The Holiday Collection: Disney Cinderella Collection by Sephora Moonlight Kiss Lipstick Set

Living in Canada, we are blessed with a winter wonderland around the holiday time.  Last weekend it snowed hard in my city and the whimsical white stuff always reminds me Christmas time.

Sephora recently released a whimsical collection of their own with the Disney Cinderella collection which consists of lipsticks, eyeshadows, nail polishes, a perfume, and a special-edition mirror. Out of all the Disney princesses, I wouldn’t say Cinderella is my fave (I have always been obsessed with Beauty and the Beast) but there is something about that whole rags to riches story and finding her “prince charming” that is magical.  Plus, there’s the whole glass slipper thing, I do love shoes, except my ideal “slipper” would be a pair of Louboutins…

Anyways, I was lucky to receive the lipstick set which consists of four princess-inspired colours.

I love the UPC code on this- it's the little details that count

Lady Tremaine

Pumpkin

Who Is She?

My Moment

The four colours include Lady Tremaine, a berry colour; Pumpkin, a light pastel peach; Who Is She?, a warm rosy mauve; and My Moment, a pink champagne glitter.

This is my first foray into Sephora’s lipsticks.  The colour payoff is very good with only one application (except for My Moment, which is the most sheer out of any of the colours).  As for consistency, they are reminiscent of MAC’s matte lipsticks; they are long lasting, but drying.

Lady Tremaine applied. Note this is after about seven hours of wear.

Lady Tremaine is the darkest colour in the set and named after the wicked stepmother from Cinderella.  Just looking at this colour in the tube, it screams wicked witch; it’s very vampy and perfect for fall.  It’s very dark in the tube but luckily it’s buildable colour.  Once applied, it’s more of a wine shade, but you can build it up to full opacity.  It’s also very staining.

Pumpkin applied

Pumpkin is my favourite colour from the set. It’s a peachy-nude, but nowhere as nude as MAC’s Myth.  It’s super pretty and the one lipstick from the collection I carry on me often.  Like Lady Tremaine, it’s also very drying and matte (in this photo I layered it over a lip balm so that’s why it seems shiny).  As for wear, the colour lasts a few hours on my lips.

Who Is She? applied

Who Is She? was probably the one lipstick I was least looking forward to trying.  Not because I don’t like the colour, but I find it is the most common from the bunch.  I haven’t really worn this one an awful lot but it is a pretty pink colour; very flattering.

My Moment applied

My Moment was the colour I was looking forward to the most from this collection.  This colour is a beautiful nude pink with glitter, that when applied, appears shimmery.  I do love the colour but I find that you really have to pack this on for it to properly show up (and as a result from applying pressure I found the bullet has started to bend).  Out of all the colours, I have found this one the most moisturizing from the bunch.

I really do love this collection and it would make a great gift for any Cinderella or Disney lover (or anyone you consider a princess), but keep in mind that these aren’t the best formulas of lipstick I have come across.  A lot of reviews complained of their waxy texture and the fact that they are made for fair-skinned people.  They are a bit waxy (in texture and smell) but that doesn’t bother me, and since I am fair-skinned, I can’t really comment on whether these would be suitable for olive or darker skin tones (keep in mind that Cinderella was pretty pale, maybe Sephora was looking for colours that would suit her as the collection is inspired by the movie).  They aren’t the best formula of lipstick I have tried, but the colour payoff is pretty good and they do their job (Lady Tremaine is super long lasting).  Also, keep in mind that you get four lipsticks for C$30 ($25 USD), so that works out to C$7.50 a lipstick, not bad considering it’s Sephora.

I think this is an awesome set regardless of the quality of the product. Some of the colours may not be suitable for pre-teens (Lady Tremaine), but for those young at heart or like to pretend they are a Disney princess (me), this set is perfect for them.

I did check my local Sephora and I know it’s sold out there so if you are interested in the set check your local store or order online (plus get 4.0% cash back through Ebates).  If you wanted to get someone young something from the collection (who maybe isn’t into makeup just yet, but loves Disney), make sure to check out the Disney Cinderella Collection Compact Mirror, which seems to be a huge hit (currently sold out online, they had a few at my local store though).

Is the Disney Cinderella Collection by Sephora Moonlight Kiss lipstick set on your wish list?

Please note I was sent this product from PR. All opinions are my honest own.

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Pink and perfect: The Original Beauty Blender

Last Wednesday I got an email from Sephora about their VIB 20 per cent sale (ends today!).  Now, I’m not one to pass on a discount, especially at Sephora, but since I didn’t really need anything, I thought about products that I have always wanted to try but didn’t want to fork over the cash for.   The Beauty Blender is one of them.  I didn’t even know they had it at my local Sephora until earlier last week when I spotted it near the cash registers, so when I got the email about the sale the first thing that popped into my mind was the Beauty Blender.

So what is the Beauty Blender, well essentially it’s a little pink sponge that you use to apply your makeup.

From beautyblender.ca:

Beautyblender’s patent-pending elliptical shape makes application foolproof by allowing you to access hard-to-reach areas with stunning ease. Its suede texture is sensual to the touch and its unique curves fit the contours of your face, leaving your make up dazzling and undetectable. Beautyblender is latex free, non-allergenic and odor free.

I love and swear by my elf Studio flat top powder brush, but since I have heard amazing things about this little product, I thought I would give it a try.  Sure it’s cute, with its tear-drop shape and hot pink colour, but trust me, if it didn’t have a five-star review on sephora.com, and the fact that every blog I have come across raves about it, I probably would not have picked it up.  This little sponge runs for C$26 for one (although you can buy a two pack for a few dollars more – my local Sephora didn’t carry the two pack).

The Beauty Blender is pretty small when you first open it, in fact I don’t even think it’s bigger than a tube of lipstick.  However, with that being said, you have to wet the sponge to use it properly, and once wet, it actually expands to double its size.

The above photo is me with absolutely no makeup on.  I thought I would do a before and after photo, in addition to my thoughts.

So you use the product but wetting the sponge first then squeezing the excess water out.  Then, I usually just put some foundation on my hand and dab the sponge over the foundation then pat it on my face.  Apparently you aren’t supposed to swipe the makeup over you face, instead apply it using a patting motion.  The reason you wet the sponge is so it doesn’t absorb the product, instead it applies all the product to your face, not wasting any drop of foundation unlike a normal foundation brush or sponge.

I use the bottom of the sponge to cover most of my face; however, it is tear-shaped for a reason.  You use the pointed top part for hard-to-reach and smaller areas, like under the eyes and around the sides of your nose.

I look so attractive here. Note how big the sponge is once wet.

Once finished, the end result is supposed to be an “airbrush” finish.

Here’s my “after” photo.  As you can see I have an even coverage and my foundation looks smooth and natural (for the record, I used Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation in Bamboo Beige and It Cosmetic Bye Bye Undereye concealer for under my eyes).

Now is this product any different than a foundation brush?  Some people claim that they use less foundation with the sponge, so far I would say I use about the same amount, however, I do believe that more product wouldn’t be wasted with the sponge because it doesn’t absorb it.  The biggest difference between the Beauty Blender and my foundation brush I have found is that the product settles on my skin better than when I use a brush.  You know when you apply foundation and it looks all wet and dewy?  With the Beauty Blender my foundation is set; it’s almost as if my skin soaks up the product more, and as a result, it does leave a more natural-looking finish to the face compared to a foundation brush.  I didn’t even really have to set my makeup once it was applied.  The product also blends the makeup more (hence the name) and doesn’t leave you with brush strokes or uneven coverage.

So would I recommend the Beauty Blender?  I am glad I tried it, but it’s not a necessity.  If you love how your foundation looks with a brush, then I would say stick with the brush. If you are a makeup artist then I would probably pick it up.  I have seen reviews from people who say that they love using it on other people; I haven’t yet tried that so I couldn’t tell you my thoughts on using it on other people, only on myself.  It is a bit pricey for a sponge and there are a lot of different dupes out there (most people recommend Sonia Kashuk’s version from Target), so if you don’t want to fork over the major cash for it, maybe try one of those.  Also, keep in mind that the sponge isn’t going to last forever, because of bacteria and break down from use, the sponge will probably have to be replaced anywhere from six months to a year’s time.

Speaking on bacteria, the company behind the Beauty Blender highly recommends their own cleanser to clean the product.  I clean my brushes with just whatever shampoo I have (I’m bad, but I have had my brushes for a while and nothing bad has seem to come of this), but I didn’t want to take the chance of getting the sponge wrecked, so I also picked up the cleanser.

Also a product that is not cheap (C$15), my local Sephora only had the Beauty Cleanser Solid which is essentially like a soap bar (perfect for travelling) that you swirl your Beauty Blender in, suds it up, then rinse clean.  This is the first time I have seen the bar version of their cleanser, whenever I have done research on the product in the past it was always the liquid cleanser.  I would imagine that a bar version of this product would last longer though.

Apparently their cleansers have a special pH balance perfect for the sponge, plus this cleanser is good for cleaning makeup brushes, so I didn’t mind picking this up.

All in all, when you factor in picking up the cleanser in addition to the Beauty Blender, it can get quite expensive.  If you are really interested in picking this product up, I would look for a combo set (check out Sephora.com or the Beauty Blender website).  Like I said, it’s not a necessity, but it does provide a bit more of a natural coverage than your typical foundation brush.  Perhaps, if you don’t own a foundation brush, I would recommend checking this product out.

Do you own a Beauty Blender?  If so, what are your thoughts?

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Nail polish collection and storage

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a nail polish addict.  A year ago this time my collection was modest with maybe less than 20 polishes.  Now, I am over 100 and counting.

Since I have so many different colours and brands, I want to display them properly.  I actually had a 36-polish OPI stand but I quickly filled that up.  I was given a 90-polish stand which I honestly didn’t think I was going to fill, but I managed to fill that one up in a few short months.

36-polish OPI stand

I don’t typically color-coordinate, however, I do try to keep brands together.  For example, my Essie polishes are together (although in different places – I try to keep collections together), same with my OPI, China Glaze, and Deborah Lippmann varnishes (which I keep in their boxes).  For my overflow polish (minis, odd shaped bottles that won’t fit in my stand, and ones that I just don’t have room for) I keep those in a little bowl which I keep displayed on some coffee table books (I call it my girly nook).

My stand is by OPI and I was given it, however, if you are interested in getting one yourself, check out eBay or beauty supply stores (although you will probably need a cosmetology license to purchase from a supply store that sells or distributes OPI).  You can also always create your own stand and hang it on a wall.

How do you display your polishes?

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