Benefit It Stick (and Quo sharpener)

I know, I know. They don't make these any more. But for comparison's sake I thought I would review it anyways. 

Once I started using this, I found I didn't have a sharpener to fit it. I looked in a couple of places and finally found one at Shopper's Drug Mart from their brand Quo. The sharpener has a normal small size and a medium size that fits the Benefit It Stick. 

I find I'll use this if I'm in a rush and am just putting on a bit of concealer. It blends in pretty well, and it stands up fairly well to the liquid concealers I own. It covers about the same, but I find it doesn't last as long as a liquid concealer. It isn't as great to use around the eyes either, because it pulls a tiny bit on the skin. 

All in all, not bad. It's good for doubling up concealer. I'll use this first and then cover it with a liquid concealer and it's helpful for really tough spots and acting as a base for the other concealer.

3 Products I Couldn't Live Without in High School

I was going through an old makeup case the other day and came across a bunch of things that I used all the time in high school. My taste and style has changed quite a bit since then, but it was fun to reminisce!

These are products that I bought multiples of and that I used quite a bit. The first is the Wet 'n' Wild MegaBrilliance Lip Gloss. I only have three left from then but I remember having a lot more! They're basically a gloss with a bunch of glitter in them. I wasn't into lipstick at all in high school and these seemed a good alternative, especially since I loved (and still love) all things shiny! They smell really good too.

The next this in the Yves Rocher Liquid Pearl Eyeshadow. The colours I have here are Daring Plum and Bronzed Green, and I used to have a gold one too but I used it all up! My mom ordered from Yves Rocher so I was always getting this and that to try. These are good bases for powder eyeshadow and they have super strong pigment on their own as well. The sponge applicator gets a bit streaky but you can fill that in and get a smooth coat of colour pretty easily.  (I would actually use these again if I could.)

And the last is the Annabelle Kohl Eyeliners. I was so obsessed with these! I basically thought the blue ones as the perfect blues and wore them with blue eyeshadow a lot.

As you can see I was much more colour oriented back then and focused only really on my eyes (and even then I had no idea how helpful mascara could be!). I'm trying to get back to that a little because I feel like I'm stuck in the neutrals rut!

What were your favourite products when you were younger? Do you still love them now? Let me know!

Swatches just for fun!
Bottom 2: Yves Rocher Liquid Pearl Eyeshadow
Middle 3: Wet 'n' Wild MegaBrilliance Lip Gloss
Top 3: Annabelle Kohl Eyeliners

Sunday Shoe Day: Club Couture Platform Pump

Soo... I obviously like lace. This is my second pair of pumps that have a see-through lace top. These ones have more lace concentrated at the toe, and are covered at the heel with a satin-like finish. These are also a little more comfortable than my other ones.

I've somehow already nicked the heel from catching them in the cracks in the sidewalk. I somehow need to avoid these more!

I got these for $25 at Meow! in Guelph. I find quite a few shoes there it seems!

L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Fixing and Unifying Eyeshadow Primer

I was a bit confused by this product at first. It seemed weird that it was encased in plastic that you have to sharpen. It's really hard on the sharpener and on the plastic, which doesn't sharpen evenly. This is my major grievance with the product, which would all be fixed if they made it in a twist up/no sharpen format.

I'm really impressed with it as a primer though. For me it's quite long lasting. It gets me through the workday without any smudging, and a few hours after that too. It ends up being my eyeliner that smudges in the end! It works especially well with some creme eyeshadows that I have by CoverGirl- it somehow extends it's staying power.

One thing to watch out for is how fast it dries. It's rather thick to put on (so I wouldn't recommend it for super sensitive eyelids since it pulls a bit) and if I don't blend it immediately it becomes fixed where it is.

Because it's pigmented for colour correction, I don't really understand why there's only one colour option. I might actually go a shade darker if they had it as it seems to lighten up my skin a lot. It does a good job with coverage and evening skin tone though.

Shiseido Shimmering Rouge Lip Colour

I was given this as a present a year or so ago and I absolutely loved it! The only problem I had was when I went to repurchase. I couldn't find it easily and then when I saw how much they go for I was a bit disappointed. Although I love it a lot it is around $30 CAD, and for how fast I used it up I just can't justify it!

This lip colour is somewhere between a gloss and a lipstick. It has a transparent pigment that's shimmery as well as glossy. But it's not overtly either of those, it's really quite subtle actually. And I really like the texture of it. It's smooth and transfers evenly and it just feels nice. It's not sticky at all, and there's barely any weight to it. 

Unfortunately like anything with a high gloss it doesn't have a whole lot of staying power. But it's worth it for the colour it gives my lips. I'm not sure if it was just the shade I got (OR405 Sizzle) or if they all do it, but I use this when I want a more natural finish. So this is my perfect "my lips but better" product. I feel like it just enhances the colour of my lips and makes them look more polished. I wish so much I could ignore the price tag!

Shiseido Shimmering Rouge in OR405 Sizzle

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-balm

I got this as a sample at Shopper's Drug Mart. It doesn't come with any instructions so I had to look it up online. Basically you're supposed to put a small amount onto your face and massage it in, giving your face and neck a massage at the same time.

I actually quite like this. I don't notice a huge difference in the recovery department, just very moisturized skin. I get the feeling from the instructions that this is supposed to be a tool to help relax and de-stress. And I actually do find this super relaxing. The texture of the formula is really smooth and cool, and there's the faint rosewater scent that is light and pleasant.

As much as I like this, I don't think I'll be purchasing it any time soon. The price tag is quite hefty for something that is basically something extra to treat yourself with. It's kind of like a day at the spa- lovely to have, probably wouldn't buy it for myself, but excellent to give and receive as a gift. If it made a difference for someone else, I can definitely see the, buying it for themselves, but I'll just enjoy what I have. 

Benefit The Porefessional Face Primer

This stuff is my go to primer right now. It seems Benefit primers love me!

It has a slight tint to it, but when I apply I really don't feel this makes a huge amount of difference. It has the usual drying effect of every other primer I've used.

But I hardly need to use any at all to get the job done, which is awesome for a more expensive item. And it applies and blends in smoothly.

Besides that, what I'm looking for in a primer is something that will hold my foundation all day and fill in my pores as much as possible. This is the only one I've found so far that does both. Even with my pore test, under the Rimmel Lasting Finish full coverage foundation, it smooths everything down. And it keeps any foundation completely in place for me until the end of the work day. Even at the end of the day it's just my oily spots that have started to show through a bit. No smell either!