Maybelline Color Sensational- The Buffs: Untainted Spice

I love a good nude lipstick. As a woman of colour, it's always hard to find the right shade. Sometimes the colour is ashy or way too light. It's a never ending battle.


I was so excited when the Color Sensational® The Buffs - Lip Color By Maybelline collection ($9.99 CDN) showed up at my doorstep. One thing to know about Maybelline lipsticks: Always pigmented, creamy and long-lasting.

Depending on your skin tone there are 10 colours in the line to choose from. The colour I am showcasing is called untainted spice. It's the second darkest colour in the line.

Colours in the line:
Bare All
Truffle Tease
Blushing Beige
Nude Lust
Maple Kiss
Stormy Sahara
Untainted Spice
Espresso Exposed




Tip: If you are trying to warm up the colour. I would suggest getting a lip pencil that is a little bit darker than your skin tone- feathering it on your lips and then applying lipstick in the middle with a lip brush.


If you see these beauties in your drugstore- I suggest you 
swatch them and find your closest match!


New Spiced Beauty Contributor: Alyssa

I love switching it up and giving other beauty lovers a platform to share what they love. I approached Alyssa a while back to contribute to Spiced Beauty. She's a young- future MUA who definitely knows her stuff. Check out what she has to say about beauty!

Why did you want to contribute to Spiced Beauty?
About a year ago I was on twitter and I was searching for makeup artists in the Toronto area. I came across @JennMUA also known as the founder of spicedbeauty.com and started reading her blog often. I loved her positive reviews and the products she shared with her readers.
Months later, we started messaging each other and I told her I want to be a makeup artist and in the business field. She then offered me to be a guest contributor to her blog. I was honoured, and of course I had to take the offer. I knew this was a great opportunity for me to take, and I was praying for something like this to happen for a very long time. I definitely look forward to working with Spiced Beauty and providing her readers with reviews and swatches.

Favourite Canadian Beauty Brand?
I’d have to say Lise Watier and Annabelle.

Liquid, pencil or gel eye liners?
Liquid eyeliners for sure. No doubt about it.

Tip to get the perfect eyeliner?
Looking down into a mirror and resting your elbow on a flat surface can help keep your hand from shaking. You can also do the tape trick; just make sure to put the tape on the front of your hand so that it removes the majority of the stickiness because the skin around the eye is very sensitive.

Lipsticks or Gloss?
Lipsticks for sure. They last a lot longer, have more pigmentation and are not as sticky.

My ideal mascara is...
I like something that gives me volume and length, preferably in waterproof. My current favourite is the Maybelline The Rocket Volum’ Mascara. For days when I want longer, eye-widening lashes; I use Lancome’s Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara.


My favourite make up remover ...
I use both solutions and wipes to remove my makeup. For days when I’m wearing a full face makeup, I like to use the MAC Cleanse Off Oil. It makes it a lot easier to break up mascara on my lashes. To my oily ladies out there; don’t be afraid of this product! The particles in oil are too big to clog your pores.
When I only have makeup on my eyes and lips, I use Neutrogena’s Hydrating Towelettes. It works great with my dry skin and it can even handle waterproof mascara! Both removers are tough on my makeup, but gentle on the skin and do not leave my face feeling oily or soapy.

My skin care routine ...
I have finally found a skin care routine that actually works for my dry skin. In the morning, I splash my face with cold water and cleanse my face with Purity by Philosophy. Then I apply a very small amount of my favourite product ever; coconut oil. It’s popular in the West Indian culture and my whole family uses it every day. It nourishes the skin, hydrates, and fades away dark spots. It’s amazing. I don’t like having that oily feeling to my skin when I put on my foundation, so I apply my favourite moisturizer which is currently the Cetaphil Ultra Hydrating Lotion.
In the nighttime I do the same routine, but I first remove my makeup with the same Neutrogena wipes I mentioned before, and I don’t put on the Cetaphil lotion. Once a week I use my St. Ives Apricot scrub to exfoliate my skin at night.

Curly or straight hair?
I prefer straight hair; however curly hair is really nice for those days when you want to feel more dolled up.

How many lip products do you have in your purse/makeup bag?
I have 4 in my makeup bag and I just found 1 more at the bottom of my purse. So 5 in total. They are: Vaseline Lip Therapy, Revlon lip butter in Pink Truffle, MAC Spirit lipstick & Whirl lipliner and a Buxom lipgloss in Mwah.


Try Something New- Purple Lips for Date Night

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

For date night, I always opt for a red lip. It's sleek and it's sexy.
 Sometimes it's good to go out of box.

I went to Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up some new things for my #collectivebias post. I was on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick and then I seen it. On sale for $9.99- Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Shameless. A very pigmented violet balm that I know would look amazing on my skin tone!


It's really easy to find the beauty products I wanted at Shoppers Drug Mart. The aisles are long and always fully stocked. You can search by a brand and I personally loved that they always have great items on sale. I went on a really good week.
 Look at all those sale tags! 


Since I was going to go bold on the lips, I decided to make it a little easy on the eyes.
Here are the items I choose.

I used L'Oreal The Infallible Blackbuster 8HR Liquid Eyeliner since I wanted a thick cat eye. I love that it has an eight hour wear. 

To bring the cat eye together, I lined my lower water line with one of my favourite pencil eyeliners from Annabelle cosmetics in Jet Black.

Can't forget the eyebrows. I decided to go with an eyebrow pencil from Essence cosmetics. Shoppers Drug Mart is the exclusive retailer in Canada for Essence Cosmetics. Everything in the line is under five dollars.

For the night out why not little glow a little. I went with a highlighter from Essence cosmetics which is perfect for every skin tone. 

To finished off the eyes, I used the new Cover Girl Bombshell volume by LashBlast Mascara.  
I topped off the look with Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Shameless.

I was able to walk in and out of Shopper's Drug Mart with everything I wanted and had no issues. 

Is this a look that you put rock for date night?


Fashion: Tribal Batwing Sweater

Have you ever seen an article of clothing on somebody else and really wanted it. I remember seeing a girl shopping in this amazing tribal print open front sweater. She paired it with a tank, leggings and thigh high boots. It was so cute!

I was contacted by Rosewholesale, while searching the site- I seen a similar sweater in cream! I had to have it.

If you're not familiar with the site they are:

A leading international online fashion clothing store. Focusing on the very latest in affordable fashion style, both attire and accessories, we provide thousands of the latest in chic product lines, to give maximum choice to our discerning clientele. We aim to provide an extensive range of high quality, trendy fashion clothing – not only at the lowest prices, but also with a professional dedicated service to our valued customers from all over the world.
Since it's cold outside, I focused on sweaters (they have over 700 styles!). 
Plus they have a lot of cute tops and dresses that I would definitely add to my wardrobe.

The sweater I chose:
  • Oversized (can be worn with a belt)
  • Thick & Warm
  • Over universal size
I just have to remember to hand wash it..or it will shrink in the dryer.

There is a lot to view on the site. It totally easy to get overwhelmed and want to buy everything.
My tip would be sort by price, read the reviews and be aware of shipping costs from your country!



Three products to add to your beauty list- SKIN

I'm always looking for new skincare items to add to my list. In 2013, I was able to finish some of my favorites. Then I was faced with a dilemma – do I go and buy my favourites or try something new. You can never go wrong with trying something new. 

Here are three products which I would suggest you add to your beauty list:

Let's start off with Philosophy's Miracle Worker. One thing to know about me is if a product has the words anti-aging on it. I do not touch it. I know.. I know.. I'm getting older but I've been blessed with a baby face but I do know that all good things to come to an end. This anti-aging lactic acid product is a cleanser & mask. When I ran out of my favourite face cleanser, I decide to try it out. It is amazing! My first bottle is almost done and I already have two backups. Keeps your skin baby soft and radiant.

Have you seen Givenchy Mister Smooth Primer in stores? I do not wear foundation but if I'm going to an event- I will wear concealer under the eyes.  This product looks/applies like a cream and doesn't leave residue. As a woman with a darker skin tone, it's perfect for me! There is nothing worse than seeing someone's primer on their skin and it has a white cast.

Vichy LiftActiv Retinol HA Concentrate is another anti-aging product that I was skeptic about. After seeing a few positive blogger reviews. I knew I had to give it a try. Since it's very cold outside after I put on my light moisturizer, I apply it and go about my day. It's very light weight!



Have you tried any of these products?