Highlighters

Hi Friends,

To clarify, this post is not about the stationary products university students cling to during finals. This post is about one of the most overlooked (in my opinion) makeup products ever.  A highlighter is something that you put on specific areas of your face to cast a glow to your complexion. Sometimes the results are beautiful, and other times it goes horribly wrong.  I have amassed quite the collection of highlighters and the majority of these products are samples and thus do not reflect the actual retail size (or packaging for that matter).  

Stila eyeshadow in Kitten $23 at Sephora.ca

Yeah, yeah yeah. I know this is an eyeshadow. But it works so perfectly as a face highlighter (and in the brow bone).  See swatch below. This colour is a great peachy pink shade that really seems to compliment my skin tone leaving me looking refreshed and awake (which is a feat... trust me!). If you are looking to save money this would be my go to because it is so versatile. Looks great on the face, lid etc.

Benefit Sun beam $32 at Sephora (for full size)... sample size pictured here
This product is waaaay better when you have a tan. Right now my skin is much to pale to pull off this shade. However, come July or post vacation this puppy will be in heavy rotation. Sun beam is a nice bronze shade but still light enough that it acts as a highlight (ie. Not a bronzer). 

Benefit High beam $32 at Sephora.ca (for full size).... sample size pictured here

This is a pretty highlighter but a bit predictable. It also can be a bit too white in the summertime. I also tend to reach for powder highlighters and thus this puppy does not get as much love. I guess the name is fairly accurate as this little guy is not very subtle on the face. However, if you are looking for extreme highlighting this guy would do the job... probably should reserve this guy for nights when you are going to a ridiculous disco or something.

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl $36 at Sephora.ca (for full size).... sample size pictured here

I have had this sample for some time and pretty much never give it love. For a long time I thought this product was a primer and so I avoided this puppy as I had a BAD reaction to POREFESSIONAL. This product is pretty but seems to be fairly obvious (although more subtle than high beam) and wears quite nicely. I don't think I will be running out to buy the full size any time soon. 

bareMinerals All Over Face Colour in Pure Radiance $24 at Sephora.ca (for full size)... sample size pictured

This product is nice and has really awesome complex microshimmer (well thats what it looks like to me). I wore this to work today to see what would happen and it had faded away by my typical 10am bathroom break.  I loved the colour but the MESS this product creates is not worth it. I won't be buying the full size. 

LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil Free Luminizer $32 at LORAC.com

THIS. PRODUCT. Has me wanting to run out and buy the full size and find a backup or two. I included this puppy in my 2013 favorites for very good reason. I get compliments everytime I wear it, it's buildable, usually looks natural, makes me look awake and healthy. LORAC is no longer stocked at my local Sephora so I WILL be buying this online once the makeup ban is over (2 wks down, 2.5 months to go!).

Hard Candy Blush Crush in Pinup $7 at Walmart.com (likely more expensive in Canada)

This product is worth the price. YOU GET SO MUCH! I have had this puppy for a VERY long time. Lucky for me I invested in a sanitizer that cleans powder products so I don't mind holding on to this one. I will probably throw it out soon as the lid it cracked (thats what you get for cheap packaging). You can't really go wrong with this one. This puppy is a good way to dip your toe into the highligher pond if you are looking to experiment but don't want to spend too much. 

L to R: High Beam, Sun Beam, Girl Meets Pearl

Just some swatches so you can see what I am talking about. Note: My face is a couple of shades darker than my hands. I think that is because I have been taking A LOT of vitamin D lately to compensate from living in constant darkness of Canadian winter.  I also have a lot of freckles... this shot does not do them justice or explain the complications they cause with foundation application.

L to R: Hard Candy Pinup, Lorac Perfectly Lit, bareMinerals Pure Radiance, Stila Kitten

Hang on a sec, in this picture I am not loving LORAC. I promise it looks much different on my face with all the bells and whistles of my usual makeup.  

You might be wondering why I have so many sample sizes. I prefer sample sizes because there is less waste, it allows me to try many more products while spending less money, it allows me to avoid addressing my commitment issues head on. What I mean to say is I don't want to invest in a product I don't love. If I am shelling out 30 bucks for a product it had better be love and fireworks. For example, I will not buy the majority of the highlighters featured in this post.  I will have a lot of fun using them up and experimenting with different looks. Promise. 

 Which luminizer/highlighter is your fav and why? What should I check out?

Thats about it for me!
...and remember you're beautiful
XOXO



Note: All opinons are my own.  All photos are my own (unless otherwise specified). 

November Favorites

Hi Friends! Calgary has been hit by a blizzard so I am hiding from the snow to write this blog.  At least blogging is more productive than a massive gossip girl marathon. I'm fairly certain that I have not matured past 15 years old.  I wanted to incorporate monthly favorites into this blog because it provides a snapshot of what people are loving.  I was hoping that my selections would echo the fall, but that didn't happen. I have an eclectic mix between drugstore and high end (Sephora... I'm not thaaat ballin'). Many of these products will get repurchased and I'm sure will make a re-occurance on the blog. Some of these products will not be repurchased in the interest of branching out and trying something new. 

Hard Candy Blush in Pin Up about $7 at Walmart

I didn't want to fall in love with this one but it happened. In a happy coincidence where I forgot my Lorac Spotlight in my gym bag in my car and had to resort to good olde' Pin Up to luminize my face.  Pin Up provides a rose gold type shimmer without glitter.  Also there is so much product here! A whopping 8g! I'm fairly certain I'll have this guy until I retire. Or not. That would be gross. 

MAC blush in Well Dressed $25 at  maccosmetics.com

I have longed for this blush FOREVER. I bought it in the summer but find it looks better when my skin is a bit paler.  Well Dressed is also perfect for people who are heavy handed like me. Most days end up looking like a circus clown. I don't find this blush very buildable... and for me that is a very good thing!

Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder in Creamy Natural $7.99 at Well.ca

This powder is really nice for a drugstore brand. I picked this up to have in my gym bag back when I went to the gym before work.  It does the job, smells like drug store powder, and is exactly what you would expect. The jury is out whether or not this powder if breaking me out. If that is the culprit then I will be sadly disappointed!

Revlon's Age Defying Concealer in Light... not sure how much I paid for this puppy

This concealer does not seem to crease! Kind of magic for a drugstore concealer. Also- apparently this concealer has anti-aging and moisturizing properties which is great because I am aging... by the minute and so are YOU! If it's on sale I suggest you pick it up.

Stila Kitten $23 at Sephora

Everyone raves about this shadow and with very good reason! Kitten is a bright peachy pink champagne shimmer shadow. I challenge you to say that three times fast! (Admit you totally just tried to do it). If used with a good shadow base it will last all day. Without a base it will flake off throughout the day. I use this shadow all over the eye and it is easy to work with. I am convinced that it could be used as a luminizer as well. Challenge accepted! I'll try it out tomorrow. Stay Tuned.

Bausch and Lomb Redness Eyedrops $4.65 at Well.ca

I live in Alberta, the land of evaporating moisture. I also have allergies in addition to working fairly hard and staying up late. This means that my eyes resemble either a new born vampire or pothead. As you can imagine it's not a good look on me. Therefore I have an elaborate routine that involves trying to  add moisture back to my eyes.  Part of my routine is using these drops to relieve the redness. These work really well!

Tarte Lights, Cameras, Splashes! $25 at Sephora

I bought this before my post-grad trip to Mexico in May. I wanted a water proof mascara that was not harsh on my eyes. This mascara is amazing the staying power is incredible. It literally lasts for days and is very difficult to remove.  Still, I have love for this mascara as it has not let me down through nights out, tears, swimming, and camping.

Maybelline Great Lash in Clear $7.49 at Well.ca

This mascara makes for a great brow gel. It keeps my brows in place all day. It is simple, inexpensive and effective.

Aveeno Clear Complexion $27.99 at Well.ca (Guaranteed I did not pay that much... seems a bit extreme)

I bought this when my skin first started breaking out. In the past I have been obsessed with another Aveno moisturizer, positively radiant. I prefer positively radiant because it is more moisturizing and gives my skin a healthy, dewy appearance. This product is moisturizing and contains Salicylic Acid an acne fighting ingredient that my skin responds to. It seems to be doing the trick and a reach for it everyday hence reaching favourite status. Also- do not pay $27.99 for this product. It goes on sale regularly sometimes as low as $19.99.

Rosebud Perfume Co. in Mocha Rose $7.50 at Sephora

Since my first tin of Rosebud salve I have been obsessed! I really love the tube form. It is genius because your fingers do not get all gooey from dipping into the jar and is way more hygienic.  Moka Rose is a mythical flavor that I never see at Sephora.  It is perfect to put on your lips while getting ready in the morning. The coffee flavor really helps to wake me up!

And there you have it! My November Favorites in all their glory! Comment below about your favorites of the moment. I'm always looking for new things to try :) Stay tuned for next month when I reveal my Favorites of 2013!