make up for ever holiday 2013 glitter

Glitter! It's something that I don't really have much of an opportunity to wear, nor is it something I often think of using, but there is just something about the holidays- especially New Year's- that just aren't the same without a little bit of sparkle. Make Up For Ever totally understands this, as they've introduced a new shade of glitter as part of their Holiday 2013 Collection Midnight Glow. It's shiny, sparkly and super fun! Read on to see how I incorporated it into an easy yet glitzy eye that is perfect for New Year's Eve.

happy holidays!

With Christmas Eve upon us, I'd like to take a second to wish everyone the merriest of moments this holiday season and thank you for making my blogging year amazing! It sounds a little sappy to say, but without all of you lovely ladies reading I'd be nowhere.

If you get a little stressed over the holidays and need a moment of 'me time' I will be blogging. I have a bunch of comments to catch up with and some of the new OPI Gwen Stefani and Carrie Underwood Nicole By OPI collections ready for swatching. A Make Up Forever New Years look- with glitter! And a little LORAC giveaway... Maybe? A Pro Palette? Whaaaat? Stay tuned!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

idc trilogy mask

One shopping day left. Just one!

Normally, you'd have to pay me (a lot) to go to mall the day before Christmas, but I'll be joining all of the last minute shoppers tomorrow. Not for gifts, but I do have to pick up a few parcels at the drugstore- my designated postal outlet is in Shoppers- and get a few groceries. I plan on going super early in the morning to avoid the rush. Hopefully my plan works? If the blogging ceases to resume, assume the worst.

At least I know my skin will be radiant and glowing- because you know that is totally a must have when . You see, I've fallen hard for a little face mask from IDC. Their Trilogy Mask to be exact. It's more than a mask... it's amazingn-ess in a tube! For serious, but read on just in case you don't believe me yet.

mary kay vanilla sugar satin hands pampering set

Some things are synonymous with winter- the holidays, glistening snow, cozy nights in... oh, and of course dry skin. I don't know about you, but come winter, I find that if it has skin on it, it's likely dry. Cold, winter air just sucks the moisture out of anything it touches. Mary Kay wants to help you beat Jack Frost and has put together a rather ingenious little set in the form of their Vanilla Sugar Satin Hands Pampering Set. Read on for more info!

yves rocher holiday 2013- folk passion and cacoa collections

The holidays seem to be creeping up on me... With only six days to go, I've realized I still have quite a few holiday related posts scheduled. Uh-oh. Not all hope is lost though- shop now and enjoy it after the holidays! A post-holiday present is never a bad thing. Or, you could always splurge on a little expedited shipping, which would totally be worth it when you see Yves Rocher Folk Passion and Cacao Collections. Read on!

kushyfoot flats to go & fleece lined trouser socks

It's that time of year when there seems to be an endless pilgrimage from one house to another. For gift drop offs, get-togethers, holiday visits or full on parties there is always somewhere to be during the holidays. Now, this will differ depending where you call home, but in most parts of Canada the holidays also come with a side order of white stuff- aka snow. It's cold, it's wet and it can be totally messy and not all that fun to deal with, especially when it creeps up your legs and into your shoes. Luckily, there's Kushyfoot! Now, they can't melt all the snow- unfortunately- but they do have two products that can defiantly be helpful this time of year. Read on!

notd: holiday cheer

 Only nine days until Christmas! Are you ready?

My family isn't really doing gifts, so I can say yes, I am pretty much ready. I have a bunch of cards to mail tomorrow ( I know, totally last minute) and have to pick up a few small gifts- boxes of chocolates for neighbours and those 'just in case' last minute gifts, but other than that, I'm pretty much set. It's quite nice not having to rush around, but I love shopping so I do miss it just a bit. Since I haven't shopping, I did spend a few minutes dressing my nails with some festive flair. Read on for a look!

clarins eye quartet mineral palette | 11 forest

Today was a pretty great day- I shoveled my front path, okay that wasn't so great, but it had to be done. I made some pumpkin brownies, which are amazing! Just two ingredients too- pumpkin and cake mix. I took a nap, as one does after spending the morning freezing in the cold and now I get to tell you all about Forest a new addition to the Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette line up.

color club halo hues- cosmic fate

I went on a bit of a nail polish pause; I just wasn't feeling many of the collections that were coming out. That didn't stop me from browsing though, and when I found myself browsing Nail Polish Canada late one night, I ended up with a few shades in my cart. Oops? One happened to be Color Club Cosmic Fate from their popular Halo Hues collection. The idea of a peachy holo just wasn't something I could pass up. Read on to see why!

sothys hydra glide lipstick and eyeliners

So, embarrassing blogger moment- I was setting this up earlier but was too tired to finish it. I thought I'd saved it, but I think I posted it. Just pictures and the gibberish I use while formatting subtitles. I guess some of you got a preview of the photos!

As for the post, I have a few Sothys products to chat about- Sothys Hydra Glide Lipstick, Intense Look Eyeliner, Graphic Kohl Liner, and Mineral Powder Eyeliner to be exact. Read on!

lush holiday 2013

Today was a total snow day- seriously, I couldn't see across the street- so I spent the day catching up with photos and inadvertently spending a few hours browsing the Lush website. I was only supposed to be getting sizes and prices of the goodies you'll see below, but they've got so much holiday stuff I got side tracked. If you're still looking for gifts, Lush has got you covered. Read on for a few ideas to get you started!

philosophy spiced gingerbread cookie 3-in-1

Quick; there are only 15 days until Christmas!

Did that startle you, because it's true, and since today is almost over, it's actually only 14 days away. If you're still struggling with gift ideas, this new scent from Philosophy might just tick a few boxes- it would even make a very nice stocking stuffer- and the holiday scent of Spiced Gingerbread Cookies isn't half bad either.

*closed* nicole by opi modern family giveaway

The holidays are all about friends, family, food and, let's be honest, gifts! Of course, as they say, giving is better than receiving and I think I agree... I've been given the chance to make the holiday wishes of one reader come true with a bunch of polishes from the Nicole by OPI Modern Family Collection! Read on to see what's up for grabs and how to enter!

notd: subtly snowy

When I set out to change up my nail colour, I had two colours in mind- red or white. Red is good, especially for this time of year, but while rooting around for my favourite red- China Glaze Phat Santa- I had a light bulb moment. SNOW! I ditched the reds and started rounding up whites and glitters to create something snowy. Read on to see what developed!

mark. holiday 2013 part 2

There are only 20 days left to get your holiday shopping done... Stressed yet?

I have done a teeny bit, but I really don't have much to do as my family doesn't really do presents anymore. We're all adults and can buy our own crap. That said, we do still exchange the odd little thing, because, well you have to have at least one thing to unwrap. Whether you're shopping for yourself or a beauty fan on your gift list mark has you covered with a sleigh-full (see what I did there?) of super cute items sure to please.

Miss part one? Find it here.

maybelline colour sensational colour elixir liquid lip balm

It's that time again... new lip product time!

Liquid lip balms seem to the be the next big thing, well, maybe. A few brands have introduced them, but I suspect more will follow suit. So far, Maybelline's Colour Sensational Colour Elixirs seem to be the most popular, and after trying them, I can totally see why. Read on!

shopstyle.ca editor's picks- very merry berry

Love to shop? Ugh, yeah... stupid question isn't it? I think, given the right shopping situation, that everyone can enjoy shopping in some form or another. Thanks to our beloved modern technology it's easier than ever. Gone are the days of schlepping to a crowded mall, searching for hours only to find every size but your own. No thanks. I'd rather snuggle up at home- preferably in some sort of pajama- and browse to my heart's content. So much better, right? But -yes, there is a but- sometimes it's hard to know where to start, a little inspiration is what I need to warm up before a shopping session. That's where ShopStyle.ca comes into play!

essie full steam ahead

Happy December, everyone!

While it's technically still Fall, the ever-growing heaps of snow say otherwise. When it comes to winter nail polish, I like to switch up my deep shades with cool wintery shades like pale, icy blues and lilacs. Who says a pastel is only meant for Spring? 

avon gilded treasures makeup set

So, you know the makeup kits and cases that always appear around the holidays? Yeah, those. You'd think any beauty fan worth their blushes would have had at least one at sometime in their lives, right? Wrong. Somehow. I've gone twenty-some-odd years and never had one. Until now, and it may just be the glitziest one ever created. Just in time for the holidays Avon brings us the Gilded Treasures Makeup Set. Read on for the 411!

cnd vinylux weekly top coat

Want to know something? It's something that pains me to admit, but, here goes... Nail polish hates me. It's a sad truth. I've yet to find any combination of base coat, polish, and top coat that lasts on my nails. It doesn't seem to matter how well I prep or what brand products I use; after a day or two polish starts to lift and or chip off of my nails. It's beyond annoying. You can see why I was both excited and skeptic of CNDs new Vinylux products which claim to make polish last seven days or longer. Does it work though? Read on for my results!

clarins joli rouge lipstick- spicy cinnamon

It's a dismal day here complete with gray skies and blowing snow. It's making me want to crawl back into bed, watch a movie and take a nap. BUT, I won't, because I've one gem of a lipstick to show off today, in the form of Clarins Joli Rouge in Spicy Cinnamon. If there's anything better then a cozy, Sunday afternoon nap, it might just be a Joli Rouge lipstick! Read on!

nails inc. porchester square and cherry road

Last month while rushing through Shoppers Drug Mart (I was only supposed to be picking up a parcel at the postal outlet) but I had to pass by my two favourite spots- the $20 perfumes and the clearance table. I have had amazing luck finding some great marked down items in the past, but was really surprised to find a bunch of Nails Inc. polishes- mainly because I didn't even know Shoppers sold them. When I was back in last week, with more time to browse, I made sure to look, and did in fact find Nails Inc. Very exciting!

avon perfect eyebrow kit

I love that eyebrow items are more commonplace than waaay back in the day- okay, not that long ago, but whatever. When I was getting into makeup I missed the eyebrow memo. I knew the basics of plucking, but the whole idea of filling them in and grooming them as part of my daily routine was a class I missed. It didn't help that mid-level brands didn't have neat little kits to make everything all that much easier, like the new Perfect Eyebrow Kit from Avon.

milani 'the multitasker' face powder

While I already have a pretty decent makeup collection, there is one product in particular that I can't help but pick up whenever I see it- powder. It's not the most interesting of beauty items, but it's just so useful. When I spotted Milani's The Multitasker Face Powder I couldn't pass up the cute pattern pressed into it, oh, and it might have been on sale too...

digital nails spectraflair holographic topcoat

Who can deny the allure of a little holographic goodness? If you can, we can never be friends. Sorry :(

The shimmering flair of a great holo is just about too gorgeous for words, but being able to turn any of your favourite nail polishes into a holo is doubly awesome, right? That's where Digital Nails Spectraflair Holographic Topcoat comes in to save the day. Read on to see just how awesome it is!

clarins be long mascara & 3-dot liner

If you were to ask beauty fans what some of their must have eye products are, I'd bet it's safe to say a good mascara and black liner are going to be on that list time and time again. Of course a good mascara is a must- long, full, fluttery lashes? Yes, please! And a black liner... well that just goes without explanation, does it not? Clarins has you covered in both departments with their Be Long Mascara and 3-Dot Liner which both promise longer lashes with use.

rimmel apocalips (aka show off) lip lacquer

When Rimmel's Apocalips started appearing on British blogs I was quite excited for their release here. I stalked the drugstore for months only to end up empty handed. It's a feeling I've come accustom to actually, as my small-ish town drugstore is perpetually behind every other Canadian drugstore.

Eventually I forgot about them, but then there were murmurs they were on their way, with a new name perhaps? Maybe? What?! Excitement ensued! The long and short of it is, they're here! In Canada, known as Apocalips and in the States Show Off. Regardless, wherever you reside, they're available now!

*closed* taya amazon white clay giveaway!

Want to win a the whole range of Amazon White Clay Thickening products from Taya? Well, yeah. Obviously you do! Read on to see how you can win!

taya amazon white clay thickening hair products

For someone who never used to use many hair products- seriously, I only used to use one, two products max up until a few months ago- I've had a lot of new products come into my life. When the opportunity to try Taya's range of Amazon White Clay Thickening products I, of course, accepted since you can never have too much volume. Based on what I understood from my correspondence with the brand, I expected a little try me set to get to know their products. Given that, I was pretty shocked to find a deliver guy at my door with a giant box marked Taya. I was sent A LOT of products.... I think my days of two products are long gone!

eos lip balm, shave cream, & hand lotion

I think we all know the iconic little spherical lip balms from eos (Evolution of Smooth). They took the
blogging world by storm not all that long ago, but did you know the brand also has a whole range of moisturizing products? Oh, boy, do they! Read on for the 411.

ceramic glaze- let it glow

New nail polish alert! New nail polish alert!

New to me, anyway. I'm not sure how long Ceramic Glaze has been on the scene, but it's totally new to me. The same week I was sent this bottle from their Holiday Collection (Shimmer & Sparkle, one of two collections actually) I spotted them at my local Shopper's Drug Mart. A new polish brand to love is never a bad thing in my book! 

beautybox five review

I haven't had a beauty subscription box in some time, so I was excited when the opportunity came about to review Beautybox Five. I like the idea of subscription services because I love a surprise every now and then and you could end up with products you never would have known/tried otherwise. Of course, you could also end up with stuff you'd never use, but risk is part of the game, people! Are you game? Read on!

avon frosty'n fab glitter nail enamel and candylicious lipgloss

If there is ever a time to pile on glitter without abandon, it's the holidays. You can glimmer, shimmer and shine and no reasonable person will object, because reasonable people love a bit of glitter. They just do. Avon is doing their part to help you get there with not one but two super cute (and inexpensive!) products in the form of Frosty'N Fab Glitter Nail Enamel and Candylicious Lip Gloss. Read on for all the glitz!

avon ultra colour lipstick- toasted rose and very violet

New lipstick! Woo!

No beauty lover can resist a new lipstick every now and then. It's true. The science has been proven; There have been studies.

Avon recently released their Ultra Colour Lipstick and you know I had to try at least a shade or two because, well... why not? Plus, Avon has always had a pretty amazing lipstick formula, so the new one should be double amazing, right?

seche gracious and kind collection- nostalgic

Hello, blog fans!

I've been a negligent blogger again, and I had planned on parking myself at my desk today, but that didn't end up happening. Tomorrow for sure. I have a ton of reviews in the works and a pretty huge giveaway. Who doesn't like a giveaway? Exactly! Today though, it's all about Seche Nail Enamel and their Holiday 2013 Gracious and Kind Collection. Read on!

stila portrait of a perfect blush cheek palette

Hey, hey, hey!

Hopefully everyone has emerged from their candy-comas relatively unscathed...yeah? Now that Halloween is said and done, we can get back to all the Holiday items that have been rolling out with steady succession. Today I've got the Stila Portrait of a Perfect Blush Cheek Palette, which at a mere $19 is an incredibly budget friendly way to share a pop of colour this holiday season. Or, you know,  hoard for yoursef, that works too... Read on!

halloween notd- crazy for candy

Happy Halloween Ghosts and Ghouls!

I'm sporting some super cute candy nails to celebrate. Read on to check them out!

anna sui lip gloss and lipstick

One of the best parts of blogging, in my opinion, is getting to try new brands. There are the brands we all know (and love) and the personal favourites, and then the ones we've never gotten around to trying. Anna Sui falls into the latter category for me, so I was pretty excited when I found Anna Sui lipstick and lip gloss in a recent package.

mixed chicks leave-in conditioner

Hair, hair, wondrous, hair...

When it behaves, it's a marvelous thing but when it goes wrong it can bring down your whole damn day. Right? You know. I find my hair is the most troublesome the day it's washed- my ends never seem like they can get enough moisture. Hence why I took the opportunity to try out Mixed Chicks Leave in Conditioner. Could it give me the perfect, first day hair of my dreams? Read on and find out!

mib blog awards

pur attitude- skin essentials 3 step system & fountain of youth serum

 A new brand!

Well, a new brand to me anyway, and an interesting one at that. This is going to get long, so let's just get right down to business shall we? Read on!

avon breast cancer crusade- rose zippered case and love necklace

I hate to sound so cliche, but where did October go? It's almost at an end, but there are still a few more days, so I'm going to fill them with a few more Breast Cancer Awareness Month related goodies. Okay? Good- I'm assuming you were all nodding in agreement- Let's go!

sale alert! antipodes grapeseed butter cleanser

I've just been going through my inbox and discovered this gem of a deal from Hip Apotheca- Antipodes Grapeseed Cleansing Butter on sale for $25! Not too bad considering the regular price of $47.

Read on for the code!

ag fast food leave on conditioner

It's that time again- October.

Sure, it comes around every year (as it should) but it also brings on an onslaught of pink themed products and packaging to raise money for breast cancer research. One of such products is the amazingly scented AG Fast Food Leave on Conditioner. Read on!

japoneque power curl lash curler

Today I spent a large part of my day organizing post for your lovely faces. I laid everything out and started planning and photographing away. But, I didn't plan anything for today... blogger fail? Maybe?

I do like to have a few 'emergency' posts laying in wait for moments like this (also good on the days you have zero ambition but are determined to get something done.) Emergency posts are usually something simple like a NOTD, quick review, or a product I know and love that won't take much to throw up (ahem, bad choice of words there...) Today brings us the Japonesque Power Curl Lash Curler which took my heart by storm last month. Read on to see what makes it so special.

stila colour outside the lines smudge stick set

Happy Monday, everyone!

How was your weekend? I spent mine fully immersed in American Horror Story. I have had season one on my computer for way too long and decided to 'just watch one' before bed. You can't just watch one! It's really good. Needless to say, I'm now watching season two, which might actually be better than the first. I also found some time to play with a few new Stila goodies, including their Colour Outside the Lines Smudge Stick Waterproof Liner Set. I've always liked Stila as a brand, but somehow have only ever used their blushes. Read on!

mark holiday 2013 - part one

It never ceases to amaze me that so many new products emerge around the holidays. There is just so much to hoard wish for! To try and keep with all of the mark. releases, I thought Id bundle them- one post with more essential items and the other with colour and gift giving ideas- to make things that much easier. Read on for part one!

vivisal hair nourishment system

Oh, hair. Does it not seem like we're never happy with what we have? Longer, lighter, curlier, thicker... it goes on and on but something I think most of us can agree on is that we all want healthy, strong hair. Which is why I had little to think about when the opportunity to trial Viviscal came about. Heard of it? Miley Cyrus stated in a recent interview that she's taking the supplement to help grow out her short hair. I quite like women with short hair cuts, and have worn mine pretty short in the past, but I totally know the feeling of wanting it grow in that little bit faster when you're over it.

a very lush halloween!

Boo!

Okay, that didn't scare anyone, but it is the season for spookiness. Halloween will soon be here and it's the perfect time to hop in the tub with a few Lush goodies. Let's get to it! 

mark snowdrop flower bath & body collection

In Canada you try not to talk about snow too early- you don't want to go jinxing it- because winter is long enough as it is. But, sometimes it just has to be done, like in the case of mark. Snowdrop Flower Bath & Body Collection. The trio of products I have for review today all share the newest mark. scent that's sure to make even the worst snow storm a little bit more pleasurable. Read on!