L'oreal Paris Nail Products for Summer 2013

On top of being obsessed with hair, accessories and makeup my other love is nail polish. Back in May, I had the opportunity to go to a L'Oreal Paris nail event. At the event we had the opportunity hear from celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik. He shared the current trends and new L'Oreal products. 

This year there will be a strong emphasis on nail art. Nail art is the best way to spruce up your nails and really really attract attention. Look out for texture, rich tones and matte nails.

Everyone loves a unique top coat. It's easy to do it and it doesn't require a lot of "precision". L'Oreal has new topcoats called Colour Riche Nail Top Coats ($6.99 CAN) coming out July. 

The top coats range from a Matte velvet to a true gold glitter.

One of the most popular items at the event was the L'oreal Colour Riche Nail Lingerie ($9.99 CAN). These are nail stickers that have a 3D texture.They can be used on their own or on top of a polish. Tom told us a great trick that I want to share with you! He told us that you can apply a clear gel polish over the nail sticker and cure it under a UV light and it will last even longer.

For the ladies who have no time to spend on their nails, L'Oreal now has a press-on styles.  They are called Colour Riche Nail Press-On Couture ($14.99 CAN). Yes press-on nails are back and hotter than ever! There are eight new styles thats come out in July.

Lastly, I should mention that there are nine new shades from L'Oreal Color Riche ($6.99 CAN). These are beautiful rich tones that are popular all year around and work for every skin tone.

Which products are you excited to try?

Makeup Master Classes with Julie Bégin: Power Beauty

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend a master class with Makeup Artist Julie Begin. I haven't had the time recently to do "faces" as much because I work full-time (all the time) but I love hearing tips and tricks from others. The class was around 12 people and lasted three hours.

Some one the points I took away from the class were:

• Be original.
• Look for inspiration in everyday things.
• Don't be afraid to try something out of the box.
• Keep a notebook to record your thoughts so you don't forget them.
• You don't need expensive products to do a look.

My favourite part was looking into her kit. I LOVE looking into other MUA's kits for products to use on myself or others. She even took products out of her kit and let us swatch it and try it out. Some of her favourites are MAC, Annabelle, L'oreal and MUFE.

Plus there was a model there which she used to demonstrated two looks on. We also had the opportunity to ask questions any time throughout the whole class. The classes are $300 USD (which may be a lot for some) but being an MUA is a "pricey" profession so the price doesn't surprise me. Especially from someone who has clients such as Balenciaga, John Galliano and Mark Jacobs.

Check out some pictures of Julie's work:

Top 10 Best Products of 2012

This has been a GREAT year for new collections!
As a Canadian Beauty Blogger, I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to try out

  these products and share them with you.

Let's get started!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB in Deep 
Deep brown girls rejoice! There was an amazing BB cream made for us this year!
I can never express how excited I was to finally be apart of this movement.

Annabelle Cosmetics TWISTUP Retractable Lipstick Crayons in Royale

There is a great Canadian product which I actually finished within a month.

No sharpener needed!

 L'oreal Colour Caresse- Violet Chiffon
LOVE at first swatch.

Perfect color for EVERY skin tone!

Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

These are a life saver!

Probably one of the best nail strips I've tried.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams
Pigmented, long lasting, waterproof & creamy!
Get every color if you can!

Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Colors 

If you haven't tried Mary Kay, you're missing out!

It's such a great line that has something for everyone.

I'm always amazed how pigmented and silky their shadows are.

Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder

I've said this once and I'll say it again: This is liquid gold!

One the best highlighters I own!

Givenchy: Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara
This an amazing high-end mascara which does everything it claims.

Intense volume, strong curl, infinite length, and complete lash care.

Sephora + Pantone Universe Foiled Waterproof Eyeliners

Another waterproof gem!

I love these because they are small enough to fit in my purse. 

OPI Bond-ettes Limited Edition Mini Lacquer Set 

Another great collection by OPI!

Why is it my favourite? Just check out the swatches!

There were so many other products that deserve attention but these were my favourites.

Let me know if you you tried any of these products before!

L'oreal 2013 Products Preview!

I had the pleasure of attending L'Oreal's Christmas party + 2013 preview earlier this month.
One thing I have to say about L'Oreal is that they have something for everyone!
Doesn't matter if its a lip, skin or hair product.

I will go on record and say L'Oreal makes some of the BEST lip products. 

Quote me on it! Look in my purse and I will always have one on me.

At the event they unveiled new products for 2013.
I took pictures of some of the products to give you a sneak peek.

Color Riche Caresse Shine Stain Lip Colors $12.99

Color Riche Eye Shadow Quad $11.99 CAD

Infallible The Super Slim 12H Eyeliner $10.99 CAD

Visible Lift Colour Blush $16.99 CAD

 Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara $12.99 CAD

Ideal Skincare $9.99-$12.99 CAD

Color Riche Nail Color $6.99 CAD

Please let me know if you want something reviewed!

New L'Oreal Foundations for Women of Color

As a women of color blogger, I think it's my duty to share products that are universal. Both foundation have shades ranging from fair to dark. In this post I am going to focus on the deeper tones.

I feel like a kid in a candy store talking about these foundations. Mostly because I know that they will work for some of my readers. If it won't work for you, I know its a brand that you can suggest to your friends or client if your an MUA.

The product on the left is the L'oreal Paris Magic Beautifier BB cream in Deep. Try saying that five times fast, it's a mouth full. If you're like me and you don't wear foundation daily, this is perfect for you. This formula is much different than your traditional BB cream because it comes out white and then adjusts to your skin tone. There are a lot of products which  say they do this but they are usually not suitable for dark/deeper tones.

Another factor which makes this product unique is the "luminating" particles in this BB cream.

I currently don't have a product like this in my make up stash.

L'oreal Paris Magic Beautifier BB cream comes in Fair - Light - Medium - Deep

L'oreal Paris True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation 

The words healthy & foundation are usually not words that see you on foundations bottles.

Apparently this foundation has 3 powerful ingredients (40% water, antioxidants, vitamin C & E ) that improve your skin the more you wear it. I will tell you that I have not been wearing this foundation enough to see "changes" but I can give you information on coverage.

The foundation is light and buildable.  For reference this shade is Nut Brown/ Cocoa.

I just came back from a week in the Dominican Republic and I am probably a shade darker.

 Currently this foundation is exactly what I need during the summer.

This foundation comes in 15 shades ranging from light to deep.

L'Oreal Le Balm in Rose Elixir review

I know some of you ladies have seen this balm in your favorite drugstore and debated whether or not to get it. I won't lie it stayed in my bag for a while unused. Tinted lipbalm has never been my thing because of my pigment lips.

One day after leaving my makeup bag at home I tried this balm and I've been hooked ever since!

I'm going to break down this review into three important sections: Packaging, Consistency & Pigmentation.

Packaging:
I like the sleek packing for each balm. One of the pros is that it doesn't look like kiddy lipbalm! I also like how each cap is the same color of the balm in the tube.



Consistency:
The formula is extremely moisturizing. It last hours on me with little application throughout the day. It can be worn alone or underneath lipstick.
Even after removal my lips still feel soft.

Pigmentation:

Since it's a tinted lip balm I didn't expect much but I love the soft hint of pink it gave me. The application is sheer and soft!

There are seven other shades to choose from the Le Balm line.

Pink Satin, Rose Elixir, Tender Mauve, Heavenly Berry, Plush Plum, Caring Coral, Nourishing Nude & Caramel Comfort.

I absolutely love this balm and I hope to try more colors?

Have you seen this product in stores?

Bronze smokey eye with a bright pink lip!

*Cue Beyonce* 

Cause we like to party, hey hey hey

 I wore this look for New Years Eve sorry for posting it so late.

I`m so excited that I finally got use to my lit cosmetics glitter in Gunmetal on the outer corners. 

Its very subtle but once it hit the light, it shined!

Face:

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in 178

Eyes:
It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil

Annabelle Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil

L'Oreal Eyeshadow in 'Bronze Divine'

Lit Cosmetics - Gunmetal 

Lips:

Two faced gloss + plum lipstick

I need to find this lipgloss, so I don't have to continue to make it..lol.

A nude from a Two-faced palette & Revlon wine not was used to make this mix.

I love the fact that it a bright baby pink. NOT ashy or sick looking on my skin tone.

What do you think about this FOTD?

Should I do more?

FOTD: Smokey Purple look with the L’Oreal Color Infallible Eye Shadows

A few weeks ago I entered a L'oreal contest with this look.
I didn't place but I still think this look is fab enough to feature on my blog.
Especially because I don't do enough FOTD's... *covers eyes*

Look:

Colors used on eyes:

BREAKDOWN

Face:
CoverFX B45 Tintfx
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish

Lips:
Revlon Mink

Mascara:
Voluminous Lashes

Thanks for reading :)

L’Oreal Color Infallible Eye Shadows Swatches

After speaking to a few bloggers, it has come to my attention that the L’Oreal Color Infallible Eye Shadows are only available in Canada & UK right now. Since I have some of the collection, I thought it would be nice to swatch them for you all!

Infallible Eyeshadows contain ultra concentrated colour pigments, for an intense colour finish. Additional binders (oils) coat and magnify the colour pigments revealing beautiful shimmer and maximized colour. The colour adheres to the eyelid as durably and comfortably as a second skin and lasts for up to 24hrs.

Since I have nine shadows from this collection, this will be a picture heavy post.

All Night Blue
Rich Royal Blue

Unlimited Sky
Powder Blue

Hourglass Beige
Rich off white

Time Resist White
Pearl White

Forever Pink
Pearly Pink

Burning Black
Blacken Eggplant

Purple Obssession
Rich Purple

Permanent Kaki
Pearly khaki

Lastly.. Flashback silver
**Sorry I forgot to take a pic of the package**

These pigments are the cross between a powder and cream. Apparently, they last 24 hours without a primer.

I'll be posting a look with these shadows soon :)

Which one is your favorite!