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Curiously Carmen

Holiday Makeup ft. THEFACESHOP

December 4, 2015

In collaboration with the Canadian Beauty Bloggers Network and THEFACESHOP, I’ve created a simple holiday makeup look using their products. I can’t believe that it is already almost Christmas. I am so excited!

This was the first time that I’ve tried THEFACESHOP makeup products, I usually stick with their skincare products. With the five products that I used to create this look, I found the products to be really worth the price and will be taking a closer look at their makeup products next time I stop by a store. They are a great alternative to your everyday drugstore products.

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Products:

  • Gelset smudgeproof auto liner in 04 – purple
  • Single shadow pot in glitter (GL01)
  • Freshian volumizing mascara in 01- curling
  • Single blush in br01
  • Face it lipstick in creamy matte (pk101)

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After applying my foundation and lightly filling in my brows, I gently dusted the gold eyeshadow on my eyelids. Adding a bit more sparkle because I just love sparkle, I dabbed some onto the bottom inner corner of my eyes to make them pop as well.

Afterwards, I used the eyeliner to create a very simple winged liner. Although the shade is purple, it showed up more as a black shade on my skin and there was a hint of shimmer in certain lights. I decided to also line the bottom of my eye to create more dramatic and striking look, which is something I never do.

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To finish off my eyes, I used two coats of mascara, which was more than enough! The mascara was very voluminous and I liked how it accentuated my lower lashes very nicely too.

I really liked the blush, which added some highlight to my non-existent cheekbones. It gave my skin a nice healthy burst of colour as well. Although this is a blush, it can definitely double as a highlighter as well.

I finished the look with some lipstick. I normally shy away from bright pink colours, but was pleasantly surprised at how it matched my skin. I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone!
TFS1There you have it! A very simple holiday makeup look with some glitter. I love holiday makup because it gives me an excuse to wear more glitter on my eyes. I actually wore some of the glitter eyeshadow to the office yesterday too. I was really tired and wanted to give my eyes a dash of shimmer.

Thanks for reading!

-Carmen


Filed Under: eyes, face, lips, makeup

Night Out Makeup Look

October 24, 2015

I went out with some friends for dinner over the weekend, and thought I would share the makeup I wore! I haven’t done this for awhile, not since my Valentine’s Day makeup look, I believe – so hope you enjoy reading this as I do love writing posts like these.

Unfortunately, I was in a rush that night so the thought of taking some selfies after my makeup completely slipped my mind. Sorry! I took some pictures with friends but the lighting was pretty dark and bad inside, so those won’t be much help.

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Here is all the makeup I used that night.

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For my eyes, I wanted to create a smokey eye look and used my Urban Decay Naked palette to achieve the look. Since I was in a rush, I wasn’t able to create as much of a dramatic effect as I wanted but I was still happy with the way it turned out!

After priming my eyes with Urban Decay’s primer potion, I brushed ‘sin’ and ‘toasted’ all over my eyelid. On the outer corners, I blended ‘darkhose’ and ‘hustle’. I also wanted to try my new Sigma angle brush, and used ‘sidecar’ on the lower inner corner to make my eyes seem a bit brighter.(You can click on the photo for a new tab with a larger photo size, so that you’re able to see the names of each shade)

Obsessed Canada has started carrying Sigma brushes and they offer free shipping on products over $25 or a mere $3 flat rate!

As usual, I created a wing with my favourite Kat Von D liquid liner but decided to thicken and extend the line more. I finished my eyes with my new Buxom mascara.
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Since I wasn’t getting ready at home, I didn’t want to bring all of my face products with me in my makeup bag. I used my Urban Decay Naked skin foundation all over my face – I love this foundation and it is my definite go-to! For my under eye circles, I used the Estee Lauder Perfectionist concealer which I find does a really good job in brightening your skin.

To set my foundation, I used my Bare Minerals matte powder. Bare Minerals will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first higher end makeup brand I bought. It’s also a really great setting powder or you can use it alone for lighter coverage.
IMG_1873Here is the one picture I have, where you can decently see my makeup although it is a bit grainy! For privacy reasons, the boyfriend has turned into an orange just like in Kelowna.

Thanks for reading!

Press samples featured (Estee Lauder Perfectionist concealer and Sigma angle brush). Opinions are own. 

-Carmen


Filed Under: eyes, face, makeup

ACI Beauty Fall/Holiday 2015 Media Preview – Part 2/2

August 23, 2015

In early August, I was invited to the ACI Beauty event to experience their Fall/Holiday 2015 collection! I already mentioned this in part 1, but just in case you haven’t read that yet, ACI Beauty is one of the biggest beauty distributors in Canada. ACI Beauty works with many reputable beauty companies to help their products get on the shelves for us beauty lovers.

At the event, we were guided throughout some of their newest products for next season. Welcome to part 2/2!

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I have seen some CLEAN products in Sephora before, but never had the chance to learn or test them out until that day. We got to smell some of the perfumes that day, and I enjoyed all of the different scents.  If you’re someone who likes light and neutral scents, then this is the line for you.

I had a few friends that came over and played with the samples, and all of them said that the perfumes smelled like ‘clean laundry’.

I currently keep one of the rollerball minis in my purse,the light blue one in the middle of the box named ‘cool cotton’. It smells very refreshing and wakes me up a bit when I first put it on. The size is very convenient, and good to use on-the-go.

I also found that the CLEAN products are very gender neutral, maybe it’s just moi?? By that, I mean they don’t have a distinct ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ scent – it just smells like very clean soap! Although these products are catered towards women, I think that men would be able to wear this as well.
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This product was highly raved about with the ACI ladies, they use this almost every day at home!

The Bliss triple oxygen instant energizing mask initially goes on your skin as a gel, but slowly turns into a foam as you rub it on your face. The foam expands on your face depending on much dirt or oil you have, so the foam size can vary each day. It also has a very nice grapefruit smell to it.

I posted this on my Instagram already, but am I ever in love with this Paul and Joe lipstick! This lipstick is part of Paul and Joe’s Fall 2015 ‘Cafe Parisien’ line.

To make this cute cat lipstick, Paul and Joe uses a Japanese candy-making technique called Kintaro-ame, which depends on two separate tubes – one columnar and one cat-shaped. This ensures that the cute cat faces remain visible until the lipstick is used up, so you don’t have to worry about the cute cat print going away!
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Also on the topic of lipstick, here are the new shades for Anna Sui. I called these the ‘shooting star’ lipstick because of the way the lipstick is shaped inside the tube! The colours are very rich and make a good transition for the Fall season.

The Anna Sui loose powder, which comes in a new beautiful design, is pictured in the back. It comes with a fluffy purple puff, and looks so classic and elegant. I could picture a princess using this powder on her vanity table. Beside it is the Anna Sui BB Cream.
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I showed this picture in my Anna Sui nail colour review post already, but here are the new nail colours and a new bottle design! It features a birdie on the top of the brush, while the bottle has an intricate ball gown design to it.

All of the Anna Sui nail products also have an amazing scent to them! The one I received smelled like lemons, and other scents include rose and lychee.
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I also really adored the mini ‘latte’ eyeshadow pods that Paul & Joe had, featured on the left. The swirl and creaminess of the colours, coupled with a cute little foam tip brush is reminiscent of that a perfect, smooth latte on a chilly afternoon. I am a big fan of champagne/gold shades, so the eyeshadow pod is right up my alley.

Also featured are the pressed powder pods, which are purchased separately from the packaging. Beside the pressed powder pods are the moisturizing foundation and makeup primer.
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The last station we were introduced to was Bliss’s regular collection (not the holiday gift set collection as featured in part 1). For myself, the most interesting product here was the ingrown eliminating pads, I am very curious to see if they will help with my ingrown hairs.

I mentioned this above already, but try to get a chance to try their body butter and soap, which are pictured in the back! The smell is absolutely amazing and will make you feel happy =)

I also did a review of the Bliss fabulous gel to oil cleanser, pictured in the middle beside the Fat Girl Slim products. You can read that post here.

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I had a great time at the ACI Beauty event, thank you for having me. I learned about a plethora of new products and am very excited to try them out! Keep your eyes posted for upcoming reviews on some of the products that I have mentioned here.

Which product was your favourite from this post? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

-Carmen


Filed Under: body, events, eyes, face, lips, makeup, nails Tagged: anna sui, beauty, beauty blogger, beauty event, bliss, clean, eyeshadow, foundation, lipstick, makeup, makeup blogger, makeup event, nail polish, new products, paul and joe, perfume, product preview

ACI Beauty Fall/Holiday 2015 Media Preview – Part 1/2

August 18, 2015

Following Stila’s fall media preview event, I had the pleasure of attending the ACI Beauty fall collection preview event as well. After doing some research, I found out that ACI Beauty is one of the biggest beauty distributors in Canada and work with big beauty brands such as Anna Sui, Ardell, Bliss, Ceramic Glaze, Clean, Paul & Joe, Stila, and more.

As a result, I was able to see a variety of different products from all the brands that ACI works with. I left the event with a lot more knowledge about these different brands, and am excited to see the 2015 Fall/Holiday collection in stores.IMG_5140

All the different brands were beautifully placed inside the room, I will be discussing the products in the order that they were presented to us in by the wonderful ACI ladies.

The first product we were introduced to were the new holiday collection line from Bliss. The gift sets come in different sizes, which is convenient if you are just looking for a stocking stuffer or a larger present. You can either get a set of lotion or skincare products, which are the two bigger boxes.

We sampled the grapefruit body butter, shown in the big blue box in the middle, which smelled amazing.

IMG_5141I’ve only recently seen Paul & Joe products on social media and other beauty blogs, but this was the first time I’ve seen their products in person. I am absolutely smitten by Paul & Joe’s packaging. It is a mix of classic elegance, with a touch of cuteness.

Pictured here is a makeup bag, with all the contents spread out. This would make a good gift to someone over the holidays, or a great way to be introduced to the brand as it comes with a few of their different products.
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All of us beauty bloggers were in awe with the elegant and innovate packaging for their eyeshadow samples. I’ve never seen them be presented like this before so it was definitely really cool. There is a definite cat theme going on this season – this is for all you cat lovers out there! Meow =)
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The next table featured some of the Fall 2015 Anna Sui products. Starting on the left is the limited edition miniature fragrance gift set. The fragrance set includes the new perfume, ‘Romantica’ along with other returning favourites. All of the bottles are so beautiful!

Beside the fragrance set is the limited edition moisturizing set. This comes with nail care oil, rose hand cream, and moisturizing balm.

On top of these two is the customizable makeup box, available exclusively at Hudson’s Bay. It comes free with any cosmetic purchase of $80 and you are able to choose from Anna Sui favourites.

All of these products will be available in stores in October 2015!
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Following, we were introduced to Cargo Cosmetic’s eyeshadow palette. I love the darker shades of this palette, and it feels very romantic to me. This palette would be great for holiday parties – look at all the shimmery gold tones! The pinks would look nice as a office day time look as well.

Behind the palette are some Fall 2015 nail colours from Ceramic Glaze. Just like Cargo’s eyeshadow palette, the rich and darker shades would pair very well with an evening party dress for holiday parties. I can’t believe I am talking about the holiday season already! =P
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Ending off part 1, we were also introduced to Paul and Joe’s bath & body collection as well! There are two bath & body collections – Arlequin and Columbine. Both smelled very luxurious and feminine – I would love to take a bath with these bath salts!

Which products are you most excited for?

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for part 2 of the ACI Beauty Fall/Holiday 2015 Media Preview!

-Carmen

Press samples featured, all opinions are my own.


Filed Under: body, events, eyes, lips, makeup, nails Tagged: aci, aci beauty, anna sui, beauty, beauty blogger, bliss, cargo cosmetics, ceramic glaze, clear skin, makeup, makeup blogger, media event, paul and joe, PR, public relations, skincare

July 2015 Favourites

July 30, 2015

Hi everyone!

I can’t believe July has passed by with the blink of an eye (Hehe, I rhyme)! I haven’t compiled a list of some of my favourite products for awhile, so figured I would do that. I’ve been pretty busy this month and haven’t been posting as much as I would like, but am trying to get more content up for all of you wonderful readers to read!

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I’m always raving about my favourite eyeliner, the Kat Von D tattoo liner ever since I’ve started this blog. Unfortunately, I misplaced my KVD liner a few weeks ago amidst bringing it in different purses, applying makeup in the car, etc.

I’m certain that it will reappear one of these days although I have checked the most common places I misplace my items! Instead of spending another $25 on it, I decided to try L’oreal’s lineur intense felt tip liquid eyeliner in the meantime as a cheaper alternative.

This is the first drugstore liquid liner I’ve used for a few years now, but I am quite impressed with it. I bought it in the shade carbon black, and I love how dark the shade is. I prefer felt tip instead of brush tip, and I find this felt tip really easy to work with!

Because of the felt tip and shade, it’s very versatile and you can wear it every occasion. You can tightline for a natural look, or you can choose to wing it out for a more noticeable look!
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My mom had purchased Softsoap‘s body wash in sweet honeysuckle & orange peel,and I decided to give it a try one day!

I love this soap because it lathers very well, a little does go a long way! However, the reason why this product is on my favourites list is because I am absolutely in LOVE with the scent! I’ve never tried a honeysuckle and orange peel scent before, and let me tell you… it smells wonderful!

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While we are on the topic of soap, I was also introduced to Caprina’s goat milk soap. The boyfriend was suffering from really dry skin from the harsh winter climate. He said that goat’s milk soap improve their skin greatly, so I decided to give it a try too!

I noticed that compared to regular bar soap, this soap is a lot more milkier and creamier. It definitely feels a lot more moisturizing than regular bar soap! Since I don’t have dry skin, I can’t tell you if it made my skin less dry… but I do enjoy using this soap, it cleans well and smells wonderful too!
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I also purchased a new pair of glasses since my old ones were getting a bit scratched up and Clearly Contacts has having a promotion. Out of the two pairs, I really liked the Derek Cardigan glasses in 7037 olive.

They are very lightweight, comfortable, and stylish! I really like the design of these and have been wearing them quite often since I got them!
MPK-2Veering off beauty products now, this is really random but I just have to share it with you as this is an absolute lifesaver! Mopiko ointment is normally used in Asian households for mosquito bites. I’ve been using this ever since I was a child! I am prone to getting nasty, swollen mosquito bites, I am probably allergic to something in those annoying mosquitoes.

Whenever my bites begin to itch, I apply Mopiko and the itch literally goes away in 5 seconds. A cooling, breezy, minty feeling takes over the itch and it feels really relieving. I’ve tried many bug ointments in my life, but I always end up going back to Mopiko because it works the best for me!
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That’s it to my July 2015 favourites!

What are some of your current favourites? Doesn’t have to be beauty related!

Thanks for reading!

Carmen


Filed Under: body, eyes, makeup Tagged: beauty, beauty blogger, beauty favourites, classes, contact lenses, eyeliner, goat's milk, l'oreal, liquid eyeliner, monthly favourites, mopiko, proclear, scent, soap, softsoap

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