitation which cleanser I will use to dissolve it all off without irritating my skin and eyes, it is always Shu's Cleansing Oil, and it seems like it has always been on my beauty radar thanks to my Asian family and friends. Since I have such dry skin I love how this goes on as an oil but emulsifies on contact with water and rinses away taking all the makeup and dirt with it. If you struggle with oily skin don't despair - the formula is so good at binding to water and rinsing away that I always need to moisturize after I cleanse with this product. It is absolutely not like cleaning your face with coconut or jojoba or any other actual oil, but a much more sublime product. I purchased mine at my local Sephora where it was in amongst the travel-sized beauty products that always wink at me as I'm making my way to the cash register. I strongly urge everyone to try this mainstay of this esteemed line and find out for yourself why it became and remains an international bestseller.

DIY custom makeup palettes

I've been customizing my makeup palettes ever since I started experimenting with makeup as a young teenager. Initially motivated because I found myself blending my own colours to compensate for products meant for white skin or colours that didn't show up on me and so on. Now that I've learned how to de-pot my makeup products in pans using either heat, solvent or plain old patience, I can't stop making these little treasures! I feel like each one I make means that this many shadows will quit languishing in the back of a kit or drawer, rarely seeing any action, and have thus rediscovered so much great makeup I had forgotten to enjoy in too long. Notably, the amount of storage space that's saved by taking dozens of shadows out of individual pots and making them fit neatly together is like makeup Tetris", and I'm inspired by new colour and texture combinations that I never had thought of prior to depotting.

It's so simple to make yourself lovely reusable bespoke makeup palettes for a fraction of the cost of buying them, plus the practicality of consolidating your favourite single shadows with interchangeable palettes means you're likely to get more use from your makeup collection. I find that I prefer to travel with palettes and since I can switch these up so easily to only bring the colours I intend to use, they have become somewhat habit-forming. It all started with this cute little empty Korean makeup brush holder that my mum was given back in the 80s (!) and passed on to me. The brushes inside long-gone, I found a portion of a sheet of magnet that I affixed to the base of the plastic holder and there I had it - my first custom palette, complete with mirrors and everything!

It took me a couple tries to figure out that I much prefer to apply magnets to the back of my pans instead of covering the bottom of the case, so that's what I do now. I bought several sheets of various small self-adhesive magnets at my local Asian dollar store (most decent dollar stores I've been to with a crafting section will carry these, not just Asian ones) that I trim and apply to the back of my powders. I've found this to be the most reliable way to secure the shadows in place, and it's much easier to clean the case if there's nothing stuck to the bottom.

I now keep an eye out for suitable containers all the time, sometimes finding them in unexpected spots like stationery stores, cookware, crafting and/or hardware stores, any of which may have a selection of storage containers for you to choose from. I look for cases that are clean with smooth surfaces inside, preferably solid but not overly breakable and water-resistant, with decent closures and hinges. Asian pencil tins for children have so far been my favourite package to reclaim, but I have an open mind - who knows what I'll find and fill with makeup next..?

The two-tiered design of this palette allows me to sort my shades, like all cool tones on one level, all warm on the other, etc. I also love that this case has a transparent cover but is still pink and kawaii.

Last one, best one; this darling little tin originally housed mailing labels but right now it's the palette I love every day, in which I've collected several of my all-time favourite shadows into one palette. With brands like Laura Mercier, Stila, Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Fresh, Essence, Iman, Coastal Scents and more, plus a couple of blushes and a few shades that double as highlighter, this is a full-service compact palette that makes me smile whenever I see it. For just a few dollars and a bit of time, you can have one too!