2018 has wrapped up and we are into a new year. I thought I would give a roundup of my favourite items from this past year. I honestly have loved a lot more than just what I am listing, but this was what I thought was all I could blog about in a year-end roundup.
Smashbox Primer Oil:
 I have had this one a long time, but this year I really learned to love it. I started mixing it into my foundations and it has really helped with my skin not looking flakey when applied. I also got the NYX version, which I must say I like exactly the same amount, I am just trying to use this one up first.

ELF Hydrating Booster Drops:
I picked these up a few months ago and it has been amazing how fast I have used them up. I add a bit of this serum/gel into my foundation and it makes it so much more hydrating and my skin plumper. For a value brand, I have been really impressed with it.

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Coconut Water Primer Stick:
I picked this up at the same time I got the booster drops, and I instantly fell in love. I really wanted to try the Milk stick that is similar but didn't want to pay the price. This was about $10 so I couldn't resist. It applies watery and smooth while instantly cooling the skin. I find it works well as a light primer
L'oreal Lumi Glotion*:
 I have this in a Fair Glow and Medium Glow, both are great but Fair Glow is my favourite. I mentioned it in my summer favourites and it still stands. I love to apply it before my foundation for more of a glow (but not too much of one). It looks quite nice on my skin.

L'oreal Lumi Glow Amour Boosting Drops:
I also have this one in two shades, Golden Hour and Daybreak. Daybreak is the lighter and more pinky shade and it works really well on my skin. I add a small amount to my cheekbones, above the lip or wherever else I want some highlight and it does a great job. I like to add it sometimes under my foundation really get it to look more toned down.
Joe Fresh Cushion Lipstick:
I picked this up on sale while Joe Fresh was exiting Shoppers Drug Mart. I got the shade Tulip which is really pretty deep mauve shade. It has a sponge applicator and gives that powder finish to your lips that so many brands are loving right now (Buxom, NYX, etc).
Dermalogica Barrier Defense Booster*:
My skin has been so dry this year! All year! It has been frustrating as all hell. I have to thank this serum for helping me at least keep my skin calm. I will say it took me 3 months to realize the grey bottom is soft and you can press it to release the product. I had been shaking it out before that.

L'oreal Revitalift Cicacream*:
I don't know what to say about this, but it is a day and night cream that my skin has really been liking. I don't need much and it is a great anti-ageing and hydrating formula.

Acure Argan Oil*:
I only have a few pumps of this left, which should show how much I adore it. It works so darn well. There is just something about this oil's texture that works so well on my skin. Plus there is a pump, which makes using any oil mess free.
ELF Prismatic Highlighting Duo:
I picked this up in Mermaid Tail. One side is a peachy pink highlight and the other a blue tone. Both are very iridescent and microfine in their shimmer, which is exactly what I want in a highlighter (no chunky shimmer, that is the way to go). It builds well so you can go light to strong without much effort. Every single time I wear it I get compliments. I love to wear the peach on my eyes for a lazy makeup day.

Before this, I was not sold on blue or peach highlighters, and now I hooked.
Revlon Galaxy Dream*:
This palette features four shades of holographic highlighters. The shades in the palette are pink, green, purple and silver. I really appreciate the size of the pans (quite big), the shade varieties and the fact it is so finely milled (once again no glittery shimmer bits). All the shades work really well on my skin and add a nice pop of highlight, but they also can be mixed together which I really enjoy too.

Urban Decay Naked Piette Heat Palette:
I picked this up at Sephora when they had their spring sale, and I was really glad I did. with 6 matte shades, I get a lot of use out of it since I don't really wear any other shadow finishes to work. They are all burnt orange/red shades that I think blend out well. I actually wish I never picked up the Naked heat palette because I use this one more and it is completely redundant now.

Nars Hot Escape Eye and Cheek Palette:
I picked this one up during the Nordstrom anniversary sale (as well as a bunch of other things I probably didn't need). I really love the shadows in it as well as the highlighter and blush. I have gotten so much wear out of it that I just had to mention it.
* denotes products that were sent to me for review purposes; all views and opinions are my own.

 Recently I picked up Maybelline's The Nudes Palette at my local Walmart. It cost me just under $11 and I must say it was money well spent.

I had read a few flavourful reviews of the palette and a few that said it was a let down, I figured for $11 I could risk it and find out for myself.

First off it is a neutral toned palette with 12 eyeshadows, some frosted, some metallic and some matte. I liked the variety of finishes, that is one of the things that drew me to the palette.
 Ok so here we go into the claims that they make. While there are 12 shades, Maybelline claimed you can create 13 looks with it. On the back you will see how they break it up into 3 quads, 6 duos and 4 trios...thus 13 looks. I think it is great that they paired them that way, but there are so many more looks you can create just by mixing an matching.
 Any how...here are some swatches.
Ohh ahhh...I like.

Pros:
Cheap (under $11 at my walmart)
Easy to find (most Maybelline displays should have it by now)
Good range of shades
Nice selection of mattes
Pretty darn bendable
Convenient breakdown of quad, duo or trios for those wanting easy to follow looks

Cons:
Many of the shades take some building up or layering to create a bolder look
No mirror

Overall:

If you're looking to get a neutral palette that won't break the bank or your want to travel with this might be fore you. I like that there are more than 2 mattes in the palette and some range in textures. Something the UD Naked line seems to lack (unless you want to go buy Naked Basics palettes). I do find the shades blend well and hold up over the day over a good primer. I do think the more metallic shades need to be a bit stronger, they really take a lot of building up to get a bold look.

I can live without a mirror if it keeps that palette cheap, but it would make it nicer for travel.

All in all I would definitely recommend this palette.

Have you tried The Nudes Palette yet? What do you think of it?

November is here and so is neutral season. In honour of neutral/nude/naked season I've decided to dedicate the whole month to neutrals.

That's right, the blog is going to look pretty fall by the end of the month (just like all the trees).
Below is a list of all the products I hope to either review or do a FOTD with (maybe both). At the end of the month I'll update the list with the links to the posts.

Drug Store:

• L'oreal Paris Colour Riche in 203 Perpetual Nude Quad
• Sonia Kashuk Eye Couture Eye Palette - Eye On Neutral 02
• Essence All About...Eyeshadow Palette 01 All About Nude
• Essence All About...Eyeshadow Palette 03 All About Sunset
• Essence How to Nude Eyes Makeup Box
• Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette
• Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio in Silent Treatment 
• Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio in Sweet as Candy
• Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking on Eggshells
• Annabelle Quad in Chai Chai Chai
• Maybelline the Nudes Palette
• Maybelline Color Tattoos Leather in Deep Forest
• Maybelline Color Tattoos Leather in Creamy Beige
• Annabelle TwistUp Lipstick in Nude of Fame

Since it is November, I thought I would do a bunch of nude/naked/neutral looks (Neutral November as I am calling it). First off for the month is a favourite of mine, a  look I created only using L'oreal Paris products.

• Visible Lift Blur in 209 True Beige *
• Color Riche Fixing and Unfying Eyeshadow Primer *
• Colour Riche in 203 Perpetual Nude *
• 12HR Infallible The Super * Slim Liquid Eyeliner in Black
• Super Liner Brow Artist in 03 Brunette *
• Volune Millions Lashes Excess in Black *
• Nude Couture Lipstick in Frieda *
• Visible Lift CC Eye Concealer in Light *
• True Match Crayon Concealer in n1-2-3 Fair/Light

I love all these affordable drug store items and I love how they all just work, and work well at that. The star of this look is the Coluor Riche quad in Perpetual Nude. Rich, creamy, bendable and just plain old fantastic. I just cannot get enough of it.
The foundation is also a favourite of mine. It is light and creamy, plus it blends well. Since mine is in more my summer colour and therefor a tad bit dark for this time of year I really needed to blend it out, I used my Real Techniques sponge and had no issues whatsoever. To conceal I used around my eyes the CC eye roller by Visible lift and around my noise (where I get hormonal redness) I used my True Match crayon. I didn't end up needed much of the concealers, just a bit because of the great coverage from the foundation. I also didn't need powder, which is great since my skin gets so dry this time of year.
For my lips I used Freida Pinto's Nude lipstick. While she is a much darker skin tone than me, this slightly mauvy shade looks great with this quad and is the perfect lip colour for the fall this year.
* denotes items were sent to me for review. My opinions are still all my own.