Beauty, Contests

Pure Box by 100 Percent Pure + GIVEAWAY

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I’ve talked about 100 percent pure a lot this summer; from a makeup of the day, a review of the lip colours + eye creamsticks, to facial masks. As I have stated in the past, I am not transitioning into 100% natural, or vegan makeup. But I think it’s definitely a lot healthier for you, knowing what exactly you are putting into/onto your skin, so I like reviewing it for those reasons. However, I do still have my favourite brands I’ll continue to use.

100-pure-box

100-percent-pure-box

I have some good news for you guys. I received a couple of Pure Boxes in the mail a few weeks ago, one for me to keep and two to give away. Well, I know for sure that there were a couple of products that I definitely wouldn’t use (mattifying primer + vanilla scented lotion), so I gave a bunch of goodies including her own separate box to my neighbour. The last box is for one of you lucky readers! I have it sitting next to me right now, unopened, ready to mail out to a deserving reader of mine :)

100percentpure-eyecreamMy favourite two items from the box is the coffee bean caffeine eye cream and the black tea pigmented ultra lengthening mascara.

Coffee-Bean-Eye-CreamA blob of the eye cream. It’s almost like a lightly whipped eye cream, that glides onto the skin, and sinks in quickly. I can apply my concealer over top almost immediately. It’s pretty awesome and smells not quite like coffee bit a bit like cookie dough. I ain’t complainin’.

Coffee-Bean-EyeCreamThe caffeine eye cream gently rubbed into the skin.

Onto the giveaway! One winner based either in CANADA or USA ONLY will receive everything that is in the pictures above. The Pure Box will be launching November 1, 2015 and will retail for $40 USD for a box.

Each monthly box will have:

  • One full size products this is less than 90 days old (aka new launch)
  • One full size product from their catalogue’s core collection
  • In addition to the 2 full sizes, there will be 3 ‘power packs’ (mini products that retail for $11-$14 each).
  • A hand full of packettes will be in the boxes, too.

Good luck! Giveaway ends Sunday night (October 11) at midnight PST (California time).
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Beauty, Daily

Battle of the ‘brows

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Hourglass-DiorEveryone has a bad eyebrow story to tell, am I right? Let me go first.

For me, back in my early twenties I plucked them so thin that I ended up getting rid of the “tail” end my eyebrows altogether! I literally plucked to where my eyebrow arch started (well, and then ended). I didn’t realize it for about a year or so of doing that, that it didn’t look right. Why didn’t anyone tell me? ;)

Ever since then I was afraid of touching my eyebrows. I let them grow in a bit, then out of pure convenience I started asking my pedicure lady to wax them. She waxed them so thin they looked drawn on. I flew home for Christmas one year and my brother bluntly asked me “WTF is wrong with your eyebrows?”. Honest to goodness I stopped going to my waxing lady as soon as he said that. I have to say, his statement stung a little. But let me tell you, it definitely helped! That was back in ’09/’10 and now I just tweeze the stray hairs, and try to grow them as thick as possible.

Then I thought — hey… I should try and fill them in! That’s where the YouTube video watching came in. I spent a long time watching and trying to perfect the ol’ eyebrow filling in tricks. They make it look so easy. I went and bought the poplar and raved about product by Anastasia Beverly Hills. I was recommended the wrong colour and didn’t it for a number of years.

Hourglass-And-DiorIt’s only been since this summer that I started filling in my eyebrows with a bit of colour, to make them appear more thicker. I think I have it down pat, although certaintly not perfected. It is hard to do the beginning of your eyebrows naturally (by the bridge of your nose) but I’m pretty pleased with the outcome of the two products I’ve been using.

Both eyebrow products twist up to reveal the product. But Dior’s product doesn’t have a cap. I have been using the product since April and it doesn’t seem to be drying up. Whewf.

Ooh, I have an idea! Let’s have a battle of the ‘brows with the two products: Hourglass Arch Brow ($32) , and Dior Universal Brow Pencil ($29).

Dior-Hourglass-NibsYou’ll notice the two brow pencils are quite different in size.

Hourglass-Dior-closeupDior has a lil’ nubbins on it. Great for precise application and mimicking real eyebrow hairs. Hourglass is more diverse of an eyebrow pencil because of its triangle shaped tip. Apply the colour flat to the eyebrow just as it is, or use the triangle tip on its edge to draw thin precise lines.

Hourglass-dior-spooliesThe spoolies are quite different than one another. Dior is shorter, has shorter narrow bristles. Hourglass is large and in charge with its almost bulky mascara wand size spoolie. I haven’t minded either size while brushing out my eyebrows.

Eyebrow-swatchesI find it easier to apply colour lightly using the Hourglass arch brow. You can almost tell that from the photos above. There are two Hourglass colours swatched above because I received two! I have been using the Hourglass Soft Brunette and the Dior for my eyebrows, I have laid Hourglass Warm Blonde to the wayside :) But if you compare the far left swatch to the far right swatch, they look pretty similar, don’t they? On my eyebrows I feel like the one on the far left looks a bit too red/warm for my liking.

And finally, my favourite part. Comparing the two on my eyebrows, a before and after if you will:

Hourglass applied on the left, Dior on the right. What do you think?eyebrows-before-after

I cut off most my head because my hair was air-dried and looked super dumb. Ha! And obviously I’m not a pro at doing my eyebrows. I’m literally a month or two into it (and don’t do it daily).

Final thoughts //
I am not going to reveal a favourite out of the two brands, because quite frankly I do not have a favourite. I have been trying to figure this one out for weeks! I rotate between the two eyebrow pencils and love the way both of them apply, I love the two colours although different than one another. I suppose it’s all personal preference really, if you were to go out and buy one of the two products, I would suggest going to Sephora and trying them on your eyebrows yourself. Everyone is different, right?

Disclaimer: products were sent for review. 

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Beauty, Daily

Uh. You have makeup on your teeth.

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Picture this. You’re out on a date with your husband (ahem, okay or you’re not married, and you’re out on a date with a hunka-hunk). You spent an hour (let’s be real, you spent over two) to get ready. Mr. Hunka-Hunk Date picks you up and the first thing he says to you as you step out of his car at the disclosed location (this time, being an NHL Sharks Game, they lost by the way, luckily it’s pre-season) the first thing out of dude’s mouth is… “Uh, you have makeup or something on your teeth”.

If you didn’t get the hint already, it was my husband and I out for a little date night the previous weekend and he said I had “makeup” on my teeth. Meaning, lipstick. Ugh.

THIS IS WHY I DO NOT DO BRIGHT COLOURS.

(p.s. I will forever adopt my Canadian spelling for everything, thanks).

Meet-Matte-HughesThe Balm steps in and creates a long lasting liquid lipstick? Completely saves the day. Luckily my husband and I have been together 10+ years, so I’m not as easily embarrassed if I have something in my teeth. But-I-mean-c’mon…. it could be all avoided if I had just worn the long lasting liquid lipstick, appropriately named: Meet Matt(e) Hughes. I mean, the play on words is just too much. I freaking love it.

Swatches on my arm — so pigmented, right? I hate the smell of vanilla, and while these have a slight vanilla scent it’s also a bit minty too. theBalm-MatteHughesMind you, I did film a vlog, and the matte liquid lipsticks transferred onto my starbucks hot drink lid, and it also wore off when I ate my sandwich. So I suppose it’s long lasting… if you don’t eat. I mean, it’s also no big deal to re-apply either. Considering the product is easy to put on, and doesn’t bleed out. Which is a huge plus for a newbie bright lipstick beginner like me who doesn’t want to fuss with all the lipliner and trying to trace the lines ‘just-so’.

Anyhoodles! I thought I’d stop rambling, and show you what the 8 shades look like on my lil’ ol lips, so here we go…thebalm-meetmattehughesOne more thing. I have to tell you my two favourite shades are, that completely shocked me (was thinking of the pinks or darker colours that would be up my alley… no siree). The two colours I ended up LOVING and wearing constantly? Honest & Committed.

I mean. That pretty much sums up my relationship with my husband right there, those two colours, har har har! I love it.

I think you will too.

Also. Not drying on the lips. I hate that.

P.s. Remember that post I wrote about when I visited The Balm’s flagship store in San Francisco? The Balm saw that post, and sent me some goodies — I was pretty stoked. I ended up filming an unboxing video while I was at it too. Thank you theBalm!

Meet-Matte-Hughes-VidP.P.S: (So proffesional I know). There will be a fun YouTube video out of me live-swatching with funny faces coming in October, so stay tuned to my channel for that. The above image is what you’ll be looking out for on YT!

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