vanity insanity.

Top Five Series: Nail Polish!

2010-05-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

And last but not least.... Nail Polish!

All are OPI, just to keep it simple. There are a ton more that I love, but these are the one I consistently go to.

Over The Taupe:

A Grape Fit!:

A Oui Bit Of Red:

Meet Me On The Star Ferry:

Close up, couldn't quite capture the shimmer. There's tons more that my camera couldn't pick pick up! ugh.

Lincoln Park After Dark:

There's the Shimmer! Hell yeah!

Video:

I have two fav eBay sellers, one is UK based: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/beautyzone2007/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686
And the other is US based: http://shop.ebay.com/jsbeautyshop2010/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Hope you had as much fun watching these as I didn't making them!

Love,
Tasha

Top Five Series: Perfumes!

2010-05-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

Video Numero Five! Enjoy!

..I didn't take pictures of the perfumes. One day there will be some sort of technology where you can smell scents through a computer screen. Until then, just watch the damn video.

:)
Love,
Tasha

Top Five Series: Lipstick!

2010-05-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying doing these so much. I wanna do more videos similar to these, just gotta brain storm on what they'll be about!

So here's the lipstick swatches!

MAC's Icon:

MAC's Viva Glam V:

MAC's Creme D'Nude:

Annabelle's Le Gloss Stick in 710:

Rimmel London's 328:

And the video! (#4)

I love me some lipstick... What are your favs?

Next: Perfume! yum

Top Five Series: Lipgloss!

2010-05-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Video # 3! Yay!
Here's some swatches of the lipglosses that I chose! (I didn't include the clear gloss because it's well....clear.)

Bonnebell LipLites in Vanilla Swirl:

NYX Brush On Gloss in On The Rocks:

Stila Lipgloss in Kitten:

Beauty Rush Lipgloss with Cinnimon Oil:

And the video:

Next up: Lipstick!

Love,
Tasha

Top Five Series: Blushes!

2010-05-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hello all you lovely people! This is the second installment in my Top Five Series thang. Blushes today, lip gloss tomorrow I believe. I'm a blush fiend, so it was really hard to pick just 5. Some other honorable mentions should go to: MAC's Margin, Perfect Cheek, and Springsheen. If you would like to see swatches and such of those, I made a post a long time ago about them (Part of the reason they weren't included in this one) You can find that here: http://vanityinsanitybytasha.blogspot.com/2010/03/favorite-mac-blushes-as-of-march-2010.html

ANYWAYS. Here they are!

Top Five Series: Eyeshadows!

2010-05-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So I decided to do a Top Five product series, which will include my Top Five eye shadows, lip glosses, blushes, lipstick, perfumes and nail polishes! So I hope you enjoy watching these, they were fun to make!

The first video will be eye shadows:

Yes, I realize these are incredibly boring. Ugh. BUT I'm thinking about doing another video included my favorite colorful eye shadows. I just haven't been wearing anything fun lately. Should I? Probably.

Here's something more exciting... ME!

(wearing Mylar, Cool Pebble, Kitten)

Here's the vid, yo:

Imats Haul!

2010-04-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So here's a list of things, pictures included of some of the things I got at IMATS + Sephora!

Medium Kabuki - link

LARGE Kabuki - link

Pointed Liner - link

Silk Concealer - link

Masterpiece Pro Concealer - link

Synthetic Shadow (FAV) - link

Synthetic Crease (Other FAV, I bought two!) - link

Duo Fiber Brushes, small and large. I couldn't find links to these, sorry!

So that was just a few things I got, I love all the brushes, and my brush belt :D

Black Smoke

2010-04-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to create a pretty, wearable black smokey look. I like how it turned out, especially the lip. Nice and purple baby!

Products used:
Three Custom Color Single Eyeshadow in Cool Pebble (new favorite)
Coastal Scents 88 matte palette - 4th white down
Coastal Scents 88 matte palette - 3rd grey down
Matte Black eyeshadow from a Lancome Palette
Almay intense i-color Trio for Hazels 023 - lightest color
Buxom Lashliner in Leatherette
Quo Cream Eye Liner in Black Velvet
MAC Lipstick in Icon
Loreal Pencil Perfect Eyeliner in Black
NYX Brush-On Gloss in Whip Cream
MAC Blush in Margin

ALSO. I'm damn excited, because I just got my tax money back ($$$$$$$) so I went on a mini spree at MAC.
I bought my first Fix+! How exciting! Yes, I know I'm behind. Yes, I know everyone has it already. Whatever, I'm excited.
I got a few eyeshadows, and a Liberty of London blush as well (Prim & Proper)

It's been a good day.
Love,
Tasha

Fierce BLUE

2010-04-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah I did!
This look was really fun to create, and I love how it turned out. I wore it later that evening to the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Here's some pictures!

I really hope you try this out cause it's so much fun and I got tons of compliments when I wore it out.
Good luck and have fun!!
Love,
Tasha

Drugstore HAUL

2010-04-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah....
So I bought a few things at Walmart, Save On Foods and Shoppers Drug Mart. Really excited about some of them! I can't wait to use them in a tutorial later down the road.
Here are some pictures:

Look forward to a tutorial!
And for the love of all that is good in this world, buy that freaking powder.

Glowy Skin

2010-04-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

So today I thought I'd do a nice dewy skin tutorial. Perfect for summer, I love this type of look.

Products used:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Prep and Prime Skin Refined Zone
Revlon Photoready foundation (Shell)
Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint (Neutral)
Origins Quick, Hide! Concealer (Light)
NYC Loose Powder (Naturally Beige) BUY THIS. SERIOUSLY.
MAC Cream Color Base (Hush)
Covergirl Blush (Natural Shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow (Sin)
Annebelle Eyeshadow (218)
Coastal Scents Matte Palette (Second White Down)
NYX Eyeliner Pencil (White)
Lashblast Luxe Mascara
Buxom Lash Mascara
Origins Underwear For Lips
MAC Viva Glam V
Beauty Rush Cinnamon Lipgloss

Hope you enjoy this look! As always, if you have any questions gimme a shout at vanityinsanity@live.ca

What the hell is in my purse!?

2010-03-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Well wouldn't you like to know!

Highlighters, baby!

2010-03-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is simply a review on some of my favorite highlighters, cream and powder.

Products mentioned:

Coastal Scents Gold Sparks Mica Pigment ($5.00)

MAC Pigment in Vanilla ($23.50)

ELF Shimmer Palette in Sheer Sunrise ($3)

MAC Cream Color Base in Hush ($20)

MAC Mineralize Blush in Rhapsody in Two ($30 limited edition - Too Fabulous)

Primers, primers, primers!

2010-03-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

A primer review! Lots of debate on which one is better - Too Faced or Urban Decay - But I'm here to throw another candidate into the ring! Elfs Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is at the top in my books. (For right now anyway) It's cheap, it's effective, and it's great quality. Can't really go wrong. Give it a try! You won't regret it.

If you have any questions, give me a shout at: vanityinsanity@live.ca

Love,
Tasha

My Favorite Everyday Makeup!

2010-03-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

I tend to go for this makeup just because it's super easy, can be done in less than ten minutes, and I think it looks awesome!

Products used:

Eyes:
MAC Club Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin, any matte white eyeshadow for highlight, Loreal Pencil Perfect Eye Liner, Buxom Lash Mascara, Lashblast Lux Mascara

Brushes:
Rounded Flat Shader Brush, Tiny Precision Brush, Fluffy Blending Brush

Cheeks: MAC Mineralize Blush in Rhapsody in Two

Lips: Lancome Lipstick in Oh My! and Bonnebelle Liplites in Vanilla Swirl

If you have any questions, give me a shout at: vanityinsanity@live.ca

Love,
Tasha

Coastal Scents Mice Pigments

2010-03-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some great alternative to some of the higher end pigments! Great pigmentation, lots and lots of colors to choose from, long wearing if you add a base, overall good buy. The one ounce jars are 5 dollars, but you can also get the large sample bags which will last quite a while. (those are only a dollar each.)

Here are the swatches! I have Gold Sparks, Blackstar Blue, Chameleon, Coral and Sunstone.

Links to the colors:

Blackstar Blue

Chameleon

Gold Sparks

Link to the main Mica Pigment Page

Defiantly give these a try! Even if you just get the samples, there's so many colors to experiment with. Hope this was helpful!

Love,

Tasha

Concealermania!

2010-03-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

HEY!

Today I'm reviewing the concealers that I have.

Products mentioned:

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW35
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20
MAC Select Cover-Up in NW20
bareMinerals Multi-Tasking Face in Bisque
Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer for Eyes in Buff 09
Origins Quick, Hide! Easy Blend Concealer in 02 Light

I also covered up my tattoo with MAC's Studio Finish Concealer using both the dark and light shades:

Mind you, the concealer I'm using does not match my skin tone.

Hope this was helpful! If you have any questions, message me at:

vanityinsanity@live.ca

Love, Tasha

Teenie Weenie NYX Haul

2010-03-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

So excited! Went to Save On Foods today, on a whim (had a strange feeling that I was needed there...) And NYX cosmetics were on sale for ONE DOLLAR. EVERYTHING FOR A DOLLAR. CRAZY.
Why I only bought 4 things, and they're all lip products, we'll never know.

Watch video here

NYX Brush-on gloss:
On The Rocks
Whip Cream

NYX Lipgloss (with mega shine):
Dream

NYX Lipstick :
Galaxy

Yah. Okay. They're all the same color. Whatever. That's the way I like it.
The only one I'm not really pleased with is Dream. It's SUPER sticky and doesn't move around. Annoying.
Love the rest though!

Cheshire Cat Tutorial

2010-03-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch part one

Click here to watch part two

As you can tell, this look was inspired by the Cheshire Cat. Obvs. I've always been a major Alice in Wonderland fan (the OLD disney movie) But I gotta say, no offence to Cheshire Cat Sr., I'm digging the new makeover. I didn't notice it before, but the shape of the eyeshadow kinda gives it a cat-eye effect!

Products used:

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Coastal Scents 88 matte palette
Jesse's girl eye dust samples in #565 and #582
MAC eyeshadow in Steamy
Any satin white eyeshadow (I used one from a Lancome palette I got in a free gift)
Loreal Pencil Perfect Eyeliner in Ebony
Buxom Mascara

Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Icon
PURE Cosmetics Lipgloss (noname) Any purple/pink color will do

Cheeks:
Elf Mineral Blush in Joy
MAC mineralize blush in Rhapsody In Two

I think this is an easy look to achieve, and very wearable (if you're brave) I even wore it to the gym today! Okay, I got some weird looks..but still!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this, many more to come!

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation Swatches

2010-03-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

Check out my review on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrdrV6sYFW4

So here what my skin looks like with the foundation on:

I love the finish!

Here a swatch:

And blended in:

Elf Shimmer Palette Review

2010-03-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

Howdy.
Yesterday, I went to Winners and stumbled upon a little gem. Elf products are either a hit or miss (usually a miss, I've noticed.) So I was hesitant at buying it. But considering that I'm obsessed with anything that will highlight my dull face, I went ahead and bought it anyway.
I'm pretty damn impressed with this product. It contains 4 different colored cream highlighters. A pearl, peachy pink, gold, and deeper pink.
I'm a big fan of MACs cream color base, (especially in Hush) but I find that sometimes they can be sticky because of how thick their consistency is. (Don't get me wrong - I still love them to death.. TO DEATH.) The Shimmer palette however, has a very fine silky consistency and it dries relatively faster than the cream color base. Blends in nicely with my skin, and doesn't get cakey when I apply it to the inner corner of my eye (Like the NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencils do. I can't wear them!)
All in all, I'm very impressed. It's cheap too, only $3!! The only downside I could see is that I don't think they'll last all day. But at that price: seriously, who cares.
Buy Elf Shimmer Palette!

Shoe Lust

2010-03-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

I want.

3 of my favorite MAC blushes, as of now.

2010-03-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a quick review (+pictures) of my three favorite MAC blushes at the moment.

I love all of these blushes for different reasons. Perfect Cheek (limited edition-sorry!) is a neutral matte blush that is great when you're in a hurry, it goes with any look! As you can see, this just accentuates my natural cheek color, which is why I love it so much. Simple, but classic.

If you can't find this anywhere, an alternative would be Blushbaby by MAC.

Next, Springsheen. Out of the three, probably my favorite. You have to have a light hand to apply it, but if you do it right, the effects are amazing. It has a bright pink undertone, with gold shimmer on top. Not chucky gold shimmer which I HATE. It just seems to blend into my skin perfectly.

(I applied it heavier in the picture so you could see it better.)

Lastly, Margin. This is another one that is very easy to overdo. If you're not careful, you'll end up like this:

Apply it lightly, enough said.

Same as Springsheen, it has gold shimmer (a little bit heavier because it's a frost), just with a brown base. Great for days when I'm missing the sun, and don't want to look like a vampire.

Hope this was helpful!

Skin Care Routine (March 2010)

2010-03-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share what I do to keep my skin looking healthy and radiant. Most of the products are inexpensive, and can be found at most drug stores!
I have dry, sometimes sensitive skin. So if you have oily skin this may not be the best routine for you. Some may say I have a lot of steps, but I really do believe it's the reason for my great skin. (Genetics too-thanks mom!)

Every night, the first thing I do is remove my eye makeup with:
Sephora Brand eye makeup remover (USD $5-$8)

Buy Sephora Eye Makeup Remover

I just finished mine, it's usually bright blue. This is a two-phase eye makeup remover (Cleansing oil + cornflower water) It's a greasy product, but you need something greasy to take off your eye makeup without hurting or tugging at your eyes. Especially if you have lots of mascara and eyeliner on.(The greasy feeling just washes away when you wash your face) I have really sensitive eyes, and have gotten this product in them many times, but it's never irritated them whatsoever!
This remover defiantly gets the job done, I give it 4/5 stars.

Next I wash my face, every 2nd night I use a scrub. If I'm not using a scrub, I use:
Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser (USD $7.27)

Buy Aveeno Cleanser

I have been using this cleanser for about 4 years now, I just love the texture and softness it leaves my skin feeling after I wash my face. It's light but rich at the same time.
I use this to remove the bulk of my face makeup, it's never broken me out and has been my friend for a long time.
I give this 5/5 stars.

If it's a scrub night, I use:
St.Ives Fresh Skin Deep Cleaning Apricot Cleanser (Oil Free) I can't seem to find the newer one I use online, but I think it's about $7.

It's a cleanser, but has little beads that exfoliate. This makes my skin feel INCREDIBLY fresh, I used to use the older version, which is still available almost everywhere and has larger beads for a deeper scrub. I like that one a lot too, and used it for 5 years. I bought this one because it looked new and pretty, it does just as good a job as the old version, if not better. 5/5 stars!
Nothing to complain about with this, it also takes off my makeup to get me ready for the next step..

My favorite product of my skin care routine by far:
The Neutrogena Wave! (USD $13.99)

Buy Neutrogena Wave

Buy refill pads

I absolutely swear by this product. It's the way cheaper version of the Clarisonic. I have never tried the Clarisonic (it's on my wish-list) but I have seen other peoples reviews on it, and the Neutrogena Wave does the same thing. My skin was always dry, flaky and dull before using the wave. I don't know how I ever lived without it. I've been using it for a little less than year, and about a month ago I stopped using it to see if my skin changed at all. After about 4 days of going without the wave, I noticed my skin getting drier and I actually started breaking out along my forehead, nose and chin. So I immediately started using the wave again, and all my skin problems went away. It deep cleans like no other product I have ever used before. Ah! I just love it!
It's easy to use, the only downside is you do have to buy the pads every month or so, I use it twice a day so I go through them pretty fast. 4.5/5 stars. (-.5 cause I hate buying the pads every month.)

I'm feel like an infomercial.
The next step is toner. I use:
Sephora Brand Soothing Toner for Dry Skin

Another product I rave about...
Unfortunately, Sephora just discontinued the Dry Skin Toner. They only have the toner for Normal skin now. (I've never used that one.) I emailed Sephora and asked why they were discontinuing the toner, and they said they were revamping a bunch of products and this was one of them. Alas, that was 2 months ago and I have not seen any new and improved Dry Skin Toner. (Good thing I bought 8 bottles....) This stuff smells great, like roses and peaches mixed together. If you have really dry skin, then you know that after washing your face it feels tight, no matter what kind of cleanser you use. This moisturizes my skin at night, and wakes me up in the morning. A lot of people are on the fence about whether to use toner or not. If you find the right one for your skin, it will make all the difference. I've only got 3 bottles left, I'll be devastated when they're all gone...(Plus it was only $5!! Such a good deal.) 6/5 stars! That's right-I went there.

Next is moisturizer, I've gone through so many moisturizers, trying to find one that works well for me. I think I finally found my one true love. Cetaphil! I know it's been around forever, I wish I had tried it sooner. (USD $9.99)

Buy Cetaphil

I have the one for sensitive normal to dry skin. I'm pretty sure there's one for oily skin as well. I haven't tried the cleanser yet, but probably will end up buying it soon. I go through this stuff like crazy. I've only been using it for a couple of months, but it saved my skin during the winter this year. I would probably have shriveled up if it weren't for this miracle worker. Fragrance-free, Non-comedogenic, Non-irritating.
5/5!

I do use an eye cream at night, I had a green tea eye cream that I bought at Winners at Christmas time, but I just ran out of that. I went to Keihls about 5 days ago, and got a few samples. She gave me the Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.

The .5 oz jar was $35 CAD. No way I was going to pay that for something I hadn't tried yet. I've been using it for the past couple nights (It's way too thick to use in the day) and have noticed that the skin around my eyes is more moisturized when I wake up in the morning. However, when I apply it at night.. it never seems to soak in. It just sits there on my skin. Is it supposed to sink in? I have no idea. My last eye cream did, so I guess I'm just comparing it to that. (It was a no-name brand) I like this enough to use it in this post, but I'm gonna have to give it 3.5/5 stars. It just feels like my eyes are drowning in product. (Though I do like how thick it is.)

Last but not least, drink tons of water and exercise! (I try and drink 1-2 litres a day, and go to the gym about 4 times a week.)
And there you have it! If you have tried these products before, let me know how they worked for you. Or if you have any awesome products that you would recommend, let me know: vanityinsanity@live.ca
I hope this was helpful!

A little bit about me, welcome!

2010-03-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am. It's been a long time since I last had a blog (like..2005). I feel so out of it, but I'm so excited to start sharing my knowledge and reviews about everything beauty related!

I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself....

I'm 19, born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. Just an ordinary girl interested in every type of makeup imaginable. My dream is to be a makeup artist (either runway/fashion or special effects in movies.) and I'll be attending a prestigious makeup school next fall. I love to travel, and as soon as I graduated highschool in 2008, I went to India to help in a Tibetan Daycare and volunteered at Students for a Free Tibet (SFT). I was in India for 3 months, and SFT is still a big part of my life.

I only became heavily interested in makeup after I got back from my trip. I was spending every penny I had on the next best thing in beauty, I can't believe I only thought about making a blog now! A year later!

I research everything before I buy, and I know exactly what I like and don't like. Everything I talk about on this blog I have paid for with my own money (unless otherwise stated) and am giving my full, and honest opinion about.

Enjoy!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at: vanityinsanity@live.ca