Crimson & Clover: A look feat. Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca palette + Kiss lashes and nails giveaway

Kat von d title If there is one understated makeup line out there, it’s Kat Von D.

Yes, I know the line is quite popular (her Studded Lipstick in Lolita is the number-one selling lipstick in the States), but compared to all the rest of the brands, I usually don’t gravitate towards the Kat Von D area.  Why? I don’t know.

With that being said, everything I’ve tried from her line is amazing.  The colours are so pigmented and she’ll come out with shades that are – for a lack of a better word – unconventional. Think emerald green lipstick. Lime green eyeshadow. You get the point…

cover palette Palette Similar to last year, and just like every other brand, the tattooist came out with a holiday collection, including an eyeshadow palette. Similar to a record case, this guy slides out and includes 24 high-pigmented eyeshadows.  Not only are there seven neutral shades, but the real stars of the show are the 14 colourful shadows in mattes and shimmers that make up the bulk of the palette.

If you love colour, then you must pick up this palette.  When I first took a look at it I thought it would be, for the most part, out of my everyday comfort zone.  When I glanced at it again, trying to brainstorm a look for this post, I couldn’t decide which shade I wanted to use to create a look.  Do I want to do green? What about blue?  I ended up going with crimson, but then when I started playing with it, I actually mixed in a copper too, creating a sunset on the eyes.

Kat Von D came out with a holiday palette last year as well, which I also loved.  Her shadows are super pigmented and definitely pack some punch.  The only thing I don’t love about them is that there typically is a lot of fallout.  When you tap your brush to get rid of the excess, a lot of powder comes off them. With that being said, every shade I tried from this palette – and last years – I found a little did go a long way.

final 1 Steps 1. Lay down an eyeshadow primer, then using Noble and a fluffy crease brush, lightly brush this into the crease to act as your transition shade.

2. With a flat shader brush, work Harpsichord on your lid from the inner corner towards the centre.

3. With the other side of that flat shader brush, apply Rewind from the centre of the lid to the outer corner.

4. Grabbing your fluffy crease brush and a mix of Rewind and Vox (the greyish brown in the middle), lightly blend into the crease.

5. With Skulls and a dense shadow brush, apply that to your brow bone to highlight.  You’ll also apply this colour to the inner corners of your eyes to highlight there as well.

6. With Black Metal and an angled liner brush, apply that along your lash line. I stopped the line where my eyes end, choosing not to wing it out.

7. Apply your mascara and add some falsies.  I used Kiss Ever EZ lashes starter kit (keep reading to win your own set!).

8. With a combination of Rewind and Vox again, blend that on your lower lash line, then add a nude liner to your waterline to open up the eye area (I used Sephora Collection Colourful Shadow and Liner in Beige) and then apply mascara to your lower lashes.

final 2

For the lips I used a combination of Gerard Cosmetics Kimchi Doll and then Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita. Contour was done with the Smashbox Contour Kit and the cheeks and highlight were from the Becca Cosmetics Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop palette.

Honestly, the photos don’t do this look justice.  The eyeshadow colours were just so gorgeous  once they were applied. Any of these shades I think would just look so gorgeous as a holiday look.  Spice it up with some wispy lashes and false nails and you are set (hint, keep reading…).

Unfortunately, this set is sold out online, but check your local Sephora store to see if they still have it.  At C$71, it is pricier for strictly an eyeshadow palette (compared to other sets out there, which include more than just eyeshadows), but the quality of the shadows are amazing and much better than other sets I have tried this holiday season.

kiss lashes contest Regardless of which holiday shadows you will be rocking this year, I want you to complete the look with a giveaway from Kiss.  The company was gracious to give me lots of nails and lashes to give away to two lucky readers which will win a set of the Gel Fantasy nails, the Kiss Ever EZ Lashes Starter Kit (honestly, the best false lashes and the best lash glue, I swear by this kit!), and a pair of their Kiss Looks So Natural lashes.

Contest is open internationally until December 24, 2015, enter via the Rafflecopter below. Happy holidays and good luck!

Also, don’t forget to enter my Wen by Chaz Dean giveaway. Also two winners!

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Bows + Arrows: My top three gift picks for men!

TITLE So you have your parents down, besties all taken care of, but now there’s one last person left on your list.  Yes, I’m talking about the man in your life.  Gift cards are so passe, there’s nothing like giving tangible gifts.

Since men’s grooming is so 2016, I chose my top-two picks for getting your guy in tip-top shape for the holiday season and into the new year.  And because we all know they love gadgets, I threw in a typical electronic gizmo for good luck.

Jack Black

Jack Black Skin Care

My dad’s been actually using this stuff for years and years, and because they sell it at Sephora, so that’s totally a reason to stop in, right?

Because beards are still super hot, every guy and their dog is sporting one. Jack Black’s Beard Lube Conditioning Shave is an all-in-one revolutionary shave formula that’s a pre-shave oil, shave cream, and skin conditioner. The lightweight, lubricating lotion (that’s clear – making it easy to see where you are shaving) penetrates whiskers to soften even the toughest beard, while the macadamia nut oil and jojoba oil penetrates below the surface of the skin to soften new whisker growth. Your guy is left with an easy shave, soft skin and no razor burn.

Pair the beard lube with Jack Black’s Supreme Clean Triple Cushion Shave Lather (C$29)  for a luxurious, creamy lather that lifts whiskers up, away from the skin, for a smooth, close shave. This stuff offers Triple Cushion technology that has three protective hydrating layers that allows the razor to glide close to skin while offering a cushion of protection against razor burn irritation and more (making him so mush easier to kiss).

Finally, round out the set with some eye cream (hey, guys don’t want bags either!). The Jack Black Protein Booster Eye Rescue (C$46) is an intensive, multi-action eye treatment that delivers clinically proven antiaging technology. The formula includes peptides, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids that work to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and minimize puffiness and dark circles.

BS exterior BS interior

The Body Shop Modern Gent’s Post Party Rescue Kit

Does your guy like to party? Speed up the hangover process with The Body Shop’s Modern Gent’s Post Party Rescue Kit (C$32).

This tin of two products includes For Men Maca Root Eye Rescue Serum (15 ml) and For Men Maca Root Energetic Face Protector (100 ml). Designed exclusively for male skin, this set contains Peruvian maca root to help product and hydrate skin.

Perfect for either the morning after that (long) night out or to protect against winter’s harsh elements.  Plus, the tin would look so masculine on any guy’s countertop.

The Body Shop also offers another gift set for C$15, the Modern Gent’s Grooming Kit, which features large nail clippers, a metal nail grooming tool, nail scissors, and a comb.  Perfect for on-the-go grooming.

Samsung

Samsung G36 Edge+ smartphone

What would a guy’s gift be without something electronic?  Communicate better with the Samsung GS6 Edge+, Samsung’s most powerful phone to date, designed to offer the ultimate immersive, multimedia entertainment experience.

Aside from the stardard calling, texting, and social media (#BestGirlfriendEver), this phone has advanced built-in live streaming, which allows users to broadcast their holiday moments directly to their YouTube page, so everyone can see your BF unwrapping gifts from under the tree.  It also has built-in Fast Charge technology, which allows users to fully charge the phone in approximately 90 minutes.  Use the wireless charger to be completely charged in approximately 120 minutes.

Although I’m more of an Apple girl myself, I did get to play around with this guy for a week, and I loved the dual-edge design (perfect for all those games #CandyCrush), which delivers a larger entertainment experience, as well as it’s ease of use.

Whether you like to pamper your guy or add to his game addiction, there’s no abundance of great gifts out there this holiday season for that special someone.

What are you getting the guy in your life this holiday season?

Like what you read?  Check out these related posts.


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The magic wand: The DAFNI hair straightening ceramic brush

Dafni title

It seems as if beauty gadgets are starting to get way more advanced nowadays.

A few years back, the most technological beauty tool I had was the Clarisonic. Then I got an at-home hair removal machine, and now, brushes have more technology in them than just simply brushing your hair.

You may have seen the anti-frizz brushes making an appearance earlier this year (I have the Conair one), but there is another brush that just may be the king of them all… er queen..  She goes by the name of DAFNI.

DAFNI is a hair straightening ceramic brush.  Yes, you heard that correctly, a brush.  That straightens your hair. All you have to do is plug it in, turn it on, and then brush your hair. The unique 3D ceramic surface design allows you to straighten your hair in minutes by simply brushing.

The brush heats to a safe 185 degree C/365 degree F in a few seconds and evenly distributes heat without damaging it in the process. All you have to do is brush and you’ll see the hair straightening in one stroke.

using the tool

When I was first contacting to review this brush, I was super sceptical it would work. At first I thought it was one of those static-taming brushes, similar to the Conair InfinitiPro, which I also have. Then I read a little closer and noticed that it actually straightened the hair. I had my doubts, then I tried it out.

I enlisted the hair of my colleague who has fairly curly hair (my hair is naturally pretty straight). Miraculously it worked like a charm, her curled hair was straight by the time I was done with it.  For it to work best, you really have to get the hair in the bristles, then gently and slowly work your way down.   To sum it up, this is like a steamer for your hair.

I think we were all shocked at how well this worked.  First because unlike a straightener, which has two ceramic plates to flatten the hair, it’s just a brush.  Second, when I actually touched the brush, it wasn’t that hot (granted I only touched the bristles, I don’t think you’re supposed to get your finger in there and touch the actual brush base). That could be due to the patent-pending 3D ceramic surface design. It remains constant on the top recommended temperature of 185 degrees, which is safer for your hair than the temperatures that traditional straighteners reach.

before and after half and half

Although this is a miracle worker, there are some downsides.  It does leave your hair straight, however, you don’t get that shine and sleekness that hair straighteners give you.  This is great for a quick fix if you just want to brush and go. If you want shiny, sleek hair, stick with a straightener.  Second, the price.  At C$295, it’s quite the investment (considering that you can get top-quality hair straighteners for that price, even less).  If you would like the convenience and a two-in-one product (brush and hair straightener), then this is perfect. Also, if you have hair similar to mine, not pin-straight, but certainly not curly, then this is great since it would take you less than a minute to straighten.

When we tested the DAFNI on my colleague’s hair, she did have – for lack of a better word – ratty hair (aka second or third day curls, not brushed). So it did take a little while to brush through all her hair, however, according to DAFNI’s website, it should only take two to three minutes to straighten, which, after using the product, I can definitely see.

The DAFNI is sold in Canada at Showcase.

Now unfortunately I don’t have a spare DAFNI to give away, but I still want to gift two lucky readers with great hair.

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Two lucky winners will win a 60-day pack of Wen by Chaz Dean 60-Day pack, which values for C$140 (also found at Showcase).  The products help take your haircare regimen to the next level with added hydration, control and manageability.

Must be Canadian to win. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Contest closes on December 28, 2015.

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Please note, this post contains products sent by PR. All opinions are my own.

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