Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer in Suntan

I’m forever trying out new bronzers and rarely buy the same one twice in a row. I was faithful to Benefit’s Hoola until they redesigned the boxes and provided less product for the same amount of cash. That’s when I got annoyed and stopped buying it. Even if it was a fantastic bronzer suitable for a lot of skin tones. I moved onto NYC Sunny, then Bobbi Brown’s super dark bronzer which I only recently finished. Next up to plate we’re batting with Jouer’s mineral powder bronzer in suntan.

I purchased Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer in Suntan on Nordstrom’s website in May. It isn’t available anywhere in Canada, to my knowledge — so how did I find out about it? The lovely Fleur de Force on YouTube. My favorite person to watch.

jouer-bronzer-packagingJouer has to have my favorite type of packaging for a bronzer. It’s thin and doesn’t take up much space. My other bronzers tended to be bulky or just huge in size altogether.

jouer-bronzer-in-suntanJouer’s bronzer is so buttery smooth has zero crumble and is pigmented to the perfect amount for a lighter complexion. 

jouer-bronzer-in-hands

This is a matte bronzer with no shimmer. I try to steer clear of bronzers with shimmer to them. I feel like they’re a little too unnatrual. If you want your skin to be glowy, just put a highlighter on to the cheek bone area. Not all over, where I put my bronzer. jouer-bronzer

This suntan shade shown below truly has a buttery consistency to it when applied. I think it’s a great shade for those paler ladies. When I have self tanner on, you can’t see the product as well, since it just blends in too well with my darker skin tone. Overall, I’m very pleased with the product and would recommend it if you had a lighter complexion. open-jouer-bronzer

Aside from the fact that the bronzer is matte, the packaging itself is quite unique thanks to Christina Zilber (Founder and Creative Director of Jouer Cosmetics. If you have two Jouer products, you can slide them together to be side-by-side or snap them together to be back-to-back. Create your own palette, or have just one single piece, like my lonely little bronzer. It’s like adult lego blocks, don’t you think?

backside-of-jouer-bronzer

Watch the video above, it explains the brand well and how great the products are. Isn’t Christina just stunning? I’ve always said I wasn’t very good at applying makeup, especially eyeshadow. Primarily since I’m not drawn to bold colors to create dramatic looks on my face. Jouer is a safe line of cosmetics that is meant for people like me. She has all sorts of shades pulled from the natural elements and popped them into her palettes for everyone to enjoy.

What is your favorite bronzer right now?

Product information:
Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer in Suntan*
Amount: 0.3 oz
Retail price: $30.56 CAD
Extra info: Oil-free, paraben free
How to use: Using a fluffy blush brush, sweep onto cheekbones, forehead, temples, and chin.
*I purchased this bronzer myself.

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Make Up For Ever’s new mascara!

Apologies if you left me a comment on my latest IKEA posts. They weren’t approved and finally when I got around to logging into my site and approving them, they disappeared. So I don’t know what happened there, or if I need to approve a comment within 24hrs, or what. But I’m bummed. I did see all your comments and I had replied but it didn’t and won’t show up on the site. Lame, there was like 7 people! Not sure what kind of glitch caused that.

I’ve put myself on a little spending halt for the last little while.

I wasn’t spending a ton of money, but not as much was going into my savings account bi-weekly as I wished. Because of that, I’ve been avoiding the mall at all costs. Ha, see what I did there? Costs! Get it?  Sometimes I think I’m funny.

When I heard that Make Up For Ever had a new mascara coming out called Smoky Extravagant, I wanted to pop into Sephora to see if they had it in stock and maybe put the spending halt on its own halt. Know what I’m sayin’ here folks? Stay with me…

Unfortunately, it wasn’t at my Sephora. I don’t know if it’s because I went on the first day it was launched, July 11. Or that they’re not getting it at all because it’s a smaller location. I asked the first Sephora rep I saw and I don’t think she knew that MUFE was bringing out a new product because she answered me as if she was asking a question. No? This is the Make Up For Ever Mascaras we have, as she pointed to smoky lash (my all time fav). Then she brought me over to another spot in the store and showed me the new mascara launched by Too Faced “Better than Sex” mascara. Love the packaging, but I had my eye on the mascara from Make Up For Ever. Girls on a mission, can’t stop me.

However, I e-mailed my friends at Make Up For Ever and they’ve sent stock to my local Sephora store, so it will be there!

So while I received both a sample sized and a full sized mascara I have some fun photos to show you.

The brush on the smoky extravagant reminds me of a mixture between Sephora’s mascara (loved). and Lancôme Doll Lashes (which I didn’t like).

3mascaras
Lancôme, Sephora, Make Up For Ever

mascaras
Due to the unique cone shaped tip, it allows your eye lashes to be coated effortlessly with one full swoop.

sample-mascaraDany Sanz, the creator and Artistic Director (met her!) wanted the most dramatic, and blackest of the black of formulas to coat your lashes with such an opaque color she came up with Smoky Extravagant.

eyelashesI love to play up one of my most complimented features since I have extraordinarily long lashes, so of course I love the big pouffe wand. If only I was good at applying eyeshadow as I am mascara. This is a light application with one coat. Building it up is easy. The mascara I have is only 3 days old, and I prefer mascaras that have dried out a bit because like every new mascara, there is a bit of clumping on the brush. mascaras-by-makeupforeverIt gives such exceptional separation while lifting and elongating my lashes.
 full-sized-mufe-mascarasIf you’re interested in trying out this mascara with 580 bristles on the brush (!!), check your local Sephora stores as it’s now available Nation Wide .

Now to ask that ever burning question in my head. Do I choose Smoky Lash over Smoky Extravagant? Stay tuned for my next post, and you’ll find out. Dun dun dun…

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Weekend Recap

I know it’s Tuesday and a little late. But I still wanted to get up a weekend recap blog post for you guys. Seeing how I had a little more fun than usual this weekend.

Only shopping can get me out of bed at 6:30am on the weekends. That was my plan on Saturday. Dressed for the occasion. I love it when the weather cooperates and you can choose between pants or shorts and be comfortable either way. That’s my favorite kind of weather.

ootd-satOutfit deets: Smart Set cardigan, Dynamite tank, Cassis belt, Joe Fresh capris, Ardene sunnies, Zara handbag.

I got on the Greyhound bus and once getting to Toronto I did some damage at Holt Renfrew, Anthropologie, Sephora and Forever 21 (their $3.80 camisoles are now on for $1.80). All of my favorite stores. I filmed a YouTube video but when I replayed it back, my bra was showing the entire time. Awkward. I may still upload it. No shame here.

I was inside the Anthropologie store for a good hour and forty five minutes. At one point I had 18 items in the change room with me. If I had a gazillion dollars to spend, I would’ve bought this dress for $198. It was pretty on, but not worth it for that prize. I also had on a size zero which was kind of nuts seeing as I’m usually a 4. Have to admit, I loved seeing that tiny number on the dress and having it fit well. Paleo probably had something to do with it.dress at anthro

I bought two tops (first one in blue / can’t find the second)and this soap dish which I plan on using on my desk once I get it properly organized.

anthropologie-soap-dish

At Sephora the Philosophy crew were launching a new product. 5 weeks before any other Sephora, so I sat down and had a chat with the Philosophy rep’s that were there, explaining my favorite products by them all while learning about some new one’s too. I picked up a new eye cream. I was told the Miracle line is the next one to go to after Hope. I don’t want to discontinue my usage of Hope In a Jar, so I didn’t bother getting the face cream. Instead, I opted for the Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Eye Repair. Mouthful. I also picked up the Giorgio Armani Maestro foundation that I’ve been dying to buy since I heard so many rave reviews on it in the last few months. I had a sample of it during my last visit to Toronto and really enjoyed the unusual texture. So I bought it.Giorgio-Armani

Funny little story. When I was at the cash register, the sales rep dropped the bottle of foundation on the floor and it smashed. Luckily it didn’t fly onto my white pants. But I thought I had picked up the last bottle in that particular shade (4.5), and I was getting a little worried. Thankfully another Sephora rep went out back and got me another new one. Whewf. Crisis averted. First world problems. Sephora-haul

Finally Philosophy is starting to do a gift-with-purchase, like all other brands (Clinique, and Lancome for instance). If I bought any Philosophy product that day, I got a pink satin bag full of Philosophy travel sized items. This made me a very happy shopper.Philosophy-gift

I went into Holt Renfrew shortly after that. I dread going in there because the sales associates work on commission and I always seem to get the same little lady. Always. Never fails. Out of the 5x I’ve been in there to buy this Bobbi Brown eye cream, I’ve had her 3x.Bobbi-Brown-Extra-Eye-Repai

I know her routine now. She compliments you, which lures you in — makes you in a better mood and perhaps opens your eyes to more purchases. I know so. Happens every darn time. Anyway, she wanted me to spend $35 on a bunch of high end samples. Like a gift with purchase. Except its a purchase with purchase. No thanks. Got my $$$ eye cream, and that’s enough. I must have a complex with eyes. I don’t know how I got into eye creams, nor why I bought two on that very day. But hey, I’m good for about 14 months now seeing how each bottle of this Bobbi Brown lasts a good 6-7mths. Only need a dab.  Bobbi-Brown-eye-cream

Afterwards I was due to meet some friends for lunch at Hot House Cafe down on Church Street. I already scoped out the menu before hand so I knew I was going to order the Warm Chicken Salad without onions. salad hot house cafe

It was as good as it looks. I’m pretty sure it was 100% paleo too. Success. This was grabbed from their online menu: Warm Chicken Chicken breast, orange wheel, cucumber, cherry tomato, pickled red onion, onion sprouts, mixed greens and a pear and guava dressing.

We had a great time catching up over the last three years, and I’ve never met Amy before, so that was fun! Amy, Noreen, Kaylee and myself freaking out. The usual.nancy freaks

Wait. Here’s a better picture. ;) We all met up again because Kaylee is from New Brunswick and flew up here with Scott and their two adorable and hilarious girls. Noreen is the first person to ever show me how to work the Toronto subway system when I first moved to Ontario. I met her back in 2006 when I was heading in for an interview in Toronto and we got lost together in the city, ha!blurry girls

I spent a good 12 hours in the city and by the time I was on the Greyhound back home I was definitely pooped out. My legs and feet were tired from walking the streets of Toronto all day long. But I had such a fun time! Let’s do it again next weekend, ha ha!

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