L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil + Swatches

Since I'm West Indian, I'm so happy to see oils being celebrated and now on the market. 

They have various purposes and a lot of benefits. 

This is definitely the year of the cleansing oils. 

Almost every brand has one out or coming out with one right now.

For anyone new to Cleansing oils they're pretty awesome. 

Apply them to dry hands- massage it into your makeup and rinse off. Super easy!

One cleansing oil getting a lot of buzz is L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil ($11.99 CAN). One of the most smooth oils that I've tried in a while. When I say smooth I'm referring to the viscosity. Not too thick- Not too thin- Just right.

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, high performance cleansing for all skin types. Instantly dissolves even waterproof make-up, skin feels perfectly clean with a non-greasy finish. The oil formula helps to re-balance skin's natural oil production for healthy-looking skin.

I applied waterproof eyeshadow to my arm and set it.

Then applied 2-3 drops to dry hands and massaged it over the eye shadow.

It immediately started to "break up".

Then it washed off clean. No shimmer left over.

LOVE!

Have you tried a cleansing oil before?

Must Have: L'oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

There comes a time when a mascara comes on the market and

 you are completely obsessed with. This is it!

L'oreal Voluminous® Butterfly Mascara is worth obsessing about!

At least once a week, I get asked where do I buy my lashes. 

People look at me crazy when I tell them it's just mascara.

The mascara does everything it claims:

Lenghtens.

Stretches.

Volumizes.

If you have patience and have no problem building coats, this mascara is definitely for you.
Just look at the wand!

Check out L'oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara on sale:

Its revolutionary Butterfly Brush™ with asymmetrical lash line shape extends and lifts outer corner lashes to give you a winged-out effect, instantly volumizing lashes at the roots and stretching lashes outward. The unique Cocoon Fibers™ instantly wrap lashes in a soft, delicate veil to create silky, spectacular lashes that flutter.

Sorry for the odd shot.

I just wanted to show how long my lashes look.

Totally looks like I have a thick set of falsies on.

L’oreal Voluminous Power Collagen mascara

L’oreal claims its Voluminous Power Collagen mascara delivers Volume like never before, dramatic volume that lasts 24 hours. They also claim the volume-building formula delivers up to 15X lash impact.

I was pretty excited to try this mascara as I happen to really like L’oreal mascaras for the most part and volume is the name of the game with my lashes.

I need to be honest here. The first time I used this mascara, I wasn't sure what to think. There is something that makes this mascara thick and wet but not liquid in texture. It’s almost got an elastic quality to it. Which makes sense since the word collagen is in the name. I am all about really testing a product though so I put it through its paces and in the end it turns out I really do like this mascara.
On first swipe of this mascara you may not get a lot of volume, you will probably go back for a 2nd coat, heck maybe even a 3rd. (I always encourage the second mascara coat, actually if truth be told I encourage layering all kinds of mascaras) Once you have added another layer or two you will finally see the volume this mascara is talking about.

I tend to like L’oreal mascaras because they separate and add thickness and this mascara does both of those things. I cant speak to the 24 hour claim but I can say after a good 12 hours of wear incorporating staring at a computer, commuting and standing in front of a hot stove my mascara stayed in place. I also can speak to the 15X lash impact all I know is that my lashes looked way more voluminous after the application and that’s something I can get behind. All in all once I got used to the texture of this mascara I enjoyed it and will definitely keep using it.

You can buy it here:
Canada
USA

My Top Five Favourite Products for Fall

Time for me to get back on track with my monthly favourites. This month was really good for me. I kept my makeup at a minimum but have five favourites which I brought with me everywhere! Thank God I carry a large purse.

Mary Kay® Kohl Eyeliner in Golden Illusion ($18.00 CDN)
In almost every makeup look I do, I highlight my inner corners. I love using rich golds because they make my eyes pop. This kohl applies so smoothly. Which is important when you're dealing with delicate areas like your eyes! Plus it's smear-proof.

Victoria Secret Sheer Body Lotion ($24.00 CDN)
I wash my hands a lot. It's Fall and I'm trying my best NOT to get sick! I love the scent of Victoria.
Key notes are: Red berries, Victoria rose and crème brûlée. Isn't that yummy! It's a sweet and sexy scent which is not too powerful to be worn in the office.

Almay color + care liquid lip balm ($8.95 CDN)
I've been in love with these for months. I got a sneak peak  back in June at an Almay event. LOVE them! They're non-sticky, shiny, conditioning and pigmented. They also show up on pigmented lips like mine. I should add that they are gluten-free & hypoallergenic.

Clinique Superprimer Face Primers ($29.99 CDN)
It's very important to use a primer when you're going to wear foundation. Primers make your foundation last longer and usually have some additional benefits. Clinique has come out with a long list of primers. I should add that there is one that colour corrects dullness in deeper skin tones!  It's not chalky like other primers and it's very lightweight. In the formula, there are very tiny micro-crystals which I assume make your skin took more illuminated.  I would definitely add this to my list of top 5 primers for dark skin.

L'oreal Super Slim liquid liner (10.99 CDN)
I love slim liners. They give me more precision to choose the type of liner I want. This formula is quick drying and long lasting. This is really important in the winter. It's also suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

Have you tried any of these products?

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: