Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Sculpting Kit

I must admit I haven't had that much experience with brow products. My usual routine is to shape my prow with a generic brown eyeliner. But that aside I was quite impressed with this little kit! I'm really loving it right now.

It comes with a gel and a powder and both are tinted. After much debate I ended up going for the medium brown and I'm really happy I did. I almost ended up with the dark brown but it just looked too dark. And so the medium matched perfectly.

I do kind of wish that the kit had a ratio of gel to powder that was greater on the gel side. I'm really just using the gel to shape and colour, occasionally using the powder to fill in. But nowhere near as much. Then I just need the brush to be longer and I'm all set! It comes with a double sided angled brush that works perfectly, I just find it hard to handle sometimes because of how short it is. I'll get a better one soon!

Swatches of the Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Sculpting Kit
Left: gel
Right: powder

Physicians Formula City Glow Daily Defence Bronzer

I bought this while it was on sale because I wanted to try one of their products and this looked rather cool. It's too cool though - I should have grabbed the Paris one instead of the New York one! Oh well.

Basically I'm not a fan yet of cool toned bronzers. They just don't seem to show up on my skin, but I have a feeling it's because the ones I've tried have been too light for my skin tone. So from that you can probably gather that this didn't show up on my skin at all! 

It also comes with a heavy amount of gold flake on it that you can either try to use for a night out (?) or blow off the top like I did. So pretty to look at, but a bit hard to use. 

The actual bronzer has a slight shimmer to it as well. I actually found it perfect to use with my Maybelline Superstay Better Skin foundation, which I find doesn't give as much of that shimmery glow as I would like. So I now use this as a setting powder for my foundation! And I really like it as that. It's super lightweight and gives just the right amount of shimmer.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25H Foundation

So the full name of this is the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25H with Comfort Serum Skin Perfecting Full Coverage Foundation. Which basically is everything this product is.

It's full coverage, and I find that it ends up being fairly thick and heavy because if it. You especially don't really want to coat it with anything because even a finishing powder makes it caky. It does do the full coverage job though. And although I haven't had cause to wear it for 25h, nor would I do that to my skin anyways, I have worn it for an entire day. And I must say that at the end of the day it was definitely still there and it was actually really hard to take off. It's very water resistant too.

This is all a bit much for daily wear for me, just because I don't need it. I do use it for special occasions and I also use it to test how well a pore concealer primer works because this foundation will expose any pores unless you either wear a primer or work it in for a very long time.

One pump of the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25H Foundation

Starlooks Gem Pencil

I got this in my October Topbox and was pretty excited to try it because the initial swatches were gorgeous. The colour of this is amazing. It's a really bright shimmery indigo blue and it goes on super smooth.

It also sharpens just as smoothly, and I've had no breakage so far, which is really nice. It doesn't like to stay in a sharp point because of how soft it is though. Besides that the only problem I've had with it is the amount of fallout. You wouldn't expect it from an eyeliner but it's worse than my Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal for the pieces of glitter that migrate down my face. So that's not fun. But if you're just going to wear it for a couple of hours it's great.

Swatch of Starlooks Gem Pencil in Ultra Violet

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick (036 Kiss)

I'm pretty sure I picked this up because it was on sale and I wanted to try a Rimmel lipstick. This is a kind of soft shimmery mauve-pink which is not a colour I've owned before. But now I do!

I actually really like the colour of it. It's easy to wear and is more soft than most of my other reds and oranges. It has the smooth texture of a creme lipstick and it covers evenly. It does have a bit of transparency, but not a lot. The colour still comes out strong.

It's lasts for a couple of hours before you have to reapply. And besides that the only thing that bugs me about this lipstick is the smell. It smells exactly like a Lipsmacker I had years ago from a Christmas collection and it was called Sugarplum. When I smelled the Rimmel I knew it was familiar but it took me a few days for me to place it. Anyways, I hated that smell, and therefore this is not really any better. The best way to describe it is like a really sweet grape smell. I can get past that though!

Lise Watier Perfecting Foundation Brush

I needed a foundation brush for quite some time, but was reluctant to try the Quo brand of brushes, even though they are the only brush you see while you're in Shopper's Drug Mart. They don't have a good reputation, apparently shedding unnecessarily. I don't have a car and there aren't really many other options other than Shopper's (we don't have a Mac or Sephora in Guelph). 

Shopper's Drug Mart does have other options though, they're just hidden away a bit more. The other options I was given were by Lise Watier and Urban Decay. And these brushes are of a higher quality for equal to or less than the cost of the Quo brushes. So I chose the Lise Watier foundation brush to start out with.

And I love it so much. It's soft and smooth and blends exactly how I want it to. I've encountered no shedding, and it's easy to clean. It doesn't take a huge amount of the product either, so it's not saturated and wasting product. I can even dab concealer on it and use it to blend that

I feel like all brushes are overpriced really, but if I'm going to pay a lot I want the quality to be good, and I feel like this one is. I find it especially worth it to not have to use my fingers to blend in product, as I was doing before, since I feel that doesn't really help my skin to be putting my fingers all over it. It's probably psychological but I can't shake the feeling!

Maskeraide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask - All Nighter

I finally had cause to try this the other day. I got it in my October Topbox and haven't yet had a chance until now. It's supposed to be used after a particularly long night and not a lot of sleep. Usually I'm picky about getting enough sleep but for Halloween night I was out a bit later! So the next morning I used this to try and feel a bit more alert.

It's neat because it is literally a mask for your face. It fits over your face with holes for your eyes, nose, and mouth. You're supposed to smooth it down and rub in any excess into your neck and any uncovered parts.

I imagine it's quite hard to get something that fits everyone's face. There were some spots that didn't get covered but it wasn't bad. It definitely will wake you up because unless you've warmed up the packet first it comes out freezing cold! So putting that directly on your face is a huge wake me up.

Although I don't use masks all that much, I tend to use the type that peels off in a very satisfying way. This obviously doesn't provide that satisfaction, and I don't get the same feeling of having dirt and oil removed. It very well could be absorbing toxins from the skin, it just doesn't feel like it.

My skin just felt a bit more bouncy and resilient afterwards. It mainly just leaves the feeling of being very well moisturized. This would be good for someone who hates anything too heavy on their face, and doesn't want to wash or peel a large amount of product off after.

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.

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!

MAC Face and Body Foundation

I borrowed this from a friend to try out to see if I would like it. I'm always trying to up my foundation game! Unfortunately it isn't for me.

For a foundation I'm looking for something that is easy to blend and gives good coverage without feeling heavy. This foundation definitely meets the easy to blend requirement! It's the easiest I've worked with for blending. And I really like the fresh glowing look it gives my face.

The problem comes with coverage. I am not a fan of how watery this foundation is. It is a light coverage foundation, so I didn't expect it to cover everything the first time around. But for some reason I can't build it up! It would take at least 4 coats I think- I didn't get that far. After 3 coats I just ended up putting on my regular foundation. It got points for not making me feel like I had anything more than my usual foundation on though!

So there are some really good aspects of this foundation, and I would recommend it to someone who just needed a little extra boost for their skin and wanted a really natural finish. Other places I would use this is with another type of foundation, either under a powder or over a liquid for a better finish. But for the amount I would use it, it's not worth having this in my collection. 

Swatch of MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1

Lancôme Hypnose Drama Mascara Excessive Black

I had high hopes for this mascara but all around it just didn't work out for me. 

The formula is super dark, which is great for a dramatic look. The brush is in the shape of a cone taper and this accentuates the outer lashes quite a bit. The major problem I have with this mascara is that it leaves little clumps on my lashes. 

The little details don't make up for anything either. I think for a higher end mascara the packaging should be better- basically I don't think that any writing on the packaging should be able to rub off. This is just awful for that. And the other thing is the smell. I'm pretty influenced by smell and although it doesn't get applied anywhere near my nose, it still bothers me that it smells like perfume. It's a really traditional perfume scent that isn't at all subtle.

So, not for me! I'm finding some of my other mascaras can create the dramatic lash without the clumps and strong smell. 

Eye without mascara

Eye with Lancôme Hypnose Drama Mascara 

KISS Strip Lash Adhesive with Aloe (Black)

This is one of those things that I vaguely thought would be nice and then once I had it I appreciated it much more. My normal Ardell lash glue is my go to for everyday wear, but sometimes it gets gummed up with my eyeshadow and doesn't dry clear. So this is great for nights out when I want to keep my black eyeliner or shadow clean and dark, and hide the line of the lash strip.

This dries as dark and black as it comes out of the tube. It also keeps my lashes glued down until I take them off (after several hours). The consistency is a bit weird, and I don't know if that goes for all KISS lash glue or just the black. A lot comes out of the tube at once, and a lot seems to stick to the lash strip. This means that it ends up in far more places than I'd like it to go, and for something that dries black instead of clear, this is more of a problem. When I'm taking it off (or removing it from the bottom corner of my eye where it has accidentally landed), it seems more gummy and stretchy than any other glue I've worked with. I can't quite make out if this is a benefit or an accident. 

Although I really like this product, it does take more time and patience to work with, so it probably isn't for everybody!

Revlon PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer

This was given to me with enough left to try for a little while, so by no means have I used as much as the pictures suggest!

It's on the liquid side of creamy, and has the typical primer side effect of feeling dry after the application. There's a faint rose scent to it, but nothing bothersome.

It claims to be colour correcting and looks slightly tinted. I don't notice any difference to my skin tone when I put it on. If I had a really even skin tone I'm sure it would be all I needed, but I don't.


What I'm looking for in a primer is to keep my foundation in place and to fill in my pores. This is about average as a foundation primer. It sticks around through most of the workday, but not quite til the end.

Swatch of Revlon PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer in 002

It does surprisingly well under a heavy foundation. One of the tests of a good primer for me is to see how visible my pores are after application of primer and the Rimmel Lasting Finish, and although this doesn't completely cover them, it does a better job than most.

This product isn't for me, but I would recommend it to someone who doesn't need a lot of coverage and who uses a light foundation. Has anyone found this works well for them? What are your favourite colour correcting primers?

Essence Lipliner

I bought this one day when I needed something I could put under my lipstick to set it better. It was something like $2 and I expected its performance to reflect the price I paid for it.

As a lipliner, it is mediocre. It doesn't make a sharp line, lasts about as long as a creme lipstick (2-4h), and it's so soft that lipstick doesn't stick to it very well at all. In fact, that's what I ended up using it as. Because it's smooth and creamy I either wear it on its own or mixed with another lipstick to get a good colour. That is actually one thing that is really good- the colour payoff. The only trouble with using it to cover the lips is that because it's so soft a lot of product comes away when I apply it, and I use it up at a rather fast rate. For the price though it's not hard to replace!

Swatch of Essence Lipliner in 008 Red Blush

Benefit BADgal Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil

I got given this as a present and was pretty excited because I love so much of what Benefit has to offer.

The great thing about this eyeliner is that it is very black. And it looks awesome when you smudge it out too. It's maybe just a little too eager to smudge though. I have the worst time getting this eyeliner to stay where I put it. When I just line my inner eyes it always ends up below my lashes in large quantities.

This is really great for a base for a dark eyeshadow look though. It gives it that dark intensity that is often hard to achieve with eyeshadow alone. So for everyday use it's not my favourite but for nights out it's great. (Truthfully I did use most of it up as filler when I'd run out of my usual black eyeliner, but it always bothered it me that it smudged underneath so much.) 

It applies smoothly and consistently, without any catching on the skin. It doesn't really like to have a point, so any type of cat eye is super hard. And although the smudger on the end has a really nice feel to it, I didn't find that it smudged it out as well as a brush does.

Swatch of BADgal Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Black

Biotherm Biocils Make-up Remover Gel

So this is a makeup remover that is used on its own, without needing to rinse it off. It states on the back that it can be used on gentle skin and with contact lenses. It is a gel, but it's still very fluid.

I started using this in the evenings to replace my Clean & Clear astringent toner. I used the Clean & Clear twice a day (at morning and at night) mostly to take off excess dirt and makeup (because  nothing apparently will help my spots). I'm only using the Biotherm Biocils in the evening to get the rest of my makeup off, since it's not an astringent.

As a cleanser and makeup remover it works really well, better than the Clean and Clear (which isn't technically a remover but it does the same thing). And it is super gentle on the skin and eyes. I am one of those who wears contacts and sometimes a cleanser will gum them up. This doesn't do that, but you still need to wash it out if it gets in your eyes. 

The only complaint I have with it is that I need so much to get the job done. If it's just the eyes I'm focusing on it's not so bad, but between my skin and the cotton pad it seems to disappear. So I'm going through it crazy fast. For that reason alone I don't thing I'll repurchase, but it's good for the interim!