Annabelle Painted Love: Spring is Coming!
Mar 10th
It’s warming up in Toronto, and that could only mean one thing: Spring is right around the corner! Spring means goodbye salty boots, hello flowy skirts! I was so excited when Isabel (PR rep) offered to send me the new eyeshadows by Annabelle. What better way to start the season than some new makeup to play with. Yay!
Clockwise from top left: Helium, Pinked, Nymphet, Toxic Garden
Note: the eyeshadows were swatched heavily so that you can see each eyeshadow’s full potential. 
I will talk about pigmentation of the eyeshadows separately below.
I first read about these eyeshadows from Rae of theNotice and was definitely intrigued. It was also when I described Toxic Garden as “booger green.” (Isabel, I’m still both impressed and embarrassed that you caught that comment.)
Helium
Helium is a light shimmery neutral. This one actually contains some peachy pink glitter and not that finely milled. At first glance it looked a little bit like MAC All That Glitters, but Helium is lighter and more glittery. If you’re like me and not a fan of the glitter, you can blow or tap it off. You’ll still be left with plenty of pigment and sheen.
Pinked
Pinked is a bright pink with low shimmer. It’s not something that I would usually use on my eyes, but I think it would be a fabulous bright blush. It is very pigmented, but it’s easy to work with; you can definitely apply this with a light hand.
Nymphet
Nymphet is a light shimmery turquoise. This is so finely milled and pigmented; definitely the best of the four. Its texture feels like the MAC’s Veluxe Pearl eyeshadows, which I LOVE! Because it’s cool-toned, I don’t usually wear colours like it, but of course I have to try! I think it would look awesome paired with a bright purple.
Toxic Garden
Last but not least, Toxic Garden is booger green. LOL, just kidding. Well, sort of. 
Yucky in the pan, this colour applies sheer and appears more of a golden green on me. I’ve paired it with a dark green and a greenish taupe, and it didn’t look at all like booger green! You might even describe it as pretty. *gasp*
All in all, I think Annabelle did a great job with these eyeshadows. My least favourite of the bunch is Helium because of the glitter. If I were to recommend just one, it would have to be Nymphet. It’ll be perfect for Spring!
An Oh So Pretty! Introduction to LIFT Cosmetics.
Mar 8th
My sister and I were back at LIFT Beauty Boutique this weekend for their complimentary mini-makeup application with Lauren. By the way, we are both in agreement that Lauren is the sweetest makeup artist you will ever meet.
I, of course, had to come away with some makeup to show Glitter Geek readers. Consider them as “blog purchases”, ‘kay? I’m supposed to be on a low buy. These colour swatches and pictures are actually spot on; thank you sunlight!
LIFT Cosmetics Eye Shimmer in Moon Dust
Yes, m’dears. It’s a loose eyeshadow, which I usually hate, but this light golden shimmer cannot be ignored! For me, it is a perfect cheek highlighter that gives me that JLo glow. I’m not a fan of the celeb, but definitely a big fan of the glow!
Moon Dust swatch (dry finger swatch)
I use a fan brush to apply Moon Dust on my cheekbones. I get a finish that is less concentrated than the swatch above. Isn’t it gorgeous though? It is such a smooth, sophisticated highlight that doesn’t scream “I’ve been playing with my mother’s makeup drawer and I am now a disco ball.”
LIFT Cosmetics Powder Blush in Sanibel Sunset
During my mini-makeup appointment, I went for a “cheeky” look. It’s something that I never do because I didn’t have any bold blushes. When Lauren pulled this out after I’ve been secretly eyeing it on the display, I immediately said “Yes! That one!” Sanibel Sunset is a warm red with a small amount of gold shimmer that will make it perfect for summertime. This powder blush is soft, non-chalky, and packs a good amount of pigment.
Sanibel Sunset swatch (dry finger swatch)
Sanibel Sunset swatch (layered over Moon Dust and buffed in with a brush) — LOVE this combo!
For those of you who are wondering, here is a side-by-side size comparison with a MAC blush.
LIFT Powder Blush in Sanibel Sunset ($16 for .11 oz), MAC Blush in Peaches ($22 for .21 oz)
Around the Interwebz.
Mar 7th
Hello ladies. Having a lazy Sunday morning? Here are a few fun reads to pass the time.
Color Me Katie
Color Me Katie is a portal to the colourful world of Katie Sokoler, a street artist and photographer from Brooklyn, NY. I am insanely jealous of her creativity, and I admit, I even attempted one of her DIY crafts on Valentine’s day. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that her cat Moo is very handsome. This is a great source for home decoration projects that I’m sure I’ll be using when I move out to my own place.
Passive-Aggressive Notes
Passive-Aggressive Notes consists of mainly passive-aggressive notes, and sometimes just plainly aggressive ones. What makes this website so entertaining is that you always find yourself in 1 of 2 situations: 1) You feel sorry for the note writer; 2) You laugh at the note writer because he deserves it. It’s hilarious because we all have been in the presence of people who park like douche bags.
The Catorialist
All my Crazy Cat Ladies, put your hands up 
! The Catorialist = (The Sartorialist – pretentious hipsters + gorgeous felines). These cats must be from a whole ‘nuther world from what I’m living in, because they actually sit and pose to get their photos taken. My Mingming would never sit through a photoshoot. Well, actually, there was this one time…
Here’s my kitty Mingming vogue-ing way back in her modelling days, i.e., when she was a little less plump than she is now.
What are your favourite non-beauty reads online?
I love discovering new and interesting websites, so I want to know what your favourite sites are.
Beauty Blog Link Love
Mar 5th
- Over at theNotice, Rae talks about the “LOL Scarf” (aka the MAC Liberty of London scarf,) and wonders why the heck anyone would spend $115 on it!
- Head over to Beautifully Glossy to read what GlossQueen has to say about Diorshow’s Iconic Mascara.
- Curious to see how the Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation measures up? Blaq Vixen Beauty has the scoop!
- Arianne of Glitter Geek is still in a makeup rut, so she tries to fight back with smoky blue eyeshadows!
- Krasey Beauty gets acquainted with the new Chanel Rouge Coco lipsticks, and promptly falls in love.
- Hot Beauty Health shares hot hair color trends to wear in 2010.
- Jeweled Thumb asks the age old question: “Would you like some lip gloss with those oysters?” Wait, what?
- Jellyminx Thinks is featured on Makeup.com, thanks to the lovely people at Lancome.
- Lights…Camera…Action! Mz. More at The Glamorous Gleam gets ready for her close up as she reviews the new HD foundation from Revlon.
- Vex in the City unveils swatches in all their pastel glory from Revlon Spring 2010.
- Christelle at Beauty Crazed uses Mary Kay to shut down her shine!
- Beauty Woo Me wants you to stop making that Duckface!
- Ever wanted to know the differences between the Beauty Blender and it’s dupes? Hell Candy Make Up did! Read her reviews here.
- On her hunt for the perfect scent, TheLipPrint discovers an indie gem – Sonoma Scent Studio’s Opal and Vintage Rose.
- Coral is the hottest colour for Spring and Summer. Discover the perfect coral lipstick in Over by Illamasqua with Makeup4All!
***
- Help Audrey Dao celebrate her 1 year blog anniversary with giveaways all month long!
- Prime Beauty asks “What’s your favorite eyeliner?” and gives away a Stila Mini Smudge Pot Collection.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s Link Love! See you soon
Night of Swatching: MAC + Vasanti Go Canada! Palette.
Mar 4th
Hello pretty ladies! Sorry I’ve been quiet on the blog front this week. I had a hard bout with a cough, cold, and flu (the trifecta!) earlier this week and I was in bed all day.
Now that I’ve bounced back from that nasty crap — well, sort of — I took a trip to my nearest MAC store to grab a couple of eyeshadows. Oh yes, a happy ending. I decided on Arena eyeshadow (thanks to Michelle of Lipstick Rules). It’s an amazing light peach that is perfect for an all-over colour wash. The other eyeshadow, Coquette, is a gorgeous taupe that is perfect for the crease for a work friendly look.
MAC Coquette, MAC Arena (+ bonus smiley!)
MAC Arena swatch, MAC Coquette swatch
Ah, why do mattes swatch so blotchy!
By the way, I was surprised to hear that I am now NC35; a far cry from last summer’s NC42. My gosh, I feel so pale!
Look What I Won!
I came home to see this in the mail! I was lucky enough to win one of Vasanti Cosmetics Go Canada! Palette during their Olympics giveaway. Vasanti gave away 14 palettes to match the 14 gold medals our Canadian athletes won in Vancouver. By the way, how incredible were we in the Olympics? I’m so proud to be Canadian!
So, are you ready? Good. Here are the swatches.
The gold was the least pigmented of all the eyeshadows, but very finely milled. The silver had chunkier sparkles. The bronze and white were the most pigmented of all, with the same creamy feel as the gold. Just look at that bronze! I can hardly wait to wear it. The red is a very sheer red lipstick that is perfect for red lippie wimps.
I just loooove this palette. I’ll definitely be looking out for other Vasanti products in the near future.
Vasanti Cosmetics is sold in select Shoppers Drugmart, Rexall Pharmaplus, and online.
Fighting a Makeup Rut EOTD: I’ve Got the Blues.
Feb 24th
I’m still fighting through my makeup rut so yesterday I ventured into smoky eyes. I didn’t want to wear the usual grey/black smoky eye; instead I wore blues.
Get the Look
- Use Annabelle Taupe Eyebrow Pencil (Quo discontinued my beloved 3-in-1, so sad!) to fill the brows. A smoky eye is never complete without a good brow.
- For depth, apply Annabelle B-Ray Eyeshadow (matte deep navy) all over the lid and blended out slightly above the crease. Smudge B-Ray on the outer 2/3 of your lower lashline. (Damn you, Rae for messing up my low buy )
- After misting a flat shadow brush with MAC Fix+, take a little bit of Sassy Minerals Jinx Eyeshadow (sparkly aqua) on the brush and pat all over B-Ray. This will add the sparkle to your smoky eye. Smudge over B-Ray along the lower lashline; this time, go all the way in to the inner corner.
- Add a teeny bit of MAC Carbon Eyeshadow (matte black) on the outer V bring in slightly to the crease.
- To add warmth and to bring the look together, blend MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow (matte medium warm brown) above the blues.
- Dip a Q-tip in makeup remover, and clean up the shape so that you get slight wing. Don’t forget to re-touch the outer corners with foundation or concealer. Lightly blend out the outer corner to soften the wing.
- Use Urban Decay Zero Eyeliner Pencil (creamy black) to line the upper lashline, and upper and lower waterlines.
- Put on a good volumizing mascara. Here I used MUFE Smoky Lash Mascara. Sorry about the clumps! I was taking tons of pictures when I realized that I didn’t have mascara on, so this was a quick swipe of mascara before I took one last pic before running out the door.
To My Brown Eyed Girls…
Have you ventured into blue eyeshadow or eyeliner yet? If not, you have to! It really brings out browns like no other.
Models Do Eat.
Feb 22nd
(Original uncropped photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)
Here’s your proof! Best. Model. Picture. Ever!
My Google Reader has been bombarded with 49,473,729 photos from Fashion Week, but I haven’t seen anything like this. It’s so wicked to see what goes down backstage during a Fashion Show; it really isn’t all glitz and glamour as it’s all made out to be. Love.
(Via Backstage during Fashion Week – The Big Picture – Boston.com.)
I Feel Good! (tananananananan…)
Feb 20th
We always hear people complain about their own appearance. I am guilty of this, too. ”My pores are ginormous!” “My lashes are non-existent!” “My hairline is so weird!” Bonus points awarded if you know where that last one is from.
As I was getting my brows professionally done (for the first time ever!) today, I realized something: I really like my full eyebrows. Whenever I overtweeze, it all seems to grow back without a problem. I am so thankful that years of brow torture in high school didn’t ruin my brows for all eternity (whew!).
What Do You Like about Yourself?
Everybody has got to have at least one thing that they love about themselves. Let’s hear it in the comments ladies. Let’s start this weekend feeling good!
Oh! And at the risk of being a little raunchy, I also like my butt. 
I Got My Nails Done…
…and the colour is beautiful. This is Zoya “Reece” nail polish. She’s quite sassy eh?
The thing that I don’t understand is why I always f* up my nails right after I get a manicure. My right hand is looking a little ghetto right now. Good thing you only need one hand for swatch pics, LOL!
Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? I am finally catching Avatar on IMAX today. Tickets are no longer selling out. Woohoo!
Beauty Blog Link Love
Feb 19th
Hi beauties! We made it to the weekend! Here are some great reads from the Beauty Blog Link Love network. Enjoy!
- Rae from theNotice shares her skincare secret to flawless, pore-free skin.
- Phyrra gives you an exclusive interview with Fyrinnae Cosmetics in February’s Indie Spotlight.
- Betty’s Dragon Fruit Eye Look is now up at Betty Girl Makeup. It’s her first tutorial and she’s wicked excited!
- Arianne at Glitter Geek is absolutely smitten over her new drugstore superhero — Aveeno Hand Cream.
- Krasey Beauty takes New York Fashion Week by storm, and goes backstage with L.A.M.B, MAC, CND, and MoroccanOil.
- Lisa Kate attempts her first Konadicure…please help her!
- Jellyminx goes shopping again and again and again and again!!
- Sarah at I Heart Cosmetics hunted high and low, and finally managed to purchase the Estee Lauder and Michael Kors Very Hollywood Collection.
- Thought you found your HG red lipstick? So did Hell Candy Make Up until she discovered this oh so glamorous lippie!
- There be lemmings-a-plenty when Lipglossiping shows off NARS Purple Rain this week!
- Tarte ReCreate Anti-Aging Foundation just so happens to be the answer to Prime Beauty’s prayers.
- Melovemakeup shows how gorgeous the eyeshadow in the Trucco Angelface Palette is – duochrome heaven!
- Say bye bye to dark circles and hello to bright eyes with Liparazzi!
- Maggie gets electrified by L’Oreal HiP’s Black Shock.
- This week on Get Lippie, Louise goes a little bananas at the makers of “Chemical Free” products and hopes she’ll be forgiven.
- Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets super excited by Chanel’s new Fast Track Orient Extreme mini collection!
Valentine’s Day FOTD: Dramatic Purple.
Feb 17th
Hello ladies! Happy hump day. Here’s a look I did for Valentine’s day. When I think of Valentine’s day, soft and romantic look comes to mind. I don’t know what this makes me (special? confused? LOL), but my look here is anything but soft. It is a very dramatic purple smoky eye with nude lips. I still don’t know if I like this look or not. Thoughts?
Get the Look
Using a flat synthetic brush, use the dark brown as a colour base all over the lid. Using a fluffy blending brush like the MAC 217, blend out the colour using espresso in and slightly above the crease. Using a fluffy eye shader brush, pat in the violet all over the lid. Blend out the colour using, well, the blending brush. Line the waterline and lower lashline with a waterproof violet pencil. Put on your best mascara, or big false lashes if you dare.
Using a blush brush, apply a bronzy blush (or a bronzer) as you would contour your cheeks. Swipe on a peachy nude lipstick, and you’re done.
Products Used
Eyes
Smashbox Jet Set Liner in Dark Brown
Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Freakshow (deep warm violet)
MAKE UP FOR EVER Eyeshadow in 17 Espresso (matte chocolate brown)
GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Funky Violet (dark violet)
CoverGirl LashBlast Waterproof Mascara
Cheeks
NARS Blush in Sertao (bronzy gold)
Lips
MAC Lipstick in Shy Girl (peachy nude)
Speaking of Valentine’s Day…
I fed my muffin top with lots of Ferrero Rocher from BF. It was good times! Now I have to work it off by getting some ass-kicking from Jillian. *sighs*
Did you do anything for Valentine’s Day, or the Lunar New Year? Is anyone else glued to the Olympics on TV? I seriously want to try snowboard cross sometime in the future.
