Nancy Power Makeup Artist

Inexpensive liquid eyeliner must haves

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 15:59:00 +0000

All liquid eyeliners are not created equal... But if you are wanting to use liquid eyeliner on a budget there are a few great ones to choose from. I have tested all sorts of drugstore liquid liners and some are great bang for your buck while others aren't worth the buy.

Today I am going to let you know about 3 amazingly cheap liquid liners that do an amazing job and are really easy on your wallet.

First up is the super cheap ELF liquid liner which I got for $1.50 CDN. This liner has a thin long brush, which is great for creating a sharp point on your liner. The formulation dries quickly and a very opaque black with minimal shine. The only downside for this one is that if your lid creases much this formula can rack if applied too thick. I had this happen a handful of times and usually when I was wearing the liner for 8 or more hours.

Second is the NYC liquid eyeliner which I paid $4 CDN. This one has been on many bloggers fave list for years but I only recently decided to try it out. Much like the ELF liner this one sports a long thin brush applicator. This formula is a little thinner then the ELF but can be easily layered to create an apaque matte black. This one I have never had crack on my lid even on a long day. My only issue is this one takes longer to dry and if you have a hooded lid this can sometimes mean transfer if you aren't pausing close attention.

Lastly if you like an eyeliner pen option is the Esssence eyeliner pen which retails for $2.49 CDN. This one is great if you need a quick liner looks or if you are a beginner. The felt tip on this liner is quite thin making it possible to create a sharp wing. Also using the side of the pen allows you to create sharp looks quickly and with ease. Again this is great for beginners who are just getting used to liquid liners and creating winged looks. The downside of this one is that it is never quite as thick or opaque as a true liquid liner. I have used any of the pen liners and all have been the same when compared to true liquid liners. The other downside can be that they tend to dry out more quickly then a liquid with a brush. However at $2.49 I will buy a couple at a time and the easie is worth the trade off when you are short on time.

Overeall all three of these are great liners depending on your needs and what your pet peeves are. I like all three for different reasons and trade back and forth often!

What are your fave drugstore liquid liners?? I am always looking for a new one to try!

Amazing False lashes for beginners... Adore trios

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:23:00 +0000

As a makeup artist one of the biggest questions I am asked is about false lashes. If they are easy to use, techniques in application etc. For me applying lashes is almost second nature but I know for many it can be daunting. When I discovered the Ardelle adore Trio lashes I knew I had found the lashes I would recommend to clients from now on.

These Lashes come in easy to apply trios and have varying length of medium and short. Often what makes applying lashes difficult is the length of a strip lash and how hard it can me to mood it to the eye. These lashes don't need to be molded and break the application up into easy steps.

For my eye it took 4 sets of trios to fill in my lashes. The create a very natural look much like individuals but are much easier to use if you are a beginner. As well much like strip lashes they can reused which is a big plus for many people.

If you have always wanted to try false lashes but were afraid to take the plunge I highly suggest trying the Ardell Trios. I found mine at Sally's beauty supply for under $5CDN.

If you cannot find trios you can also cut strip lashes into manageable sections before application but the trios I feel is a no fuss option for beginners.

Would these trios make you try lashes for the first time??

Must have hairstyling products

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 23:37:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I posted my must have products for washing my hair. Today I am going to go through the products I must use to style my hair to get the restults I want for a sleek look. I will also let you know my fave texture product for big hair days.

First thing I do after I take the towel off my hair is use a spray on conditioner. The one I love is Matrix biolage hydra source leave in tonic because it is thicker then most spray on conditioners and adds lots of slip for when I comb out my hair. After I comb though my hair I then add Pantene's silky moisture whip, it dispenses like a mousse but only adds moisture and heat protection to the hair. I use this from mid shaft to ends to further soften and protect my hair. Next I add my Ion heat protection spray, this is a straightening iron protection spray and it is easy to overdo it with this spray but for me it adds a lot of sleekness so I use it at each step in the heat styling process. I then blow dry my hair, add a little more of my ion spray and straighten my locks as well. My final step is a little serum, and my fave of the moment is Tresseme keratin smooth smoothing serum.

If my hair starts to puff up due to humidity I add a dry oil spray and my fave of the moment is Garnier triple nutrition miraculous oil-in-spray. The only other product I alway have is my Garnier texture texture tease. This is a great product for adding volume at the root of your hair. It is also great for adding volume to curls and creating a slept in kinda look.

What are you must have hair styling products???? I would love for you to share in the comments below!!!

Hard Candy all matte up review

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 20:02:00 +0000

Trends have been taking us the route of matte these days for the lips. While liquid to matte long wear lipsticks are all the rage they are difficult to find in the drugstore. Also many people simply don't like the feel of liquid lipsticks but want a matte long wear option.

While shopping for the holidays I came across Hard Candy's all mate up lip stains. Now I have only been able to get 2 of the 4 shades available and I am very disappointed that I have been able to locate them because these are a total win for me.

The lippie retails for approx $5 cdn and comes in Earthy Marsala, Berry Matte, Mattely in Love and Venom. I have been able to get my hands on Venom and Earthly Marsala.

These products are a stain that leave a velvet finish but are said to hydrate as well as a balm. They use tropical butters to soften while powders blur lines in the lips making them look smooth not dry. The shape of the crayon allows you to skip a liner and fill. In your lips with ease.

I bought mine not expecting much but was really pleasantly surprised. They went on the lips with ease and had a beautiful finish. I went out for lunch and a movie where we had the usual cinema snacks and came home to to pleasantly find my lips still looked really defined and still full of colour.

If you see these and like the matte look you need to pick them up! You will be so happy you did!!! I am hoping to find the other shades in store soon!! I hope they expand this line to include some more shades in the coming months!!!

Must have hair products

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 04:22:00 +0000

UI am asked all the time what my must have hair products are. I have coarse curly hair which I heat style and colour treat quite often. This means hair that is dry and prone to damage. If I don't care for my hair it tends to be a dry frizzy mess so over the years I have tried almost everything!!

In this post I am going to focus on products I use to pretreat and wash my hair. Later this week we will focus on products I use after my hair is washed to further treat and style my hair. Now I know that my treatments may be too heavy for some but if you have hair like mine you will know my battle!

At least once a week a treat my hair with coconut oil. I melt the oil and dip. My hair into it soaking it thuroughly. Often I will then massage oil into my roots as well. I cover my hair with a shower cap and then cover that with a beanie to seal in the heat my head gives off. depending on the time I have this will sit on my hair for between 2-24 hours.

My fave shampoo is Garnier citrus mint. It really cleanses my hair without over stripping. I only need to wash my hair twice a week so I don't worry about overstripping. I the. Rinse and towel try my hair. Next is conditioning which again I take my time with since I don't need to wash my hair everyday.

My fave conditioner is Loreal........ It really does an amazing job for me at softening without weighing down. Once every couple of weeks I also add a minimal amount of semi permanent purple colour to my conditioner to tone my blonde stands. This also fills the hair cuticle further softening my hair. Again I apply my conditioner and cover with a shower cap allowing it to sit for anywhere from 1-3 hours. I then rinse and I am ready for styling.

I also do protein treatments on my hair approx every six weeks. You can find a detailed post about that her on my blog.

Please check in later this week where I will detail the products I use when styling my hair to protect it from heat and keep it soft to the touch.

What are your fave products to use for washing and conditioning your hair?

Acrygel 6 week follow up

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 18:23:00 +0000

6 weeks ago I started a nail growth journey using acrygel. If you want to learn more about that system you can check out my previous post on the how to!

My nails have always been soft and peeling. I could never grow my nails past the end of my finger without cracking and breaking. Even using the best strengtheners and being very careful with my nails.

I had basically given up on having long natural nails and assumed every time I wanted long nails I would have to head to the nail salon. Then I heard about acrygel and how it could help you grow your natural nails with minimal damage to your natural nail. I decided to give at a try and 6 weeks later I am so glad I did!

This is a lot of work. Probably as much as acrylic but it is easy to do at home and has minimal steps. The only downside is if you like to change your nail colour a lot, as this gel is soakable and will be effected when removing polishes. I do get about 2 weeks before I need to redo my mani which I think is pretty good! I layer my polishes or file off the old when I want to change so as to lengthen my time in between gel sessions.

Overall if you want to grow your nails and are willing to put in an hours work every two weeks or so then this could be the perfect method for you! I can see myself sticking with this method for quite a while! When I decide to do short nails for a while I would take a break but I love this system both for the look and what it does for my nails in strength!

Would you try this system??

A little holiday party glam

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 23:57:00 +0000

This weekend I was lucky enough to go to an amazing Christmas party. The theme was white and glitter amd took place in Toronto. It was my husbands work party and every year they throw an amazing event.

I decided to add glitter into my liner for a subtle effect you would only see in the light. I loved the effect of simple winged liner, lots of lashes and glitter! I also decided to avoid red lips because there was a lot of eating and drinking and I didn't want to have to worry about touch ups.

The stars of this look were NYC's liquid liner, Ardelle lashes in demi wispie and wispie stacked and Urban Decay glitter gel in Power Ballad.

I kept my hair simple with waves, created with a clipless 1" curling wand and teased at the crown adding rhinestone clips for a little sparkle.

Nail of the week...red and glitter

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 20:19:00 +0000

This weekend I went to a Christmas pub crawl. I wanted nails that would be bright and festive so I chose a combo of red and glitter. I used 5 polishes in total to get this look but it took very little time to create. I finished it off with a gel topcoat to make my colours shine and seal in the mani for a few days.

Used in this look were... Wet and Wild Fergie collection in New Years Kiss, Sinful Colors in Queen of Beauty, Quo by Orly in Clean Sweep, China Glaze in Long Kiss and finally China Glaze in Ruby Pumps. I layered the cream and covered with the glitter polishes; as well I used Long Kiss first and layered Ruby Pumps over that for extra sparkle.

I am really enjoying creating these holiday looks!! This coming Friday I have a black tie Christmas party... What do you suggest I do with my manicure for the party???

Nail of the week... Holiday nail art :)

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 21:42:00 +0000

This week doesn't feature a particular polish but I did try a couple of nail art projects this week. I am a huge beginner and it shows but it was fun to play!

The first look had red nails as a base with gold glitter accents and snowflake designs. I loved the red and gold together but my snowflake technique needs a little work.

The second was a simple dark grey nail with snowflakes on my thumbs. This time I used a nail art brush instead of my dotting tool to create the flakes and I think this one works out better for me. I will keep working on it to prefect my technique!

What nail art designs do you think I should try to tackle next??

Micropedi... Put this on your Christmas list

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 01:15:00 +0000

I know this thing has been out quite a while... But I feel it doesn't get the attention it deserves. The micropedi a battery operated foot file that retails for around $50 Canadian. I got mine at Costco last year for around $35 but I would have paid the $50 knowing how amazing it is. I received mine last Christmas and after using it I realized it was my fave gift!

This little gem unlike many other battery operated files is not underpowered. It can soften the toughest callous without issue and with minimal noise considering what it's doing! Mine came with several files but you can also buy replacement ones.

I don't do pedicures and often found I didn't have time to soak my feet and file them. This file doesn't need your feet to be soaked and I can to the work of an at home pedicure in minutes instead of an hour!

This device is approved by the diabetic association for its gentle yet effective nature.

If you love to care for your feet at home yet don't have the time for complete home pedicures this is definitely the device to add to your list this year!!

Holiday makeup looks

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:46:00 +0000

Wondering who would be interested in a series of holiday makeup looks for the month of December?? So many parties to go to I know we are looking for looks we can wear that we haven't done before.

If you would like details in the looks included here and some more looks throughout the month let me know!!!

Need that Pimple gone yesterday??

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 01:22:00 +0000

So recently I had a breakout only a day before I was to go away for the weekend! All I could think was that I wanted the nastiness gone now!!!

Just like any of you would I googled 'pimple gone today' and searched. What I found was a combination of techniques that really did significantly decreased my breakout so I could easily cover them with a powder foundation while away!!!

Now this technique is not how you would treat normal breakouts as it is very harsh for the skin in general!!! It is only for emergency situations!!!

What you will need; hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, cortozone cream, salysilic acid and something to apply either cotton swab or cotton pad.

Now you will start by appling peroxide to the blemish with a swab until you feel a bubbling sensation. Often the spot will whiten as well and this is normal. Next you use a new swab to apply alcohol (this will sting). It will also dry out the spot quickly! Finally you mix equal parts cortozone and salysilic acid and apply that to the breakout.

Do this process a couple of time during the day (morning and night for example) and the next day you will see a dramatic decrease in your blemishes size! If you find it red (mine was not) use a little visine to get the red out!!

I wish I had taken pics but I had no idea that this would work so well.

What are your tips for getting red of acne fast???

Quick tip... Nail polish organization

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 17:39:00 +0000

I have a great tip for those of you that store your polishes in a drawer. Use the circle stickers you buy at office supply stores to swatch your polishes. My drawer is organized so that my polishes are organized by brand and lighted to darkest in colour from each company. This way I can select polishes without having to take out and look at each polish!

Easy peazy lemon squeezie!!!!

Adele 25 makeup look

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 23:07:00 +0000

Like most of you I was mesmerized by Adele's new song Hello. As always Adele looked flawless in all the images released, but her black and white cover image really drew me in!

So I decided to recreated the look using my Kat Von D eye pallette. The look is a simple cut crease with a slightly smoked out winged liner and lots of lashes. My variation is slightly different then Adele's because my eye shape is very different but the image of the look is still striking especially in black and white.

Have you tried your hand at recreating this look?

Hair lamination... A DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 02:38:00 +0000

Just like many of you I am always searching searching for a great treatment for my hair! As usual Pinterest saved the day and I found hair lamination.

This is a treatment that can be done in a salon but there is also a great DIY option using gelatin.

This treatment is a temporary way to make your hair feeling healthier and fuller. It basically coats the hair while adding a little protein to your strands. Using a clarifying shampoo will remove it completely as will several normal washes. To increase the length of time your treatment lasts try adding a packet of gelatin to your regular shampoo to add softness, volume and texture.

So how do we do this process?

1) mix 1 tablespoon of gelatin with 3 tablespoons of warm water, stir and cover.

2) while gelatin dissolves wash your hair. I clarified mine to remove build up. Also use minimal conditioner if you need for manageability.

3) now uncover the gelatin mixture and add a tablespoon of your fave hair mask. Once mixed if your concoction is too thick (think slime) then add a spoonful of warm water at a time and stir until your mixture is a thick hair mask constancy.

4) now add mixture to your hair avoiding the inch closest to your scalp.

5) cover with a shower cap and add heat for 10 min. At this point I covered the whole thing with a beanie.

6) let sit for one hour then wash with warm water and style as usual.

So how did it work? I really felt extra softness and manageability after I used the treatment. I normally use a lot of product in my hair for added softeness. After the treatment I decided to use minimal product so I could really see what the gelatin did. I have included a pic but it really doesn't capture how soft my hair felt.

I will definitely do this treatmnet again. Most articles say that even though it washes out, doing the treatment once a week for a month will give cumulative benefits due to the proteins etc in gelatin.

Check back in during the coming weeks and I will let you know if I see increased benefits!

Nail of the week... Make a Spectacle

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 02:10:00 +0000

Since starting my nail growth journey I have been reaching into my polish Stacy more and more. So I thought it was a great time to start a nail of the week. We're I can share techniques I have learned in nail art or just share my fave polish of the moment.

This weeks polish came from a recent visit to Sally's. I saw this polish but thought 'no I don't need it'. After a week of thinking about this gorgeous glitter polish I went back and bought China Glaze's Make a Spectacle! This polish was part of the 2012 Halloween collection but I totally missed it at that time.

It is a gorgeous pastel glitter polish that reflects an amazing green. This polish is jammed packed full of glitter so achieving a good effect took little effort. I wanted a subtle look so I simply did a swipe over the upper half of my naked nail and covered in a gel top coat! It glistens in the light and I am so excited to try it in different nail looks in the future!!

Have you tried this polish?? Give me some suggestions of polishes I need to try!!

90's grunge meets 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:28:00 +0000

I have really been loving dark smokey eyes this fall. A smoky eye that has a round shape and using earth toned shadows really speaks to the grunge look so often seen in 90's fashion. Add some amazing lashes and blend a little more then we saw back then and you have an amazing 2015 version of the look.

This look is created by creating circles of colour around the eye moving from a light colour to a dark and using smaller brushes and creating smaller circles each time for a blended look. The only shade that makes it onto the mobile part of the lid is your medium toned shadow.

For this look I used the Kat Von D shade and light eye palette and the Too Faced Chocolate Bar pallette. I also used Ardell lashes in Demi wispies and wispie stacked. Any black liner you like for the waterline will finish this look off adding extra depth.

What is your fave look for this time of year??

Nail growth using acrygel

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 18:04:00 +0000

So I go through cycles where I decide I want nice manicured hands, then quickly give up after my thin peeling nails begin breaking! I have tried every nail treatment I read about and while they work in the short term I never get far... Especially when life gets in the way and I cannot commit time every third day to redo my manicure. I say every third day because no matter what I use that's how long I get before I start seeing peeling and chipping with my products. Now I am not going to mention names because the products may work amazingly well for some of you... Just not for me :(

Recently I read about acrygel on Pinterest. This is where you layer soakable gel with acrylic powder to give strength yet a natural look. This product soaks off instead of being filed and will last 1-2 weeks before needing attention. After much research I went to Sally's and bought what I needed.

Pictured above is a LED Gelish lamp, fine file, acrylic powder, cuticle pusher, nail brush, Gelish ph bond and Gelish foundation.

I will walk you through the steps and then link you to the best video I have seen on how to do this process.

1) prep nails by pushing back cuticles, shaping nails and gently roughing up the nails surface just to remove shine the use ph bond on the nail bed.

2) apply a thin layer of Gelish foundation to the nail. Wiggle the brush on the nail need for better adhesion.

3) scoop acrylic powder over the nail covering the nail bed and shake off excess. Then cure for required time. This will change depending on your lamp. Then brush away excess powder.

4) repeat steps 2 and 3

5) apply a thicker layer of foundation and cap each nail (run brush along free edge) . Turn finger upside down so that gel can shape itself. This really saves on filing! Then again cure your gel.

6) finally use alcohol to remove gel residue (sticky layer) using a knot free cotton pad.

Voila strong nails that look amazing, polished or left as is!

Please watch the video below to see the process step by step. It is the best one I have found.

ApHogee two-step protein treatment... Does it work???

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 03:19:00 +0000

I am asked a lot about the different treatments I use on my hair. A few times a week I use my coconut oil treatment. The next big one is the ApHogee Two-step protein treatment every 6 weeks!

I colour treat my hair as well as heat style which is not great for my coarse dry hair. Is treatment puts protein back into my hair filling the pores and giving more strength. Protein is a tricky thing, a little is great and too much can be very drying. This is why this treatmnet happens every 6 weeks along with usual colour treatment.

The directions on the packaging are pretty good but I will explain exactly how I do it.

1) Wash your hair using a clarifying shampoo to remove also residue and buildup.

2) Next towel dry as much as you can.

3) Wearing gloves (because it can sting on cuts) apply generous amounts of the protein treatment to the hair. Assuring it is completely saturated. The product is thin so I suggest putting some into your hands and adding to hair.

4) Next using a blow dryer gently dry hair completely without agitating. You hair will become extremely hard and this is what you want. Do not comb etc so you do not cause damage.

5) Once completely dry wash out product completely and add you fave hair mask.

6) Rinse and style as usual.

This product really does improve texture and strength in the hair! It undoes some of the torture we put our hair through and is a great item if you are trying to grow out your hair. I am so glad I started using it and my hair is happy too!

Changing the colour of your hair without bleach

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 02:22:00 +0000

As I have stated before, I LOVE to colour my hair. Fashion colour are my favourite by far as I can play but it's not permanent. Now I have posted about shampoo bleaching but there are other ways to work through variations of fashion colour without creating a lot of damage.

There is using dandruff shampoo to fade colour, there is the vitamin C method and dish soap washes just to name a few! Another technique for those who change colours often is to use a colour wheel to gauge what to colour and results when you don't want to strip hair.

Colour wheels are used in makeup, art and yes even hair. So here is how it works...

Let's use green as our starting point for colour. Now if we went for red those opposing colours would cause a muddy mess when put on top of each other. If you want to achieve red eventually and have fun along the way here is what you do.

We want to move to the left or right of green for best results over our green. So we will get either yellow green or blue green hair. (Sometimes you can move 2 places to the left or right but only if your colour is high depositing)

Next time you colour you can move another place to your chose. Side on the wheel towards orange or violet. As you go you will eventually reach red. This is great for those who play with their colour often and don't feel the need to strip colour.

The colour wheel is also a great way to select complimentary colours when using mutiple shades etc.

If you would to see more posts on hair colour and tips and tricks please let me know in the comments :)

Bleach shampooing... How to!

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 23:50:00 +0000

I love to add fun colours to my hair!!! I change it up all the time very seldom worrying about the damage caused when I want to remove the colour.

When I found out about bleach shampooing my life changed when it comes to damage!

I will say that I only need to shampoo bleach once every 6-8 weeks. If you do more then that, damage will be more severe but it will still be. Unchanged less significant then straight beaching each time you want to change your hair colour.

What you will need... Clear shampoo, bleach powder, developer, coconut oil and a hair mask.

1) My first step is to soak my hair with coconut oil... Usually for hours before I move forward with the other steps. This really limits the damage to my hair by filling the pores of my hair and limiting damage. (Let's me real I still get damage but not as much) Coconut oil not shown as mine was gone.

2) Next I mix 2 ounces of shampoo, 1 ounce of 20 vol developer and 1 ounce of bleach (blue tinted is best)

3) The third step is to add the concoction to your hair being sure any areas where you need colour removed are soaked well. Once you feel evenly coated bundle your hair on your head and cover with a shower cap to trap in heat therefore moving the process along quicker.

Now most articles state no longer then 20 minutes... Use this as a guideline but check often to see how things are moving along.

Once results are achieved wash out the shampoo and deep condition. You may choose to tone or wait for another time.

For me this process also lightens my roots as much as I need so it's an all In onene step for me.

If you have tried this process what did you think?? If not do you think you will give it a try?

I have a lash addiction!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 23:01:00 +0000

Hi, my name is Nancy and I have a lash addiction.

I remember when the thought of false lashes stressed me out! Even as a makeup artist I could use false lashes on others but felt daunted at applying them to myself.... Then things changed!

About 2 years ago I had lash extensions. We can talk about them at another time if you want to hear about it... Safe to say there weren't for me!! However I became addiction to long lashes and felt naked without them. That's when I started wearing false lashes almost daily! At this point adding false lashes is quicker for me then trying to mess with mascara!

I love how in a rush lashes can make you appear polished with little effort. I also love the added drama it creates in intense eye looks. Options are endless and styles come in the hundreds!

Lashes above are Ardell Demi wispies stacked with Ardell wispies, Ardell individual lashes and Ardell Demi wispies alone.

Please me me know some of your fave lashes in the comments below! Also let me know if you would like a step by step on how I apply my lashes!

So it's been a hot minute!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 21:59:00 +0000

you may have noticed I have been absent... For like 3 years!! I have had a lot happen in my life which I won't bore you with but in short life got busy and beauty and social media had to take a back burner for a bit. Over the last year or so I took to Instagram sharing products and looks etc and found the fun in beauty again. Lately I have felt that while simply sharing pics are great I miss the platform to explain looks and other things in detail. So here we are... Me writing my first post in way too long.

I have decided this blog will be a place for me to just share and expand on things I share on other social media. I will aim to post often but my life is still pretty crazy at times! I am hoping you will enjoy checking in with me again. Sharing tips and tricks I have learned and as always sharing products I can't be without.

Please say hi so we can reconnect and I will see you again again very soon!!!!!

Benefit's Sun Beam

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

If you have always loved Benefit's High Beam then there is something new you are going to want to see!

Benefit's Sun Beam is a golden bronze highlighter. Like a warm ray of light, giving you a natural, sunkissed radiance. Dot & blend over makeup on to cheek & brow bones for a bronzed glow that
complements all skintones. You can also mix it with your foundation for an all over glowing look!

I love the versatility of liquid products such as this!! You can use them in so many ways that it is like having multiple products in one little bottle!

If you are a Benefit junkie like me keep out eye's peeled for this products release this month!

Joe Fresh Cream Blushes

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Power) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:46:00 +0000

While holiday shopping this year I found myself checking out the Joe Fresh cosmetic section at my local Superstore! I have a love affair with this company for nice products at a very inexpensive price! I should do a shadow collection someday for you all to see... but that is not the focus for todays post!!

My most recent shopping trip created an interest in the Joe Fresh cream blushes... so I picked up 2! I decided on Apricot and Melon as I didn't have similar shades in my cream blush collection!

Apricot (left) Melon (right)

My thoughts on the product formulation itself... well for the price its a pretty good product! The product is very creamy... which translates into a little hard to apply with your fingers... it almost smears instead of blend. Especially when applied over a foundation. Applied with a brush however it goes on beautifully... even over a powder product!

Apricot (left) Melon (right)

Now to the colours themselves. Apricot is an almost neutral peachy shade which looks like a natural flush to the cheek when blended out! I have used both an apricot and pink powder blush over the top which created two very different yet very pretty results!!

Now to the Melon... which shocked me really! I wish I had gotten a picture before I used this blush because when I opened the package the product was very orange. Upon using the blush it turned almost a pink colour! The colour is very nice on the skin... but not what I had originally thought I was getting. Blended out you can still see the orange tint in the product but swatched it is very pink!

In this pic you can see the orange colour still remaining on the outer edge of the blush.

Overall I think the blushes are worth the $8 they cost! I can't attest to the colour quality of the other colours but I like the ones I have.. even if Melon isn't what I thought it was going to be!