NYX liquid suede Brown girl friendly swatches

As a woman of colour, finding a good nude used to be the biggest hassle. People would either give me a colour that was extremely light or unflattering for my skin tone. Or I would get a colour that is too dark and did not complement me. One brand which has been making awesome browns lip colours for all skin tones is NYX. Plus you can find it at your local drugstore! You do not have to make a special online order or wait till IMATS to get what you want anymore. All you have to do is hit up Shoppers Drug Mart to test out some samples or find great Canadian beauty blog (like myself) which for the swatches and names that you should look out for.

BITE BEAUTY Agave three-step lip regimen

I’m putting it ALL out there.... this is the driest winter EVER! I literally have a humidifier going off 24/7 but I’m still having some lip issues. When I practice "good" lip care, honestly everything is perfect. But when I’m having an off day-everything goes LEFT.
But finally I have three products that do the job!

You always have to ask yourself what’s your main goal with EVERY beauty product. Mine is kissable and presentable lips. Okay forget kissable.... Presentable is key right now! I want to be able to wear my matte liquid lipsticks without any peeling! I want to be able to carry on a conversation without wondering if the person is staring at my lips! I know not alone out here! I’m so happy that I had opportunity to try out some extremely popular products from Bite Beauty. I actually shared the products on Instagram and had a reader tell me that she’s been trying to get her hands on all three products for a while but it’s always sold out at Sephora.

Let me show you all the three-step series that currently keeping my lips hydrated!

Blogger Basics: Three Quick Basic SEO Checklist Questions

I hope that you guys are loving my blogger basics posts. I think that I'm going to start doing them every two months. I got a really good response to the first one: Three basic video/photography tips that you should know. On Instagram, I asked what should be the next topic. One topic that kept on coming up was SEO. It's probably one of the most valuable tools that MOST bloggers don't use.

Guest Post: Aura Mugler Eau De Parfum

Last month, I attended the latest fragrance launch by the Mugler brand called Aura Mugler. The event space was transformed into a serene forest escape. There were stations setup throughout the venue that invited attendees to try out Aura Mugler, it's associated products, have faux tattoos of the bottle applied and even have your makeup touched up! It was a great event that allowed attendees to immerse themselves into the scent.

Smashbox Bawse Deep Red: Always on Liquid Lipstick & Swatch

This statement is going to be weird to some people... but as a woman of colour I was very afraid of red lipsticks. I remember when I was experimenting and my mom used to tell me that those were not her favourite colours on me. If I listened to her I would’ve probably stopped wearing them but you know my social media family out there always told me that it looked great!
So I continued to try more colours.

Let me start off by saying liquid lipsticks over traditional lipsticks any day. This was my first time trying anything from Smashbox in a while (like 2010).

So I was excited to try out the Always on liquid lipstick in Bawse ($28.00 CAN) ** (which I received in a goodie bag from a blog event in 2017).

Fashion: Seasonal Transition Pieces

I hope that you guys of all recovered from the holiday madness. I’m trying my best to get better from a cold (sad face). I have a question for you! How do you transition your clothes to be workable for all seasons? For example, you’re not going to wear a skirt in -40 below weather... Yes that was actually the weather here two weeks ago. Canadian problems!

Here are four key pieces everyone should have in their closet

Long Kimono Dusters

These are literally something that I wear 24/7- 365 days. They’re comfortable and can be found almost anywhere. You can get them in a variety of sleeve types! I have no sleeves, short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves and of course long sleeved. You can easily dress it up by wearing your favourite little black dress or even a one-piece jumper. Appropriate for all seasons! Check out Nordstrom for some unique pattern pieces like this one.

My Spiced Life Contributor: Eseeri

It's 2018, time for a new contributor on the blog. I love having contributors because:

 -It exposes you all to new people. 

-Helps me share more content.

- Fun to see a new prospective!

Eseeri is a Canadian beauty and lifestyle blogger. She's been blogging for a few years about all things related to beauty, health and fitness, and travel. Her passion for developing lifestyle content stems from her drive of being the best version of herself and she encourages her readers to do the same by sharing helpful tips on travel, and healthy lifestyle habits. 

In her downtime she loves traveling, reading inspirational books, connecting with friends, scouring social media for inspiration, recording YouTube videos and of course shopping!

MySpicedLife: Best of 2017 Beauty

I truly cannot believe how quickly 2017 has come and gone.
I’m not sure if it was the best year beauty wise but I did find some gems along the way.
Please let me know if you have tried any of these products below!

All of these products deserve the "MySpicedLife: Best of 2017" stamp of approval. 

High End Skin Care: Is It Worth the Splurge?

“Good” skin comes at a cost – no surprises there. Skincare is one of those things where we have so many options and hacks to help get us to that flawless face. At the same time, it can also get confusing when trying to figure out what is worth the splurge.

The general consensus is that for the following items (providing you have no major skin care concerns), you can scale back and save on as they contain the same basic ingredients that will still get you the results you need:
 Cleansers
 Toners
 Day moisturizers with SPF
 Lip balms
 Eye creams

When it comes to serums, night creams and face masks, we should expect to spend a few more dollars as these products are meant to penetrate deeper into the skin and are packed with highly concentrated ingredients that target your skincare concerns right at the source. I decided to put this to the test with a few pricey products. Although I am a skincare fanatic, I was skeptical on whether these products would be worth the spend.

Let’s find out!

Protect Your Blog + Be Stay Cyber safe on your social media accounts

On this day in 2014, I woke up to write and discovered my blog was gone! A bit of a back story, someone tried to hack my blogger account. So as a precaution, blogger put my account on hold. I had to jump through hoops to get it back... That day I vowed to upgrade my passwords and become more conscious what I post online.

There are 4 tips to keep you cyber safe as an influencer.

Holiday: Gift sharing + Stocking stuffers for you and others

One of the best things about Holiday makeup?? 

You get to sample a little bit of everything. 

Which is good but what if you find a great set that doesn't have everything you want. 

My solution...

Go halvies with someone & share the love. 

Yes.. Halvies is totally a real word. I have a great example in packaging sometimes there is like 12 lipstick shades and only six of them will work for me which means of the other six won’t. I can either regift them as stocking stuffers or since I won’t have seas with someone we can totally spell split up the colours that work for me and the colours that work for her so that everybody’s a winner. 

Quo Liquid Lipstick Bar ($20) can be found at Shopper's Drug Mart.

Is Double Cleansing for you?

After a good girls night or a fun date night to muster up the energy to take off your make up is non-existent. In my younger days, I do remember nights not taking off my make up. Please don’t judge me! Thankfully, I had amazing skin that time so it did not impact me.

There are many ways to fully get your make up off which unfortunately do take up time... but honestly it’s worth it. One thing, I will never give up on is make up wipes. But I'm going to be honest, that there are some wipes that do not fully do the job in one wipe. Those CHEAP ones that are ALWAYS on SALE! Stay away from them. Most of the time, those cheaper wipes only get off the first layer of make up. What about your sunscreen, primer, moisturizer or serum? There is still residue left over. Don't leave me- wet a rag and wipe your face.

So here is where double cleansing comes into play...

Holiday: Beauty Advent Calendar Love

Oh, it’s time ladies! This is probably one of my favourite times of year for make up. My issue is always when to buy. One of the cons about gift sets/advent calendars is that if it really popular... it sells out quick! When I was new to the make up game, I would always wait until it was closer to Christmas to actually go out and purchase the item. Guess what? It was gone by then. 

I finally had the opportunity to get two Beauty Advent for the first time this year! 

The Winter Wonderland advent calendar from Sephora Collection ($56 CAN) 

was the first one I opened. 

Best Sephora Collection Holiday Picks Under $15

Budget is the main word I see coming out of a lot of people’s mouth this season. And you know what? I don’t blame them! For me, I rather get more products for my buck. So instead of getting someone one gift for $50- I rather put together multiple items. I say this all the time but one of the best hidden gems at Sephora is their Sephora collection. 

I was actually sent a few Sephora collection Holiday goodies and I picked five products which I feel any beauty lover would be grateful for!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Face Color Highlight, Sculpt and Blush Powder SWATCHES

I have been adding a little bit extra to my make up look, over the years. Although It’s subtle, it makes me happy! Like right now I’m really into highlighters and contours.
Should I do an extra post on this?

A while back Make Up For Ever launched their Artist Face Colors Highlight, Sculpt and Blush Powder ($29 CAN) and asked me if I wanted to try it out. My answer is always yes! I Love when I can share Products on the blog that can be use for all skin tones from the ivory to Ebony. Especially when it comes to things like blushes and highlighters. When you’re deeper toned you need cosmetics that are going to amplify your look!

20 Sephora Sale Options you Need Right Now

It's that time again! 

The Sephora Sale is here!

I've been eyeing so many things right now.

It's so hard not to go in there and buy EVERYTHING with my AMEX card.

Wedding: Five things I wish I knew before I went dress shopping

Dress shopping wasn't the disaster I thought it would be. I'm short, got boobs and a small waist. I expected fitting room breakdowns but it never got to that. I had to write this post because no one ever talks about the dress experience. It's definitely something that needs to be addressed. Here are a few tips that I wish I knew before I went shopping.

DO not let anybody tell you what you can or can not wear.
I went into a retailer to talk about the process of booking an appointment and on the spot she judged me. I was wearing an oversized sweater and a puffy parka. Her words were "You're a ballgown girl. Nothing else in here would be flattering on you. Don't look over there". Immediately my confidence was shattered. There is nothing wrong with ballgowns-they're gorgeous but why put me into a bubble before I even try anything on. It doesn't matter if you're 100 pounds or 300 pounds- TRY ON WHAT YOU LIKE! You make the decision what works for you.

How to Prep your Lips for Matte Lipstick

I’m tired of hearing people say that matte or "drier" lipsticks are not for them. I personally think that there is consistency out there that would work for everyone. Whether it be a liquid lipstick or something that applies satin right out of the tube. Trust me... you can make it work.

Guest Post: Clarins Event and Double Serum Review

A couple weeks ago Clarins welcomed a group of Canadian Beauty Bloggers/Toronto Influencers to the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Toronto for the launch of their reformulated iconic Double Serum. The event featured a presentation from Clarins’ brand ambassador. The room was beautifully decorated with elements and ingredients found in the serum such a kiwi, banana and milk thistle. At the event, we were all gifted with a full 50 mL bottle to try. (valued at $120 CDN)

10 Reasons Why you Need to Incorporate Face Masks into Your Life

I know that not everybody is into skin care. I’ve met people who still use bar soap on their face.. no I’m not talking about specially made skin care soap. I’m talking regular bar soap that they also use to wash their.... never mind. I’m not knocking you but I will say that if you do have skincare issues that generic soap is probably not going to get rid of them.

I am a big believer in skin care routines. You target pesky skin care problems such as discolouration, oily skin or even peeling and flaking. Like I know people who swear by homemade scrubs/mask made out of fruit/vegetables. For the ones who don’t have a lot of time or are just downright lazy...package masks are your best bet.

My Fall Beauty Picks from Murale

It’s time to switch up your skin care routine! With the air getting drier- I'm sorry to tell you but your skin is starting to lack moisture. That leads to cracking and peeling skin. 

NOTHING that I’m trying to have in my life! Lol

A few months back I went to a Murale FALL event. For my USA readers, "Murale stores have an offering of prestige products like hair care, fragrance, cosmetics, skincare plus bath & body." I was introduced to some new brands and was reacquainted with some brands that I know and love. I was also sent home with a healthy bag full of products to try out. 

Guest Post: ECOTOOLS Polishing Cleansing Cloths

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to thoroughly cleanse your face every night whether you are a heavy makeup wearer or not. I typically double cleanse. First, I remove my makeup with a makeup wipes followed by a cleansing balm/oil and then a regular cleanser using just my hands.

Regular thorough cleansing:

• Is essential to keeping your skin looking radiant and healthy.
• Helps your treatments (serums, oils, etc) to work properly
• Helps maintain proper pore size
• Encourages proper skin hydration and prevents the production of excess oils

While makeup wipes have been my tried and true tool for removing that first layer oil makeup, oil, dirt of the day, cost wise they can add up and they can be wasteful for the environment - especially when you are using more than one wipe every night (like I do) to get the job done.

Enter my discovery of ECOTOOLS Polishing Cleansing Cloths.

ColourPop No Filter Concealer – Deep Dark Swatches

It's very rare that I give in to makeup hypes. But when I heard that Colourpop was jumping into the colour cosmetics world and launching concealers... I had to get them. Plus I heard that they had a few colours for darker woman of colour. It was a no-brainer. I had to try it out!