project vampy lip with avon colour rich lipstick and ultra luxury lip liner

A few weeks ago, during a heat induced insomnia, I found myself browsing the MAC site. You see, I had a hankering for deep, vampy lipsticks. I don't really know where it stemmed from, as it's only been the past few months that I've been wearing reds. Whatever the cause, I almost spent a small fortune on a handful of shades like Rebel, MAC Red, Diva and Dare You, but I paused, credit card in hand (something that rarely happens.) I'm feeling them now, but how often will I truly reach for these shades?

I decided to step back and try a more budget friendly brand. Good ol' dependable Avon. I know I love their lipstick formula- which is actually much better than some of MACs various formulas. Not only was I able to find a great selection of vampy hues, but they were on sale for a mere $3.99! Talk about perfect timing. Read on for swatches.

true blue spa 60 second manicure hand scrub

I love Bath and Body works candles- who doesn't, right? Every time I stock up on candles I also have to take a peek and see what's new or on sale from the True Blue Spa line. They always have something new (or on sale) and I've yet to try anything I didn't love. I've been meaning to review the True Blue Spa 60 Second Manicure Hand Scrub for a while, so let's get to it!

*closed* giveaway: ageless derma satin lip gloss

I just got a fun little email from Ageless Derma; they're giving one of you your very own pot of Satin Lip Gloss! Read on to enter.

ageless derma satin lip gloss- pink gold

Lipgloss is the first beauty item that I ever started to collect. While I don't hoard it in quite the same manner I once did, I still have a major soft spot for it. The newest gloss to pass my desk is this cute little pot of Satin Lip Gloss from Ageless Derma, which I'm really loving. Read on to see it in action.

sephora collection microsmooth luminizer - stardust

I find myself wanting items I don't need quite a bit, but most of the time I can usually talk myself out of hauling everything in sight. The key word there is most. Sometimes I cave and just go for it. That was the case with this Sephora Collection highlighter. After seeing it pop up on a few blogs I decided it had to be mine! My reasoning was that A) it's more than half the price of my beloved MAC MSFs and B) I don't really have a white/gold highlighter quite like this in my collection. Good enough right? Read on to see why I had to have it.

avon big colour eye pencil diamonds

I was just about to publish this post when I noticed this big ol' blank space... Ooops.

I really don't think I've got an intro either. Oh, well. You can't win them all. Read on for the goods!

mark. coconut treat bath & body collection

Oh, yes! Coconut!

It seems to be a polarizing scent- you either love it or hate it. I happen to lurrrve me some coconut. It could be because of my Caribbean roots- I know, you probably didn't know I was anything other than a mishmash of pale Canadian-ness. For the majority of my life that was what I thought too, but it turns out 1/4 of me is West Indian. You see, my mom was adopted, so she never really knew her roots either, but after a lot of paperwork and waiting she received her non-identifying information. I have to say it was really interesting to know her roots and therefore part of my own. Although, unlike my mom, my skin tone does nothing to prove my island heritage.

All that aside, I really do love my coconut scents, but they can be difficult to get right. Every coconut fan know what I mean, so I was excited to see if mark. could get it right with their Coconut Treat Bath & Body Collection. I have two items- the Three's a Crowd 3-in-1 Body Wash and the Whipped Up Body Butter. Read on!

mary kay lash love lengthening mascara

Oh yes, another mascara! Two kind of, if you want to get right down to it...

Today I sat myself down, made a list of posts and got a huge batch of photos taken. I felt a bit lacking in the blog department- anyone else feel guilty if they skip a few posts? I always do, so now I'm on a quest to catch up a bit. I feel like I'm always trying to catch up; to what, I'm not exactly sure. Anyway, up for review is the newest mascara in the Mary Kay lineup in the form of Mary Kay Lash Love Lengthening Mascara.

notd: golden bunny feat. julep bunny

Want to know my current nail obsession? White nails. It all started with a few coats of Essie Fiji (swatched) a few weeks ago. I've been gaga for the clean, refined look of white (or white-ish) nails. They look modern and fresh and can instantly make you look a bit more tan. The downside is that I find they can look lackluster and dingy pretty quickly (even before any chips have emerged) so they do require a bit more maintenance. Still, I'm loving my whites. Read on to see my current favourite and how I made that little bit better.

mia bellezza eyeshadow duo- vino

Finding a perfect eyeshadow combo is an exciting thing- even more exciting when it just happens to fall into your life and be all kinds of perfect. That's kind of what happened with this duo from Mia Bellezza. I know what you're probably thinking, I hadn't heard of the brand either, but I am really loving their eyeshaodws. Read on to see it in action!

yves rocher monoi de tahiti- traditional gardenia oil, precious dry oil & lagoon moisturizing perfumed body mist

When I was little, I used to 'help' my mom get ready by keeping an eye on her bottle of Yves Rocher Monoi (aka Tahitian Gardenia Oil aka Tiare flowers.) It used to be solid at room temperature, so she'd warm it in a sink of hot water. It's a scent unlike any other that should be a mandatory summer essential. It's just that good and Yves Rocher obviously knows it as they've expanded the collection to include a whole of host of scented oil products. Read on for more!

in pink review & giveaway

I recently received a few more jewelry items from IN Pink, and thought I'd give you a little sneak peek and a chance to win a piece of your very own. You may remember my last review (here) but just in case you need a refresher, IN Pink is a site that sells fashion jewelry and nail polish. The site is set up so you can see which polishes will go best with your jewelry selections. Awesome, right?

Unrelated, but I also got some really great Japanese pens, which is what prompted the little doodle above...Read on!

avon elements skin revitalize night radiance cream & 2-in-1 brightening eye roller

If you've been reading IKATW for long, you likely know I lurve me a brightening product. My skin can easily look dull so I flock to anything that promises to brighten, illuminate or give me some radiance. Given that, it's obvious which range of the new Avon Elements line I zoomed in on first. Read on for more info!

urban decay 'vintage' 24/7 glide-on eye pencil

My most recent Sephora order was really only for one thing, but I ended up checking out the sale section before checking out. You never know what you'll find. I usually don't have the best luck finding anything that great, but I did find the Hello Kitty Big Pink Bow Roller Ball (which smells pretty good!) and a small selection of Urban Decay 24/7 liners that were being called 'vintage'. I assumed they were shades being discontinued- after a bit of sleuthing, I found they are indeed on the way out- so I opted to snag one. Read on for swatches!

avon nail art design strips

I love nail art but the fact that I can ruin a manicure in merely a day, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to spend hours perfecting it. While I do dabble with it occasionally, it's so faster (and easier!) to pop on a set of nail strips/wraps/stickers. Choose which ever word works best for you.

That was why I was quite intrigued to see how well the Avon Nail Art Design Strips would fare. With a whopping 19 designs right off the bat, there is defiantly something for everyone's taste. Want to see more? Read on!

bare minerals touch up to-go duo

I love a good impulse purchase, and my most recent one- this little bareMinerals Touch Up To-Go duo- has already proven itself to be pretty great. It popped up at the bottom of the Sephora checkout. You know, where they show all the little things you'd never think to buy, but then there it is and you just have to? Yeah, there. It seemed so totally practical though, so I clearly took the bait. Read on to see why.

make up for ever smoky extravagant mascara

*Does new mascara dance*

I know, I say I love a lot of things, but above them all, I might just love mascara the most. Whenever forced to answer which three products I'd choose if I could only use those three- yes, it's a question that has come up- I don't always have the same answer, but mascara is always in the mix. It's one of the first makeup items I ever used and it really is quite magical when you find the perfect one. I always get a bit excited when I crack open a new tube. I've been giving Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara a try and it's pretty great. Read on!

unii palette- pear

I've been trying to sort through some of my stash as is beginning to take over everything, and while doing so, came across a few stragglers. Stragglers that had no home. A handful of single shadows and a corrector just waiting for a little lovin'. I decided it was time to pick up a palette. In the past I've always just used MAC ones- I still intend on upgrading to the new style- but since I had a few non-round items it seemed like the perfect time to finally try a UNII Palette.

avon ideal flawless BB cream

Another day, another BB cream. Pretty much every brand has been dipping a toe in the BB cream pool (and CC, and DD...) Many have ventured into BB territory, but as many of us know, few have gotten it right. Want to see how Avon has fared with their Ideal Flawless BB Cream? Read on!

maybelline colour show polka dots nail polish

I've been patiently waiting for these polishes since their initial release in the UK. That has to be one of the more frustrating aspects of blogging- seeing products from other countries you really want but can't get. Urg. But, the wait is over, and I'm a very happy camper. Actually, I'm not that big a fan of camping.... I'm a very happy polisher!

pacifica perfume roll-ons

I love buying a good perfume every now and then. Who doesn't though?

I've been doing a bit of storage organization and realized I have quite the little collection of Pacifica perfume roll-ons. They're just so easy to pick up- since I spotted them on well.ca I've collected them at an ever alarming rate. They all smell ah-mazing and are quite inexpensive. Want  run-down of my favourites? Read on!

mary kay translucent loose powder and mary kay powder brush

Powder is a personal thing. In my years (because that doesn't make me sound old...), I've learned that I prefer translucent powder to something with any coverage. I also prefer a loose powder to a pressed on, for at home application anyway. That combo just happens to be what Mary Kay brings to the table with their Translucent Loose Powder. Read on for the 411.