Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! Thank-you for reading my blog over the past few months. I look forward to bringing you more beauty and fashion posts in the future.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Free Samples, Free Shipping, & Discounts at ULTA

ULTA is currently offering 3 promotions:

1. Get free shipping today (April 23) at ULTA on all orders of $25 or more using the coupon code 50830.

2. Today only, get a deluxe free sample with your purchase of $25 or more. You can pick the sample that you want. Options include: Aveeno Nourish Moisturize Shampoo, DKNY Pure Mini, Bvlgarl Bvl II mini, Korres Quercetin & Oak Day Cream, Smashbox Deluxe O-Gloss sample, and H20 Plus Hand and Nail Cream sample. Click here to see how the promotion works: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/landing/landingProducts.jsp?pageName=choose1of6wk1211&CID=ET_wk1211_Sat_WP_TDotcom_TN_x_x_x&ET_LID=FREE+GIFT&RID=1531209137

3. Get $10 off any purchase of $60 or more with the coupon code 15967. Offer ends 5/8/11.

*only one coupon code may be used per order*

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Free Skincare Samples for Men

P&G is now offering free samples for men including skincare, razors, body wash, and more!

To sign up for your samples go to: http://brandsamplerformen.ca/en_CA/home.php

You will be asked to sign up and fill out a short survey about the products that you use so that the site can determine which samples to send you. Don’t wait to sign up because these samples are offered on a first come first serve basis.

*click image to enlarge*

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

First Impressions: Joe Fresh Beauty Products

About a week ago I was browsing through the grocery store in search of ingredients to make a taco dip (see this post if you would like to read about the dip and watch a tutorial: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.com/2011/04/easy-taco-dip-recipe-for-parties.html) when the Joe Fresh Beauty display caught my eye.
Joe Fresh Beauty (http://www.joefresh.com/en/bath_beauty/) has been sold at Loblaws stores since 2009 and I can’t believe that it took me this long to try it out. I decided to purchase three items to see how I liked the brand. I got a lip stain, a tinted lip balm, and a cheek tint.
Since I have only been using the products for a few days I don’t think that I have a strong enough opinion of them enough to write a full review on each. However, I would like to tell you about my experiences with the products so far.
Lip Stain in Peach
I was most excited to try the lip stain because it has been very windy here and I do not like when my long hair gets stuck in my lip gloss. I wanted something that would give my lips a nice flush without a sticky texture. So far the only lip stain that i have tried is Benefit’s Benetint. While I love Benetint, its brush applicator does not always give a precise stain and I often worry that the bottle will leak in my purse. The Joe Fresh lip stain solved these problems because it has a precise marker-like tip that is perfect for lining lips and then filling them in. The package also closes very tightly and does not seem like it would leak. As for the colour, I think that it is very pretty and natural but is a bit more brown than I had expected. The outside of the packaging shows the colour as a true peach but, in reality, it is a slightly more beige-peach. That said, I still really do like the colour. It gives my lips a your-lips-but-better flush. For me, the only downside to to this product is the smell. It has a peach alcohol scent and I don’t mean rubbing alcohol—vodka is more like it! I really do not like the smell of vodka or any other type of alcohol so I do have to hold my breath a bit when I apply this product. Luckily, the scent does not linger for very long after application and the product does not have any distinct taste. It dries thoroughly and lasts on the lips for a few hours. At $6 I think that the price of this lip stain is very reasonable. Next I would like to try the shade Grapefruit for a brighter more coral-pink tint.
*click photos to enlarge*

Tinted Lip Balm in Papaya
I bought this product because I have heard a lot of good things about it. First I must say that the colour in the tube looks nothing like the colour that shows up when the product is applied to the lips. In the tube Papaya looks like a hot pink with slight orange undertones. On the lips Papaya shows up as a pretty light pink. Normally pink lipsticks turn an orangey brown on me which is why I usually stay away from them. When this product is first applied it looks slightly orange around the edges of my lips but the orange quickly fades to reveal that pretty natural looking light pink colour. In the centre of these balms is a lip conditioner and I have to say that the product leaves my lips very moisturized long after the product fades. It does have good lasting power though and I love how it leaves the lips looking glossy and moisturized. I am really impressed with the packaging. The mirror-like tube looks very classy and expensive and somehow picks up very few fingerprints which is always a plus. The best part of this product is definitely the scent; it is very sweet and fruity and lasts for a long time once the product has been applied. I can actually smell the product while it’s on my lips! I only wish that the product had an equally good taste. It really has no flavour at all. Overall I really do like this product but at $8 I think it is a bit expensive for a lip balm.

Cheek Tint in Pink
The last Joe Fresh Beauty item that I purchased is the Cheek Tint in Pink. Like the tinted lip balm, this product looks a lot brighter in the tube that it does on the skin. In the tube it is almost the same colour as the tinted lip balm in Papaya with that hot pink base and slight orange undertones. On the cheeks this tint shows up as a pretty rosy pink that gives that just came in from a jog look. It is very flattering and makes the skin look smooth and glowy. The product has a very faint and subtle shimmer that is not visible on the cheeks. I like how it is easy to blend and dries to a smooth finish that does not leave the skin feeling sticky like some cream blushes do. There is no scent to this product which is probably a good thing because it decreases its potential to cause irritation or reactions on sensitive skin. It comes in a plastic tube and twists up like a lipstick. At $4 this product is very affordable and definitely worth trying.

Overall I am pretty impressed with Joe Fresh Beauty products so far. In addition to the pros and cons that I have highlighted about each of the three products that I have tried, I want to point out two other advantages of these products: 1. They are sealed very well so you don’t have to worry about buying a product that has been opened or used in the store. 2. They do not do any animal testing!!!!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Bare Escentuals Sale!!!!

From April 19-21 bareescentuals.com is offering free shipping on all brushes. Use the code BUFF at checkout to take advantage of this offer.

Or, if you purchase two regular brushes you can use the code WASH at checkout to receive a free bottle of Well-Cared For Brush Shampoo (a $14 value).

Then on April 22 bareescentuals.com is having a 12 hour sale from 9am to 9pm PDT. Shop the site between these times to receive 30% off or more on select products. No coupon code necessary.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

My Top 5 Favourite Makeup Sites!

Before purchasing a product, I like to research it and read reviews on it to see whether or not it is worth investing money in. I also like to stay informed about new and upcoming beauty, makeup, skincare, and hair care products, as well as fashion styles and trends.

I have 5 favourite websites that I visit often to locate beauty information and product reviews, learn beauty tips and tricks, and chat about beauty products on forums.

In no particular order…

1. makeupalley.com (product reviews, beauty and fashion discussion boards, and makeup trades/swaps, etc.)

2. specktra.net (beauty and fashion forums, wiki, blog, buy/sell/swap makeup, etc.)

3. makeuptalk.com (beauty and fashion forums, product reviews, buy/sell/swap makeup, articles, blog, etc.)

4. makeupgeek.com (tutorials, articles, product reviews, beauty and fashion forums, store, buy/sell/swap makeup, etc.

4. Luuux.com (store, articles and blog posts on beauty, fashion, and more, follow me and add me as a friend: http://t.luuux.com/SH2lX?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luuux.com%2Fhealth-beauty%2Fbridal-nail-look%3Ftid%3D%7Btransaction_id%7D%26aff_id%3D%7Baffiliate_id%7D )

White beauty sites are on your list of favourites?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Michael Todd Cosmetics on HauteLook!

Michael Todd cosmetics are currently being sold at discounted prices on HauteLook. They have mascaras and lipsticks for $8.99, lipglosses for $8.50, cream blushes for $9.99, foundations for $18.50, and more!

If you are not a member of HauteLook, you can sign up through this invitation link to start shopping: http://www.hautelook.com/invite/fictionwriter

*click image to enlarge*

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Did You Sign Up For Your Free Samples Yet?

Every few months P&G brandSAMPLER offers a range of different products for customers to try. Samples often include beauty products, skincare, shampoo, tooth care, snacks, dish detergent, laundry soap, razors, and more.

If you have not yet signed up to receive your free samples click here to visit the brand sampler site: https://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/brandsampler.jsp 

Once you sign up they may ask you to fill out a quick survey to determine which products you currently use as sample selection is often tailored for each customer.

At the moment it looks like they only ship to the USA and Canada. Hopefully in the future they will include other countries.

I have been signing up for P&G samples for a few years now and they are always very generous in size. Keep in mind though that they really do take almost 6 weeks to arrive.

Don’t wait too long to sign up, they are issued on a first come first serve basis. Good luck!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

First Impressions: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

I just got my first NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils! I ordered them on ebay and purchased the colours Milk, Lavender, and Cottage Cheese.
When I first opened the envelope that the came in, I was worried that they were fake because the tips of the pencils were surrounded by plastic rather than wood. With some research I learned that many of the jumbo pencils now come with plastic tips. As for sharpening, I’m not sure how that works but I have heard that the NYX sharpener will sharpen the plastic tips. Once I get the sharpener I will try it out and let you know how it goes.
So far I have not tried the pencils on my eyes but I have swatched them on my hand as you can see from the photos below. Milk is very pigmented whereas Cottage Cheese and Lavender are very sheer. I think that Cottage Cheese will work well as a highlight colour but I am not sure what I will use Lavender for. I was hoping to use it as a base under some of my lighter purple shadows but I am not sure if it is pigmented enough. If not, I can just use Milk.
The pencils have a very creamy texture that blends well. Once I try these on my eyes I will test to see whether or not they crease easily and if they must be worn with a primer.
For those of you that have used these pencils, what do you think of them?
*click photos to enlarge*

Milk:

Cottage Cheese:

Lavender:

Friday, April 8, 2011

New Cream Shadows and Blushes from Joe Fresh Beauty!

I got an email this morning from Joe Fresh Beauty announcing some of their new products for spring. Among these new products are cream eyeshadows and blushes.

If you have never heard of Joe Fresh Beauty, it is a line of products that was launched in the spring of 2009 and offers quality products that are both fashionable and affordable. Products are sold in over 250 Loblaws stores in Canada.

So far, I have not tried Joe Fresh Beauty products but I would love to try the cream blushes, lipsticks, lipglosses, lip stains, and cheek tints. The products really are affordable. For example, the new cream blushes are $8 and the cheek tints are only $4.

Have you tried any beauty products from Joe Fresh? If so, what did you think of them?

To find out more about the new products and see the company’s other products, visit http://www.joefresh.com/en/bath_beauty/

*click image to enlarge*

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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Have You Heard of Luuux?

If you are unfamiliar with luuux.com it is an online community where users share information through blog-type posts. There are a number of forums that you can post on including Beauty, Fashion, Entertainment, Design, Food, Sport & Fitness and more!

The best part is that you can accumulate points (Luuux Dollars) for posting content on Luuux. You can also earn points for performing other activities such as commenting on another member’s posts and rating posts.

Once you accumulate enough points you can make a purchase in the Luuux online shop. You can use your points to buy a range of items from a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes to a Louis Vuitton bag, a bottle of Chanel perfume, a Sony PlayStation 3 or an iPod touch. There are many items in the store so it may be hard to decide what to spend your points on. At the moment I plan on saving up my points to purchase a Sigma brush set.

Click the link below to check out one of my recent Luuux posts. Don’t forget to sign up so that you can start earning your own points…and don’t forget to follow me and add me as a friend!

http://t.luuux.com/SH2lX?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luuux.com%2Fhealth-beauty%2Fsigma-brush-giveaway%3Ftid%3D%7Btransaction_id%7D%26aff_id%3D%7Baffiliate_id%7D

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Update on the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W570

Yesterday I expressed my disappointment in this camera.

Today it was nicer outside so I tested out the camera to see how it would film and take pictures in the daylight. I have uploaded a video to YouTube, which you can check out below, that shows the results of my test. Once uploaded to YouTube, video quality is much better. However, the video tends to blur when even minimal levels of zoom are used.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W570 Camera Test Video

Monday, April 4, 2011

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W570 First Impressions

I purchased the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W570 yesterday. My old camera had stopped working and I needed a new one to film YouTube videos and take photos. I chose between this one and the Nikon S4100. So far I regret my choice. I have tried to film videos 3 times now and the quality is no better than my old camera which did not film in HD. This Sony camera is supposed to film in 720p. The videos have turned out very dark and a bit blurry. Photos seem to have a red tint and look a bit distorted. I’m sure that the poor quality of videos and photos has something to do with the fact that I have not had a lot of time to play with the camera’s settings. That said, I was hoping to get a new camera that was easier to use than my old one and produced great videos and images without a lot of trouble. As you can see from the photos below, the images are darker than they should be. They also don’t look amazing in comparison to those that my old camera took.

I didn’t get the Nikon S4100 because, although it films in HD at 1080p, it shoots videos at a lower frame rate. It also does not have image stabilization and apparently has poor macro. I’m not sure if I should return the Sony camera now or try it out for a bit longer. I’m worried that if I get the Nikon it will be a disappointment as well. I would love a Canon but they are out of my price range. Any thoughts?

*click photos to enlarge*

Bare Escentuals Jade Eyeshadow

Friday, April 1, 2011

One Day Only Tarte.com Sale!!!!

For today only Tarte is offering 30% off. Use the code APRILFOOL to get the discount! Offer valid only on Tarte.com.

*click photo below to enlarge for more details*

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