SACHIE

Hot love, hot love

Wake up in the morning feeling alone and just with him

You wanna feel the way he's starting up

There's nothing better, there's nothing better

There's nothing better than your love

I couldn't do a February mixtape without making love the focus... that would be cruel. This collection of songs builds starts feeling fairly laid back, and builds in energy.

I'll be spending this Valentines Day with my valentine. It's such a nice feeling, finally being able to cross off a Valentines Day date off my bucket list.

Here's to many more to come!

Korean cosmetics. Korean skincare. Gimme gimme gimme!

I've been using Korean skincare products for years now. I used Skin79's BB creams religiously during my early days of makeup discovery. I later discovered brands such as Lioele, Etude House, and Missha, and subsequently fell in love with the world of Korean cosmetics. I hardly ventured into Korean skincare products as I had already found a few holy grail products and hesitated at switching up my skincare regime. I had a brief fling with Luview cleansers, and some nice samples from the Missha Super Aqua line.

That all changed after Sephora introduced Laneige into their collection of brands! I first noticed Laneige whilst browsing Korean cosmetic websites, but the price point was much higher than what I would typically spend. It wasn't until I received a sample of the Laneige Sleeping Pact in a Sephora order that I decided to test out some of the products. My skin had gotten horribly dry and flaky and I was desperately searching for a solution.

Today, I'll be reviewing the trial hydration kit and the good night kit from Laneige that are currently offered at Sephora. (Spoiler: I loved everything)

Sephora has a fabulous deal at the moment - $15 for four trial size products! A mini cleanser, water sleeping mask, water bank moisture cream, and water bank serum. You can find the advanced hydration trial kit here! There is also the good night kit for $8, for a trial sleeping mask and multiberry yogurt repairing mask.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack

This is the product that first drew me to the brand, yet I haven't purchased the full size yet! I'm getting around to it, I swear (hehe) I'm trying to use up my current moisturizer before moving on to a new one.

The Water Sleeping Pack is the spotlight product on Laneige's brand page. Its a highly concentrated overnight, revitalizing gel mask that absorbs instantly and works while you sleep to deeply hydrate skin. It claims to deliver intense doses of moisture to stressed, parched skin.

Texture: Thick and gel like. I absolutely love gel moisturizers, so this is a win in my books. It isn't sticky at all, which is very nice for an overnight mask. It takes a few seconds for the gel to set before sinking into the skin.

Scent: The mask features an aromatic scent with notes of orange flower, rose, and sandalwood that relaxes and helps sleep. It's an incredibly relaxing smell, and definitely helps me calm down before bed. I like smelling it straight from the tub!

Application: This is such a lovely mask, and I think I might like it more than my holy grail Korres Wild Rose Advanced Sleeping Facial! Although rose is my favourite scent, there's something about the texture and relaxing fragrance of the Laneige mask that just ties it together for me! It does a fabulous job of giving an instant boost of hydration. Upon waking up, my skin feels more hydrated and awake! After using the mini for about two weeks, the dry patches on my face have cleared up.

Laneige Multi Cleanser

I love love love a good cleanser! The trial size of Laneige's Multi Cleanser in the advanced hydration kit is actually decently sized - there's a lot of product! I'd say about a months worth with consistent use. (I've been using it for two weeks and I'm not even half way through, despite daily use!) It leaves my face feeling thoroughly cleaned and soothed. It claims to exfoliate while removing makeup, sunscreen, and impurities.

Texture: Thick and creamy. It reminds me a lot of The Face Shop's rice bright foaming cleanser. This cleanser does a great job of cleaning the skin, as well as removing makeup.

Scent: Not sure how to explain it, but it's quite close to the scent of the Water Sleeping Pack. Light and unobtrusive, does not linger on the skin afterwards.

Application: A little goes a long way! The cream lathers up into a thick foam on the skin, and feels quite luxurious. I'll admit it does make my skin very cleansed and squeaky clean, so I would highly recommend following up with a moisturizer or toner or your skin might feel a little dry.

Laneige Water Bank Serum & Moisture Cream

The trial size advance hydration kit includes samples of the serum and moisturizer. Compared to the other items in the kit, these tubes contain significantly less product. Here are my initial thoughts:

The serum is like a light oil-free gel, a bit thinner consistency than the sleeping mask, but has the same soft and comforting fragrance. Not as noticeably hydrating as the mask but works very well when applied before the cream.

The moisture cream is a light oil-free moisturizer, more of a cream consistency. Applies smoothly and absorbs very quickly into the skin. Has a similar scent to the serum and sleeping mask, and skin looks visibly more hydrated after!

You can find the Advance Hydration Kit on Sephora for $15 CAD! What a steal! I love how Laneige offers trial kits, it's a great way to test the brand before committing to a full size. I wish more brands offered this!

Stay tuned for my review of Laneige's Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask, later this week!

Hello lovelies! I would love to share another one of my favourite products from Laneige. This korean brand has definitely swooped in over these past few weeks and completely taken over my current skincare regime!

Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask

This is such a wonderful mask. Laneige has such lovely packaging! I love the shape and colour, and the bottle itself is durable. It comes with a small spatula which is quite thoughtful, although I just use my fingers.

The Multiberry Yogurt Repair Pack is an ultra-nourishing treatment that soothes and supports firmness in skin. It claims to be made with antioxidants and nutrition from yogurt and various berry extracts. It aims to nourish and hydrate skin, as well as producing and supporting natural collagen production.

Texture: The texture feels like a thick moisturizer. When I first tried it, I thought it was a lotion rather than a mask. It almost looks a bit like yogurt! It applies with a thinner consistency than the usual thicker masks I'm used to. It glides smoothly onto the skin and doesn't feel thick or sticky.

Scent: It smells like Strawberry Pocky! It took me a while to pinpoint the scent but it's absolutely delicious...

Application: This mask is fabulous for dehydrated or dry skin. I definitely saw an improvement after using the mask a few times - it plumps up the skin. I used a chemical exfoliator (The Face Shop mango seed exfoliator) before applying the mask, and I didn't feel any burning or stinging as I sometimes do when I apply moisturizers or masks afterwards. It does a great job and hydrating and moisturizing my dry/combination skin. When it rinses off, it doesn't wash off super squeaky clean - it leaves a film behind, much like a conditioner. It doesn't feel oily or greasy, so it's all good.

I really really like this mask. I'm a big fan of masks and creams that are fast drying and non greasy, while achieving immediate effects! My skin feels immediately plumped and hydrated. Plus the scent is to dieeee for! I mean, strawberry pocky yogurt FOR THE FACE!

The mask comes in a deluxe trial size, along with the Water Sleeping Mask. You can read my review on the sleeping mask (as well as other products in their Advance Hydration Trial kit) here!

The full size mask is listed on Sephora for $33CAD.

The good night kit is listed for just $8 CAD! I would highly recommend buying the trial version before committing to the larger size - the little pot has about 10+ uses! Definitely enough time to check it out and see if you like it. Also great for travelling! You also get a Water Sleeping Mask sample, which is another fabulous Laneige product.

Check out my review of the Laneige Advance Hydration Trial kit!

Have you tried this mask? What are some of your favourite Laneige products?

xox,

Sachie

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I don't think I've ever been so excited for Valentine's Day! I finally have someone to leave kiss marks on this year (heh heh heh). A lipstick post is in order, of course, to show off some of my current favourite lip products.

I have seen countless Valentine's day makeup tutorials and blog posts featuring a bright red or pink lip. I've never been a fan - I feel like bright, bold colours emphasize my small, round lips. This doesn't mean that I dislike my lip shape, but I would rather focus the attention on my eyes.

Here are five shades that I've been loving at the moment! I've been swapping these in and out for the past little while and I can't get enough.

From left to right:
Covergirl lipstick in 295 Succulent Cherry
Kat Von D Studded Lipstick in Lovecraft
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace
Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rusk
Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain in Strawberry Tint

Covergirl Succulent Cherry / Charlotte Tilbury Amazing Grace/ Kat Von D Lovecraft / Urban Decay Rusk

Swatches

One of my first lip loves during my journey into makeup obsession wasSephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain.Despite the mediocre reviews on the Sephora website, it remains one of my favourite lip products! It's an inky lip stain in the shade Strawberry Tint - a muted berry red. The formula applies and dries smoothly, leaving a pretty stain that feels almost invisible on the lips.

On the odd day that I do decide to wear a red lip, I reach for my Covergirl Colorlicious lipstick in 295 Succulent Cherry. It's a warm tomato, brick red. It applies with a sheer to medium coverage with a glossy finish. The formula is like a mid point between a balm and a lipstick. Most of the time I use it as a stain. A great colour for girls with neutral and warm skin tones!

Sephora / Covergirl / Charlotte Tilbury / Kat Von D / Urban Decay

In previous posts, I mentioned that I had spent weeks tracking down the Kat Von D Studded Lipstickin Lovecraft... such is the struggle when you fall in love with a cult beauty fave! It's a cool toned mauve in a comfortable matte finish, which was surprising because prior to discovering this beauty, I didn't think I liked matte or cool toned lipsticks. Lasts for ages on the lips, and doesn't feel super drying as some mattes do. Also kiss proof!

I blame the British beauty vloggers for this one - Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace. I originally walked in the store for the shade Sexy Sienna, but decided that I owned too many orange shades and needed a berry hue in my life. This CT lipstick has the loveliest and softest matte finish on the lips - it doesn't feel as dry as the Kat Von D studded lipsticks, but has incredible staying power. A beautiful berry shade that leaves behind a lovely stain.

And finally, my current lipstick love... the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rusk. I've been searching for the perfect everyday browny pink shade. The formula is creamy and long lasting, and feels oh so lovely on the lips. Plus, the packaging! The metal case feels weighty and luxurious, and the cap actually stays on. (I'm looking at you, KVD!)

I'm pretty sure I'll be kissing in Rusk this Valentine's Day, but that's still yet to be decided! ;)

What are some of your favourite lipstick shades? Have you tried any of the ones above?

xox,

Sachie

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Hello lovelies! I was clearing through some unedited blog photos and found a huge backlog of Lush reviews that I had planned on reviewing! As you already know, I'm a huge bath addict. Baths are just so relaxing! I'll be sharing two floral bath bombs from LUSH today.....

LUSH So White Bath Bomb

My obsession with colourful and glittery bath bombs is on the decline. Recently, I have found myself being drawn to bath bombs that smell nice and leave the water a cloudy, pastel colour - nothing too bright or streaky. During the Christmas gift-hunting season, I popped into Lush to grab some things for mle! So White was on display and I had never seen it before - it smelled like apples and roses and the sales lady said it did not contain glitter.

This bath bomb smells delicious - I think this is my favourite Lush scent of all time! Fresh apples and floral scents filled the room, and this was before it even hit the water! I went back to Lush and picked one up for myself, and what a treat it was.

A Lush Christmas favorite, So White is back again this year to bring the crisp, fresh aroma of a juicy apple to your tub. Pop it in the bath and watch it fizz, releasing softening baking soda and the uplifting oils of bergamot and neroli. The white exterior slowly gives way to a secret pink center that fizzes and foams, creating a snow-like froth that covers your tub in a glorious blanket of apple-scented snowy bubbles. If you’re feeling like a bit of fun, try making snow angels in the fragrant froth!

This one must have either been an old bath bomb, or had been stored in a place where there was moisture, because it didn't fizz up at all! A bit of a disappointment because it just foamed for a bit and I had to break it up with my hands.

It is white and foams to a soft purple colour. The scent!!! APPLES!! FLORAL NOTES!!! SO RELAXING!!

It turns the water into a soft pink bath with some bubbles, definitely not as bubbly as the Rose Jam Bubbleroon (which you can read about here!)

Overall, I absolutely love this bath bomb! It definitely jumped to the top of my favourites list. The scent is crisp and refreshing, but not overpowering. The milky pink water is a lovely touch too - not something you would expect from a bath bomb called "so white"! The unfortunate part is that it's a Christmas release, meaning it's only available from November to December. Why must the good die so young? It retailed for $6.99 CAD.

Anyway, moving on to the next bath bomb...

Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb

I had high hopes for this bath bomb, I really did. Maybe it's because I've had such good experiences with white, floral scented bath bombs like So White and Stardust. This is a permanent Lush product, but was highly touted in their Valentines Day releases, so I figured it must be good!

If your love life is stalled, you need a touch of magic. Based on a spell used to stir the passions, Tisty Tosty is our love potion made with the scent of precious rose and orris root. The flower of love, rose perfume is said to ease tension and give people happy, positive feelings (just like falling in love). It’s also good for dry or rough skin so you can improve your skin as well as your love life in just one bath. Already in love? Invite them into your clutches and a warm bath.

This bath bomb smells so lovely! And it's got freakin' rosebuds in it! It's like this bath bomb was made for me! It's got a lovely rosy fragrance that is soft and relaxing.

This bath bomb was super fizzy, which was pretty exciting compared to the last dud of a bath bomb I used. It fizzed and bubbled and foamed and I was left with.......

.... Four weenie little rosebuds and clear water. Not exciting at all, and I felt like I had been jilted out of my money! I thought the rosebuds would open up at least, but they stayed like that and I eventually ended up tossing them in the toilet because they weren't really serving any purpose. The Tisty Tosty bath bomb hadn't changed the water consistency or colour or anything... Just 4 lil rosebuds floating in some water.

I really wanted to like this one because it had rose in it, but there are some other lovely LUSH floral bath products which pack more of a punch! Check out the Rose Jam Bubbleroon, Sex Bomb, or Sakura Bath Bomb. There are plenty of other great LUSH bath bombs to try out!

Tisty Tosty retails for $6.45 CAD.

Have you tried LUSH bath bombs before? What are your favourite LUSH products?

xox,

Sachie

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New Year, new nails, amirite?

More like new week new nails, because I'm far too indecisive about my nail designs to keep them for more than 5 days. Point aside, I wanted to share a simple red and gold manicure that I wore during the Lunar New Year celebrations!

For the base coat, I used Sally Hansen Triple Strong Gel Nail Hardener. This product is great at strengthening nails that tend to chip, peel, or bend! Definitely a game-changing product for me, and help increase the longevity of my manicure.

For the dark red base colour, I used China Glaze Merry Berry, topped with a single coat of The Face Shop's Trendy Nails polish in RD303. I prefer to wear darker reds, but the midtone tomato shade of RD303 helped bring the overall colour up a few shades lighter.

On the accent nail, I used Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish in Game of Chromes - a yellow tinted chrome colour. I have yet to find the perfect yellow gold polish, but until that day, this will have to do. I would more than appreciate it if you left your suggestions below - the closest I've seen in stores has been Essie's Good as Gold, but it's still not a true gold in my opinion!

I dotted the floral designs on with Essence's dotting tool! Super easy to achieve - five dots for flower petals, and an accent dot in the middle!

I topped everything off with Sally Hansen's Diamond Flash quick dry top coat. This topcoat is such a lifesaver as I'm way too impatient to wait for my nails to dry properly. My little heart ring was part of a set from Forever 21.

Hope you enjoyed the Lunar New Year celebrations if you celebrated them! My parents took my boyfriend and I out for dinner at Summit Garden, which I have previously blogged about here. If you're ever in Mississauga and in the mood for Chinese cuisine, I highly recommend it! Super tasty dinner as always - peking duck, sweet and sour pork, crab... The works.

Also tried on my old green qi pao (I think thats what it's called?) As well as my mom's red and black dress... Which one do you like best? :)

xox,

Sachie

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Hello everyone!

This post was originally posted on my Patreon account! I post a lot of cosplay progress on there (much of which is exclusive to Patrons.)

I recently finished up a cosplay that I have been putting off for about a year... Kashima from Gekkan Shoujo! A quick spur of the moment costume inspired by all the cosplay progress my friends have been posting on social media. (Katsucon is coming up next week and I won't be attending, but that doesn't mean I can't join in on the cosplay fun!)

Kashima is a very fun, goofy character. She's very tall and tomboyish, and charms all of the female students. There'a fun little youtube video showing some clips of her here! Overall Gekkan Shoujo is a fantastic series :)

I'll be breaking down the elements of the costume for you. It's a simple and comfortable cosplay to wear. I've never done a tomboyish character before as I absolutely love cosplaying girly characters with long hair!

The Makeup

Makeup can really transform your look, especially when you want to look like a 2D anime character! The first picture shows my regular makeup, and the second and third show how circle lenses, stronger winged eyeliner, contouring on the cheekbones and nose, and highlighting, can really change the way your face photographs. You have to over emphasize your features a bit for the camera. I think if I was at a convention, I would have added some blue eyeshadow or paint to my eyebrows in order to match Kashima's dark blue hair.

I'm wearing the Puffy 3-tone circle lenses (15mm) in green. I did a review on my blog which you can read here - these are the same lenses I wore for Jupiter. I've got to throw them out soon so I thought they would be good for one last test run :)

The Selfies...

All I have to show you at the moment are mirror selfies as I don't have any shoots or conventions coming up until Anime North, but I tried to show a few different angles so you can see the costume properly.

The Costume

This was a fairly easy outfit to put together. Most of the items were owned or thrifted!

Her outfit is composed of a boxy V neck uniform sweater, a white dress shirt, and a red tie. I couldn't find a deep V neck sweater anywhere! I had to modify a rounded collar sweater to achieve this look. The school emblem is made from felt.

Moment of appreciation for the tie - IT WAS SO HARD FINDING A PLAIN DEEP RED TIE. I honestly didn't think it was going to be THIS hard, but all the red ties in thrift stores had some weird patterns on them. Finally found them and pretty much sank to my knees, THANK U GODS OF COSPLAY.

This wig is from lightinthebox! A short dark blue / navy coloured wig. It looks long in the stock photo but appeared shorter on me because I have a massive head, haha.

Kashima tends to lean more towards the male uniform, but still wears a long skirt. I made a basic pleated skirt, super quick and easy for me now because I've cosplayed so many school uniforms!This is the tutorial I used when I was first learning how to sew pleated skirts.

I've used these shoes for many of my school uniform cosplays. These ones are brown leather shoes from Naturalizer, picked up from the thrift store. They don't have a heel and are super comfortable to walk in! I have another pair of brown uniform shoes with heel that I use for photographs because heels just look better. :)

And finally, a few Kashima polaroids! I'll be doing a giveaway for them later, but that'll be a future post.

This post was originally posted on my Patreon account! I post a lot of cosplay progress on there (much of which is exclusive to Patrons.) I host monthly livestreams and polls deciding on my next video topic, cosplay, and tutorials! I an unable to monetize many of my videos due to copyright so I really appreciate all of your support. I'm very close to my next milestone, which includes a weekly anime review series!

Once again, thank you for helping me complete another cosplay!

Hello lovelies!

Are you on team brush, team sponge, or team fingers? I've switched up my makeup application tools numerous times throughout the years, and have always fallen back on my trusty brushes. (There's something about dabbing my face a million times with a sponge that just seems so... boring?)

A while ago, I stumbled across a blog post featuring budget ebay buys. (I can't remember where the actual post is, but if I happen to locate it, I'll update this post!) It featured an 8-piece brush set. I've owned the same set for quite a while, mainly Real Techniques, and was out on the market for a few more brushes!

I figured I would share this with you guys, because I really like the quality of this set, and it's so affordable! My heart sinks every time I see an individual brush priced at $40+... I could be buying new makeup instead!

Professional Makeup Cosmetic Brushes Set 8PCS Face Eyeshadow Foundation Kit

This kit was only... $8.33! However, the price has decreased so it's only about $7.33 CAD, or $5.25 USD!

Honestly, what a steal! The fibres are really soft, densely packed, and work extremely well in blending and applying makeup.

The kit includes...
Flat foundation brush
Flat nose shadow brush
Angled foundation brush
Eye shader brush
Pointed foundation brush
Nose shadow
Round foundation brush
Nose shadow/shader brush.

I can't really think of any downsides, other than the face that shipping took about a month, which is pretty standard of items shipping from Asia to Canada. I wish the gold wasn't a bright yellow, but I've seen similar sets on ebay which are silver and rose gold!

I've been using the brush on the far left to apply my Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Powder Foundation (which I reviewed here). It picks up the powder better than the Real Techniques Expert Face brush, and the Buffing Brush. I've also been using the pointed face brush (fourth on the left) to apply setting powder under my eyes as the shape grants easy control.

I had no issues with shedding or brush fall out, which was what I was most worried about. I gently wash my brushes with Doctor Bronner's Rose Liquid Soap and leave them overnight to dry. The bristles keep their shape, and return to a dense yet fluffy texture when dry!

I would definitely recommend these to anyone who wants to try out some affordable, high quality brushes, but doesn't want to pay a premium for fancy brand names. This would be a great set to try out if you're new to makeup, or want to add to your brush kit! :) They've been kitty approved, haha!

You can find the brushes here for $5.25 USD.

xox,

Sachie

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Hello lovelies!

I was beyond excited when this lovely package from The Estee Edit by Estee Lauder showed up on my doorstep!

The Estee Edit (#beautyattitudes) is a new beauty line from Estee Lauder - the whole essence of the brand focuses on being fun, trendy, and fresh! I'm loving it so far. I haven't seen many other reviews or swatches on the internet yet, so I'm very excited to give you an early look into this line. It will be released exclusively at Sephora in March. I remember seeing a big poster at Sephora a few months ago featuring Kendall Jenner and Irene Kim but I didn't really know what it was about.

Metalishadow Creme + Powder in Scarlet Eclipse / with swatches - $29 CAD

Find it here.

This is a cream eyeshadow and loose pigment duo. The packaging is pretty cute! Plastic white casing with a sprayed foil effect. Here's the shade Scarlet eclipse - the top lid flips up to reveal a deep scarlet red cream eyeshadow, which can be used as a stand alone colour, a base, or a liner. The bottom section can be unscrewed to reveal a glittery antique gold pigment, which works fabulously as an all-over lid colour.

The cream colour is very pigmented, and is quite pigmented - it almost feels like a lip product? It does stain the skin though, so make sure to wear a primer or something underneath. I like using this as a colourful eyeliner because it's a deep red and can be quite wearable! I'm not one for bright or crazy colours, so this works well for me.

The foil shadow applies quite sheerly by itself - it's more of a glitter than a microshimmer. It's an antique gold, copper colour. You can achieve a shiny foil effect by using a primer or glitter adhesive underneath for full impact!

The ultimate cream shadow with metal mix power for knock out eyes! Intense depth and the flashiest foil finish. Wear loose metal powder over highly pigmented cream shadow or alone on face and eyes.
Available in 3 Shades: Black Star, Aquanova, and Scarlet Eclipse.

The EDGIest Kohl Shadowstick in Black Viper / with swatches.

I don't own too many eye shadow sticks - I own the Burberry highlighter which I absolutely love using on my lid, but that's about it! This was my first time experimenting with a black shadow stick, and here's my attempt at a lower kohl lined smoky look.

The shadow stick is very easy to use - simply twist up, scribble on the lid, and smudge out!

It should be noted that the shade Violet Taboo cannot be worn on the waterline.

24 hour wear, shadow and liner in one. Won’t budge, transfer, or fade and it can be worn on the waterline.* The EDGIest Kohl Shadow Stick does it all!
Available in 10 shades: Black Viper, Frost Bite, Guilt, Twisted, Jaded, Royal Scandal, Iced, Grounded, Spiced, Violet Taboo*

*THIS SHADE CANNOT BE WORN ON THE WATERLINE. I'm not exactly sure why, but this is stated on the product info sheet!

My take on the eye look...

Product list:
Estee Edit Metalishadow Scarlet Eclipse cream as liner, and foil glitter all over lid.
Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, Primal and Undone in crease and outer V.
Estee Edit The EDGIest Kohl Shadowstick in Black Viper on waterline.
Benefit They're Real Mascara
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper to draw on some bottom lashes.

Aaaand here's my full face look! I paired this with Sephora's Rouge Infusion Lip Stain in Ruby Extract, which matched the eye colour quite closely! A fun vampy look!

Unfortunately, I haven't received any information about pricing or how much they will retail for at Sephora. I will update this post when that information has been released!

I absolutely love these two products from The Estee Edit - can't wait to see what other products will be offered when the line officially releases! Stay tuned next week for a another look at #theesteeedit line - the Beam Team Hydrate and Glow, Flash Photo Gloss, and White Mud Exfoliating Scrub and Mask!

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

Hello lovelies!

Today I'll be showing you some of The Estee Edit's new face and lip products! I previously reviewed the Metalishadow Creme + Powder in Scarlet Eclipse, and the EDGiest Kohl Shadowstick in last week's post, which you can read about here!

Surprisingly enough, I have never really tried out Estee Lauder products. It's one of my mother's favourite brands, and our upstairs bathroom is dotted with Estee Products! The packaging always seemed so luxe, and the price point was quite high for my student budget. However, The Estee Edit (#beautyattitudes) is a new beauty line from Estee Lauder - the whole essence of the brand focuses on being fun, trendy, and fresh! I'm loving it so far. I haven't seen many other reviews or swatches on the internet yet, so I'm very excited to give you an early look into this line. It will be released exclusively at Sephora in March.

The Estee Edit White Mud Exfoliating Scrub + Mask

This is an exfoliating cleanser, scrub, and mask that comes housed in a plastic white squeeze bottle. It has the same sprayed silver design with blue accents as the rest of the packaging. It's a white cream with mini exfoliating beads. It has a soft, clean, floral scent which reminds me of spa treatments.

Made with White Porcelain Clay and Jojoba beads, for dual -action detoxing and pore-refining. Can be used as a daily wash-off scrub, and twice weekly as a 10 minute purifying facial.
Instructions: Gently massage onto clean skin in circles, leave on 5 minutes and rinse.

As a scrub / face wash: It comes out of the bottle looking like a clay formula, but becomes more like a cream when water is added. The texture is smooth with very small microbeads - definitely a lot more gentle than other exfoliating scrubs that I've used in the past. Leaves skin feeling soft but not dried out.

As a mask: I left this mask on for about ten minutes - I didn't apply it too thickly and I really scrubbed it in. After ten minutes, the mask was dry, but not tightening or uncomfortable. Again, it left my face feeling really soft after I washed it off. The floral scent lingered and it was super nice!

Find it on Sephora for $44 CAD.

The Estee Edit Beam Team Hydrate + Glow

Beam Team is a hydrating glow cream - my first impression was that it was a super glowy primer or liquid illuminator - I would compare it to Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector. When applied, it reveals a golden glowy finish on the skin. This would be perfect mixed in with foundation during the summer months for that ~bronzey sun kissed glow~!!

The interesting part about this is it's a two part product - you have the liquid illuminator in the actual tube, and in the cap you'll find a flip out mirror and cream concentrate. It's a very similar shade to the actual cream, but a slight bit more bronze. It's great for highlighting cheekbones, brow bones, and any other areas you want to catch a bit more sun!

Beam Team Hydrate + Glow is a double-duty double-decker—hydration with two levels of illumination in one product. It’s a complexion hybrid, meaning it creates an instant change in how your skin looks while simultaneously delivering skin care ingredients. The tube holds an amazing, illuminating moisturizer with hyaluronic acid that gives an instant glow. Plus, the touch-on concentrate under the cap gives you a high-impact shimmer.

As you can see in the swatches, it's very glowy! I haven't had a chance to mix this into my foundation yet as I'm more of a fan of a matte/satin finish base, but the cream highlighter is lovely to use. It gives the most subtle, natural glow. And it has an absolutely gorgeous vanilla and floral scent!

Find it on Sephora - $55 CAD.

The Estee Edit Flash Photo Gloss

This is a thick, luxurious gloss with a subtle blue microshimmer - hard to catch on camera but you can kinda see it in the flash photo. In the tube, it's looks almost white with a blue-purple duochrome tinge. In daylight, it looks like a natural clear gloss. In flash photos and direct lighting, it creates a subtle yet noticeable extra dimension to the lips!

It's thick and a bit sticky, but does not come off easily! It feels ultra moisturizing on the lips. It is also fragranced with a super yummy vanilla scent.

A high-tech gloss with a cool blue tint to highlight the white of teeth. This innovative gloss features cool blue shade that emphasizes the white in your smile. Infused with an addictive vanilla scent, it creates a photo-ready, high-shine finish that can be worn alone or layered over your favorite lipstick.

Find it on Sephora - $23 CAD.

Right now, the Estee Edit line is listed on Sephora Canada's website, but the preview is only available for VIBs and VIB Rouges!

If you haven't already, you can check out my review of the other Estee Edit products, including the Metalishadow Creme + Powder in Scarlet Eclipse, and the EDGiest Kohl Shadowstick.

Which items are you looking forward to the most? :)

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

image credit - desert for two

I have discovered most of my favourite cooking blogs between 2 - 3 in the morning. Why, you ask? My sleep schedule is permanently messed up and I spend the early hours of the morning perusing blogs (so don't be surprised if you see a comment or email response from me so early!) I always happen to stumble across recipe and food blogs, prompting a panicky and utterly naughty ~~two hours past~~ midnight snack.

I typically save some of the most drool-inducing posts for later creation. Here are some of my current favourite recipe blogs! I can attest to the 10/10 score on the deliciousocity meter (totally legit), and that these talented ladies can cook up some lovely dishes!

Dessert For Two

The past year has seen my love for baking skyrocket! Dessert For Two is essentially my dessert bible - each portion is measured for two servings - an absolute godsend, if you ask me! A portion for myself now....and one for later. (Kinda defeats the point, but whatever, it works!) There are tons of recipes to choose from. I tried Christina's original small-batch brownies and they tasted delicious! She recently posted a slow-cooker crème brûlée recipe which looks amazing, I may have to try that soon because I absolutely adore crème brûlée! She posts non-dessert recipes as well, but let's be real, we're all there for the sugar.

Try: Small-Batch Brownies

Next up: Slow Cooker Creme Brulee

(image credit - skinny taste)

Skinny Taste

Skinny Taste is a blog I discovered through Bloglovin' Food, and features different meals that are low on calories but seriously deliver on taste - a great blog to counter Dessert For Two, hehe! I recently made this Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup and managed to consume it before I could take any photos! It's creamy and flavorful without overloading on salt, which is something I noticed amongst many cheese soups. The author also posts meal plans, which are extremely helpful if you're into that type of thing!

Try: Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

Next: Cilantro Chicken Salad

(image credit - smitten kitchen)

Smitten Kitchen

I...have a thing for broccoli, okay? It just tastes so damn good on everything! This photograph was actually quite triggering, as I stumbled upon it at about 1AM and then promptly entered a fit of desperate hunger. I managed to calm myself down, but set off for the proper ingredients the next day. These broccoli melts are fantastic! Crispy bread, soft topping, and cheese are united to create the ultimate combination.

Try: Broccoli Melts

Next: Strawberry, Lime, and Black Pepper Popsicles

What are some of your favourite cooking blogs? Do you have any favourite cookbooks or online recipes?

xox,

Sachie

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My First Glossybox

For those of you that are not well versed in the world of beauty subscription boxes, you're missing out! The premise of Glossyboxes are simple - it's a box subscription service whereby you pay $21/month(free shipping within the US), and receive a selection of five beauty products from various brands. It's a great budget method of testing different products without committing to paying full price for products. The February Glossybox appeared in my mailbox - let's take a look inside.......

First of all - the box! I do love good packaging - it makes the overall experience seem much more thoughtful. Beautiful watercolour heart balloons grace the top, whereas the inside sports bright pink tissue paper and paper padding. Glossybox includes a card introducing the items and brands that are included in each box.

Let's check it out...

The February 2016 Glossybox included 4 skincare products, and one makeup product. I was surprised to see Glamglow in the box - it's a brand that I have been curious about and have seen around Sephora, but never took the plunge because of the high price point!

Benefit Porefessional - 3ml

I can't tell you how many times I have received the Benefit Porefessional - trial versions seem to be included in almost every subscription box! (Not that I'm against that - it's a solid product.) The Glossybox contains a 3ml sample in a little tube. It's a nude-toned primer that isn't oily or creasy, and helps reduce the appearance of pores and prolong makeup wear!

Glamglow ThirstCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser - 30g

Easily the item I was most excited for in the box! I've heard so many great things about Glamglow masks. The idea behind this cleanser is quite interesting - it's a mud to foam cleanser. It comes out of the tube like a mud mask - you apply it as a mask, take the left over mud and add water, lather it up into a foam, and then work it into your face with the rest of the mud! It doesn't leave your face feeling squeaky clean, but rather soothed and moisturized. It leaves behind a bit of a film, and would be best following an exfoliating cleanser.

Teeez Oasis Gem Lipstick in Heat Wave Ruby

My mother spotted this and snatched it up quite quickly! It's a satin-finish, warm red colour. It applies smoothly on the lips and has a very nice formulation. I've never heard of Teeez Cosmetics before but I'd say it's a brand to look out for!

Biorepublic Aloe Rescue Revitalizing Fiber Mask

I am no stranger to face masks - I love them! This face mask from BioRepublic has a soft aloe scent and lots of serum, which is absorbed into a cloth mask and applied to the face. It soothes the skin and leaves it feeling super moisturized.

Etre Belle Golden Skin Roll-On

I've never really tried an eye-roller before, and it seems as though this is a full sized product! It's a clear gel that is dispensed by rolling the metal ball over your under eyes, and claims firm the skin around the under-eye area.

Overall...

My first experience with Glossybox was great - I've been loving skincare products at the moment and definitely have a use for all of the products that were included. The only downside at the moment is that the Canadian dollar is absolutely disgusting right now, which makes the Glossybox quite pricey after the exchange rate!

Have you tried Glossybox before? Which one of the items would you like to try out the most?

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

I've got a case of wanderlust.

It seems like almost all of my favourite bloggers and vloggers seem to be on vacation! I've been hardcore dreaming about my next trip. I can only really afford to go on one trip a year at the moment - Los Angeles in July for Anime Expo, but that's more of a networking trip if anything. Matt and I have been talking about doing a few little trips within the province and possibly in the States, which has gotten me all excited for traveling again. Today, I'd love to share some of my carry-on essentials when I go on long trips, whether it be by train, plane, or bus!

The Backpack → Fjallraven Kanken

Ah yes, the Fjallraven Kanken. One of the most photographed backpacks amongst fashion lovers and travellers alike. I admit, I jumped on the bandwagon about two years ago after noticing it popping up on the backs of my favourite fashion bloggers. It's a medium sized, boxy, fog grey backpack with long upper handles and a reflective logo. It's fairly water resistant, and has three slim pockets - two on the sides and a larger pouch on the front. I like taking this backpack on my travels because it's a good size to carry around comfortably, limits the amount of junk that I can bring with me, and ultimately prevents complaining episodes about fatigue and a sore back.

The Essentials

Have your phone, wallet, documents, a fresh pair of underwear...and you'll be ready to go! Really! But first, we're going to take a look at the documents.

Your passport

Essential for international travel! Those of you in the EU have it super easy, with the ability to flit through countries like it's no big deal. For those of us who don't have that luxury, a passport is a must. I got my passport renewed last year - 10 year version! (Naturally, everything went wrong and my photo was crap. I'll be ready to take a better one when I'm 31 I guess...) The Canadian passports are actually pretty cool, with lots of holographic designs!

Paper copies of all your documents.

Yes, it's 2016 and you can board a plane with a QR code on a smart phone. Buttt for everything else, don't risk it. Make copies of your lodging reservations, insurance, itineraries, maps, passport, etc, before you leave! It's better to be safe than sorry in case you happen to lose a vital travel document! Also a good backup if you don't have a rechargeable battery pack and your tech dies.

Wallet and cards, but not all the cards.

Personal preference, but I like to filter my stuff down and leave my extra cards at home. Definitely not going to need that Yogurty's loyalty card, or library card, when I'm lounging on a beach somewhere abroad. I should also point out that I absolutely love my wallet - I got it years ago from Fossil and it has a large back pouch which fits my passport and other documents! (I believe it was the Preston model)

The little things.

Sunglasses, pack of tissues, hairclips and hair elastics, cash, and an anime eye mask to block out the light if you're travelling during the day!

The Tech

Phone + Portable Charger.
My iPhone, the light of my liiiiifeeee! (Somewhere in the distance, an old man shakes his head and mutters "millenials..." ) I have the iPhone 6S and it's honestly such a lifesaver, I can't see myself upgrading anytime soon because it's just the perfect phone. I have lots of travel apps saved so it's great to have everything in a central place. (Let me know if you'd like to see a dedicated post on my favourites!) A rechargeable battery pack is absolutely essential - if you're a hardcore user of smartphones, you definitely know how fast the battery can drain. I use the Cheero Ingress 12000 mAH battery pack, and it holds about 4-5 charges. There are two USB ports so you can charge two devices at the same time!

Headphones (preferably noise-isolating)
A good pair of headphones are, in my opinion, a necessary investment to make. These Beats Studio Wireless Headphones are awesome - they're noise isolating, which makes long car/bus/train/plane rides that much better! They significantly filter out the constant noise and make sound clearer without cranking up the volume too much. I often put on ASMR and fall asleep during long travels. They are wireless (connects to devices via bluetooth), but they also have a wire if you have a non-bluetooth device.

The Camera

I tend to carry quite a few cameras in my carry-on - my digital camera (Canon G7X) and my Fujifilm Instax Mini 8! The Instax is quite chunky and takes up space, but worth it. I love having physical photos to look back on, I think there's something so much more special about them! You can look back at my 2015 yearly recap, in instax photos, here!

The Makeup

I hate wearing makeup on planes. The air is dry, I get all sweaty and gross, my lips get chapped... it's just not a good time. It's the last half hour of the flight that begin to use my little beauty essentials to save me from looking like a zombie when I get off the plane. Tip: store your makeup in a clear ziploc bag, it'll make the security process go faster so you won't have to stop and empty everything at the airport!

I'll usually carry another bag in my checked luggage, and that will also include skincare products, other makeup, and toiletry products.

Holy Trinity of Carry On Makeup: Concealer, Brows, Lipstick

Concealer is great to patch up those dark circle and redness from lack of sleep, stress, etc - some of my favourites areit Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereyein Neutral Medium (which is waterproof) and Maybelline Age Rewind neutralizing concealer.

Brows can easily transform your look - they frame the face and can really help you look more together! I'm loving the L'Oreal Brow Stylist micropencil in Brunette - the wind up pencil allows you to sketch out your brow shapes, and the spooley brushes everything out.

My go-to lipstick at the moment is the Kat Von D Studded Lipstickin Lovecraft. I like matte lipsticks for trips because they're fairly low maintenance and don't smudge. Lovecraft is my failproof shade of neutral pink mauve.

Other items I'll typically carry - Maybelline Mega Plush waterproof mascara for long, whispy lashes, Shy Uemura eyelash curler, Rohyo Lycee eyedrops, and Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze.

Step It Up...

I had to give these a shoutout as these makeup products almost always come with me on trips, whether or not they're in my carry on or not! My carry-on is usually light and focuses on a fresh skin look, but sometimes I'll just be doing an overnight trip and want to take versatile products.

The Tarte Rainforest After Dark is my favourite travel palette, and for good reason! It contains six eyeshadows (a mix of matte and shimmer) , a blush, a highlighter, a bronzer, and a large mirror! There are so many possible looks that can be achieved with this palette, which makes it the ideal travel companion. I often feel naked without a cat eye, so I have to carry my Kat Von D tattoo liners in Mad Max Brown (my everyday shade), and Trooper Black. If I need more lip options, I'll bring a bright (Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick in Amazing Grace) and a neutral pink-mauve (Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rush).

Finally, this mini pot of Clinique Moisture Surge is great at refreshing the skin, especially in dry environments. I would also recommend the Laneige Advance Hydration Kit (which I reviewed here), as it contains some excellent hydration products in trial sizes!

**It might seem like a lot, but it's not (really!)**

Everything fits inside a Kanken, and there's room for a bit more. Make sure to pack a pair of fresh undies because ya never know! I can't wait for my next trip - I love taking photos and doing travel posts, which you can read more about under my travel tab!

What are some of your carry-on essentials?

xox,

Sachie

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Hello lovelies!

I have another installment of Estee Edit products to show you! Another package landed in my PO box featuring the Kendall Jenner Edit Eyeshadow Palette, Flash Photo Powder, Pore Vanishing Stick, and my new lip love, the BARest Lip Color!

The Estee Edit (#beautyattitudes) is a new beauty line from Estee Lauder - the whole essence of the brand focuses on being fun, trendy, and fresh! It will be released exclusively at Sephora in March. I used quite a few Estee Edit products for this look!

Primer: The Estee Edit Pore Vanishing Stick
Highlighter: The Estee Edit Beam and Glow
Powder: The Estee Edit Flash Photo Transulent Powder
Eyeshadow: The Estee Edit The Edit Eyeshadow Palette
Lips: The Estee Edit BARest Lip Color in 05 In The Buff

The Estee Edit - Pore Vanishing Stick

I was really intrigued by this product - every pore reducing primer I have ever used has come in a tube. The Pore Vanishing Stick formula is solid, and features a clear solid primer with a beige center, which means that it works with every skin tone! The stick formula allows concise control, to dot the stick all over the areas where you want your pores to ~vanish~. It is targeted towards those with oily-combination skin, however it applied well on my dry skin.

It feels silky to the touch when applied, and does dramatically reduce the size of my pores! I applied it before makeup.

Pore Vanishing Stick blurs the look of pores, creates an even skintone, and minimizes shine and oil—sans mess or fuss. The dual-action, convenient stick contains a tinted inner core to help assure the formula is universal for all skintones, and is surrounded by an outer ring that shuts down shine with oil-absorbing powders. Use it alone for a naturally flawless look, or apply it either under or over your makeup for a velvety smooth finish.

Find it on Sephora for $32.

The Estee Edit - Flash Photo Powder

Yeeesssss - my powder prayers have been answered! I've been using the Bombshell Cosmetics transulent powder, and as much as I love it, it's just super messy to carry around! It spills everywhere and the stopper broke so powder flies everywhere. The Estee Edit Flash Photo Powder is super finely milled - almost like a pressed version of a fine transulent setting powder!

The powder itself is tinted a light blue - an oil-absorbing, translucent, blue-hued powder that brightens your skin. The packaging has a nice, solid shape. but must be applied with a separate brush as there is no brush or sponge compartment. The blue hue has a similar idea to the Flash Lip Gloss (read my review here), in order to make your makeup look photo ready!

Always be ready for the camera with Flash Photo Powder. This translucent, blue powder brightens your skin so you’re always ready for a flash. Brightening blue pigments leave your complexion camera-ready with illumination for the look of flawless skin.

Find it on Sephora - $36

The Estee Edit - The BARest Lip Color - 05 In The Buff

I'm just going to say this up front - I love this lipstick. I'm quite a lipstick junkie and I have many similar neutral pink and nude shades, but this has definitely jumped to the top of my list. The shade, In The Buff, is the perfect warm brown-pink shade. It looks very very similar, quite possibly a dupe, of Charlotte Tilbury's Stoned Rose KISSING Lipstick (but $13 cheaper and a slight more warm pink!)

It looks a bit intimidating in the bullet, especially if you're like me and don't wear dark colours. However, it applies quite a bit more sheer. Colour is buildable and the formula is so creamy and lovely. The BARest Lip Color is a nude lip formula that’s a lipstick and lip balm hybrid.

It's a glossy browned rose shade - ultra moisturizing and not sticky at all. Color stays on for hours and fades evenly. It's a safe bet if you want to jump on that 90s brown lip trend without going too brown.

The Barest Lip Color cushions your lips with a luxurious feel and nude color. Muru muru butter helps hydrate and real flower petal waxes from rose, jasmine, and lavender create a silky texture.

Find it on Sephora - $25

The Estee Edit - The Edit Eyeshadow Palette ft. Kendall Jenner

The Edit eye shadow palette is The Estee Edit's collaborative palette with curator and spokesmodel, Kendall Jenner. Super hip colours with a mix of mattes and glitters, this palette features a selection of hues that the Kardasian star loves to wear (including her favourite colour - purple!). Each one of the pans is split in half, with two complimenting shades.

According to the Sephora website, the two shimmers (gold and silver) on the left side sparkle and glow under black light! That's pretty cool, especially for a night out at a club, bar, or glow in the dark mini-gold / bowling! Hehehe.

Use these fourteen shades to shape, highlight, and transform your eyes with satin, pearl, and sparkle finishes. Plus, The Edit EyeShadow Palette has two shade transformers with Black Light Technology for a glistening glow-in-the-dark effect. Use the transformer shades on top of any shadow for extra shimmer during the day and a look that turns up the intensity under black light. All shadows in the eye shadow palette are brush and fingertip friendly.

I created a look using the second shadow from the left on the top row - the bronzey and copper shades. I patted some of the gold shimmer on top for a pretty wash of colour!

Find it on Sephora - $54

I'm loving the Estee Edit!

It's so fresh and cool, and the collection is to dieeee for. I definitely need to get my hands on some more of the BARest Lip Colors - the formula is just so nice and creamy and the colour payoff is fantastic, especially for the nude/brown trend that's blowing up at the moment!

Are there any items you'd like to try out? What are your thoughts about the collection so far?

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

Leopards laze each

On plush pillows

Slender capes

Of red and chrome

Paperback dreams

In their deep doze

Twitch their toes to

Black mambo

March welcomed us with a cold winds and a huge pile of snow. I've been dreaming of stream and it's a bit of an annoyance that it's been put off for another few weeks.

This playlist starts off slow and slinky, but builds up into a kickin' beat...... Hopefully the weather decides to do the same.

All About That Base

The winter seasons always shake up my makeup routine - I have to compensate for the fact that my skin will be super dry and no amount of green concealer will fix my drippy red nose. I opted to skip out on foundation most days unless going out and interacting with the real world - I didn't really feel like including it since I've only been using one foundation since November (Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 2), so if my posts are sans foundation, it's likely going to be that.

Here are some items that have been living in my makeup bag during the month of February. The makeup bag is from The Face Shop, which was for a sample bag I think!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

I cannot talk about this enough - I think it may just be my holy grail moisturizer! Unscented and quick absorbing, this moisturizer works to rehydrate and rejuvinate the skin. This definitely cured the dry patches on my face, and has been a complete saviour during these cold winter months,

The Estee Edit Pore Vanishing Stick*

I'll admit, I don't like liquid primers that much - I don't really feel like they do much for me? If anything, it just feels like I'm caking on more makeup. This stick, however, feels ultra-lightweight and non-greasy on the skin. It quickly conceals the look of pores. Read my review here!

The Estee Edit - Beam Team Hydrate & Glow Illuminator*

I've been loving this as a highlight on my (non-existent) cheekbones! It creates a subtle glint on the cheeks, and doesn't look too glittery or overpowering. Read my review here!

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in 150 Neutralizer

My mom originally bought this but it turned out to be too light for her skintone - luckily for me, it seems to be a perfect match! It has been my everyday concealer, super easy to slap on and dash out the door. Does an okay joy of concealing the redness around my nose, so I'm not complaining.

The Estee Edit Flash Photo Transulent Powder Compact*

The blue tint of the powder really threw me off at first because I thought I was going to look ashy - turns out that it's actually the ideal powder compact that I've been looking for! It has a super silky formula and works just as well as my Bombshell Cosmetics loose setting powder to set my undereye area. Read my review here!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in Bad To The Bronze

I'm super super late on the whole cream eyeshadow trend, and I'm totally in love! $6.99 at Walmart, so there's no way you can go wrong. For some reason I thought that this was going to swatch as a dark brown, but it's a light metallic chocolate colour. Very nice for a sheer wash across the lids, especially as a base for another metallic eyeshadow...

The Balm Fit Eyeshadow (sample)

I received this ages ago in an Ipsy bag and decided to reach for it, which led to another month of gold eyelids. (Yeehaaaawwww). This shade is called Fit, and is a sample from The Balm's Nude Dude eyeshadow palette (which I neeeed, but not really because I have so many similar colours already....)

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Mad Max Brown

My holy grail eyeliner! I've been loving the brown for a softer look. I think I need to pick up another one because it's running a bit dry...

L'Oreal Brow Plumper

I'm so happy I finally found a brow gel that works for me! I like that the brush is thinner and more controlled, unlike the Maybelline brow gel I tried a while back that had the weird round brush? The fibres in the L'Oreal gel beef up my brows whilst still looking natural.

Burberry Fresh Glow Highlighting Pen in No. 01

For the days where I want a ~fresh sheer glow~ across my eyelids! I almost always use this as an eye product because it's so easy to use. Very quick and low maintenance, great for those days where you don't want to put on much eye makeup, and a few swipes on the top of the cheeks makes for a light highlight.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rush

I had a sad moment with this when I was getting ready in the morning, forgot to twist down the lipstick, and stuck the cap on... RIP the pretty bullet shape. It's a thick and glossy pink mauve lipstick that is super hydrating and sits comfortably on the lips.

What products have you been loving this month? I predict that March is going to include a lot of Tarte..... I just ordered a few bits from the newly released Rainforest of the Sea collection, so you'll be seeing those on the blog soon!

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

Tarte - The Ultimate Beachy Summer Eye Shadow Palette

Tarte is one of my absolute favourite beauty brands - a perfect mix of cute packaging and quality long lasting products. I've raved about the Rainforest After Dark palette and Airbrush Powder foundations in the past - you can read my reviews here and here! I only recently discovered the Rainforest Of The Seacollection - Desi Perkin's snapchats and vlogs started it all when Tarte took a group of ambassadors of youtubers to Hawaii! (So lucky!)

Also, can you tell I love those little paper sqwiggly things for background textures? ;)

The packaging is gorgeous - inspired by the Rainforest and tropics, this palette is covered in gold, purple, and blue designs! The shadows are laid out in a pinwheel formation.

Rainforest of the Sea vs Rainforest After Dark

I own another pinwheel palette from Tarte, so I figured I would do a comparison! The Rainforest After Dark palette is one of my favourite palettes, and is definitely one of my travel essentials (which you can read about here!) It features six shadows, a highlighter, bronzer, and blush. It is slightly more solid and a big larger than the Sea palette.

The Sea palette is a bit smaller, and contains eight eye shadows. I wish the Sea palette had included at least a little blush or something! The Rainforest of the Sea palette is $41 CAD on Sephora, whereas the After Dark palette is $48 CAD. If you're looking for value, go for the After Dark. If you want to become a mermaid this summer, go for the Sea!

Review & Swatches

The color selection for the Rainforest of the Sea palette is absolutely beautiful! All the right shades for a perfect glowy spring / summer look. I'm gonna be using the heck out of this! It features six shimmery/satin-finish shades, with two light coloured mattes.

8 x 0.05 oz Eye shadow - clockwise from top

Seashell - shimmery rosy pink
Wave - soft oyster grey
Abyss - cool tone dark brown
Reef - copper
Starfish - golden bronze
Cove - matte tan
Sand - matte ivory
Mermaid - antique gold

Formula:

Everyone has been raving about this palette - it got an A on Temptalia! The eye shadows are soft and workable, and have absolutely beautiful colour payoff. The swatches above are on top of Urban Decay's Primer Potion as I always wear a primer under eye shadows!

Overall...

I absolutely love this palette! A little pricy, yes, but it's essentially a selection of eye shadows that I wear on a daily basis. Admittedly, the packaging did play a big part in my initial obsession. The palettes were available for early access for VIBs so I snapped one up when the dreaded "Only a few left" noticed popped up... Only to find the "out of stock" button there right after I placed my order! I guess I was super lucky... This also happened when I bought the After Dark palette! The Tarte gods must be watching me...

Right now my favourite colours are mermaid and starfish! Subtle shimmery gold lids are my faaaaaveeee.

I would love to try out some more things from this line but I'll let me wallet take a breather for a little bit. The Tarte Rain Forest of the Sea Water Foundation is next on my list, but I'll pick that up later in spring/summer so it won't be completely useless after I start tanning, because I tan quite drastically lol...

What are your thoughts? Are you also completely in love? Any plans to pick up this palette?

xox,

Sachie

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You guys already know about my obsession with Laneige - I've previously raved about them in my reviews for the Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask and their Advanced Hydration Kit. I'm so happy that Sephora is carrying more Asian skincare lines - it means lower pricing and easier access! Now I don't have to wait a month for Korean cosmetics to arrive!

Laneige recently sent me some goodies that will be launching this month at Sephora. Let's take a look, shall we?

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

Okay, this isn't exactly a new launch. In fact, this is one of Laneige's most popular items! I was using the small pot from the trial hydration kit (which I had just run out of, so good timing), and Laneige was ever so kind to send me a full size version!

he Water Sleeping Pack is the spotlight product on Laneige's brand page. Its a highly concentrated overnight, revitalizing gel mask that absorbs instantly and works while you sleep to deeply hydrate skin. It claims to deliver intense doses of moisture to stressed, parched skin.

Texture: Thick and gel like. I absolutely love gel moisturizers, so this is a win in my books. It isn't sticky at all, which is very nice for an overnight mask. It takes a few seconds for the gel to set before sinking into the skin.

Scent: The mask features an aromatic scent with notes of orange flower, rose, and sandalwood that relaxes and helps sleep. It's an incredibly relaxing smell, and definitely helps me calm down before bed. I like smelling it straight from the tub!

Application: This is such a lovely mask, and I think I might like it more than my holy grail Korres Wild Rose Advanced Sleeping Facial! Although rose is my favourite scent, there's something about the texture and relaxing fragrance of the Laneige mask that just ties it together for me! It does a fabulous job of giving an instant boost of hydration. Upon waking up, my skin feels more hydrated and awake! After using the mini for about two weeks, the dry patches on my face have cleared up

Laneige Bright Renew Capsule Sleeping Mask

The packaging of these caught my eye - instead of being in a pot, the capsules come in sealed little pods which you peel back and scoop out. Laneige Bright Renew Capsule Sleeping Mask is a brightening sleeping mask featuring a rich brightening ampoule floating within a hydrating gel cream. An optimal ratio (3:1) of hydrating gel cream and brightening ampoule hydrates deeply while brightening skin overnight for a softer, brighter complexion!

Texture: The gel part is thick and clear - it spreads well over the skin and feels a lot like the Water Sleeping Mask. The cream inside is quite interesting - it feels much lighter than the gel, and sinks in quickly.

Scent: Similar to the water sleeping pack - relaxing and fresh, scented with a light floral fragrance that quickly fades after application.

Application: When you peel back the foil, you will find a white blob of lotion floating in gel. I dipped my finger in and applied it to my face, mixing the two formulas together as I worked it into my face. I found that half a pod was enough for my face, so you could potentially get two uses out of one pod. At first the clear gel will feel tacky on the skin, but it quickly dries and absorbs into the skin.

I really liked this product. The capsules are marketed as being perfect for travel, as the disposable one-time-use capsules guarantee a hygienic experience each time. It made my face feel super soft and hydrated afterwards - this feeling lasted until I woke up the next morning! It's like a super boost of hydration for your face.

It will be available at Sephora for $36 CAD, although I am not sure how many capsules will be included in a box.

Laneige Water Bank Soothing Gel Mask

I do love me a good face mask, and lucky Laneige has delivered! What excites me the most is that its part of the Water Bank line, which works so well for my skin. The new Laneige Water Bank Soothing Gel Mask, infused with skin-perfecting Hydro Ionized Mineral Water & Biogen Technology, delivers intensive moisturizing care while soothing skin upon application. As a result, skin is relieved of tension and stress!

Texture: It's a sheet mask is formulated with hydrogel to better deliver and retain moisture than cotton, while also adhering closely to skin for the perfect, non-slip fit. It's a jelly material rather than the traditional wet cotton sheets.

Scent: Same as the other water bank products - a relaxing, almost floral scent.

Application: Like any other sheet mask - peel off the backing and apply to the face where the eye / nose holes are! Since it's a gel rather than a cotton sheet, it feels more cooling and soothing and comfortable on the face. It doesn't slip around either!

It will be available at Sephora for $31 CAD, and includes 5 sheets in a box. (Which works out to about $6.20 per sheet - quite pricy imo but they're a treat for the skin! Save them for the days when you've been wearing a lot of makeup / have rough skin days)

Laneige continues to impress. Two new spring releases. both quite different but completely hydrate the skin!

Are there any spring releases that you are looking forward to?

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

Sibu Sea Berry Therapy

Recently, across my social media channels, I have seen a flood of reviews and recommendations for cruelty free makeup and skincare brands. I definitely support vegan and cruelty free beauty and skincare products - so many products out there contain animal byproducts or have been tested on animals, and it is often swept under the carpet that many people don't even realize this! Even if a brand says they don't test on animals, they may be owned by parent company who does.

Today, I'd like to feature a brand called Sibu. Sibu is an ethically conscious, vegan, and cruelty free brand that sources its ingredients through fair trade practices! It's a great thing to look into if you'd like to transition to a more cruelty free regime. They currently carry a line of products with Sea Buckthorn extracts.

I have never heard of Sea Buckthorn before, but according to their website, it contains many beneficial properties.

For healthy and beautiful hair, skin and nails
High in the Tibetan Himalayas (12,000 feet above sea level) grows a tiny but resilient fruit that resists the harsh weather conditions and high altitudes. The sea buckthorn berry fortifies itself against the elements by producing an array of powerful nutrients. With over 190 bioactive compounds, sea buckthorn is an unsurpassed source of Omegas 3, 6, and 9. And it’s a rich source of the elusive essential fatty acid, Omega-7, a fatty acid vital to collagen production and healthy skin, hair and nails.

Sea buckthorn is a natural product with 1300 years of traditional uses with the modern scientific research to back it up. Our superior processing techniques and our premium and exclusive source of sea buckthorn allow us to create a revolutionary group of beauty products.

Sibu Sea Berry Therapy Nourishing Face Cream

I really like this moisturizer! It is enriched with Shea Butter, and Meadowfoam to create a powerful barrier that keeps in moisture, protects against toxins, and rejuvenates damaged skin.

Texture: A light but rich face cream incased in a frosted glass bottle with a pump.
Scent: It has a light citrus scent to it... Think standard soft lotion smell with a hint of orange.
Application: The cream is dispensed from a plastic pump. It feels light on the skin, yet noticeably hydrating. It does not feel oily upon application, and it absorbs into the skin fairly quickly.

This feels like a very light moisturizer, probably better as a day cream as it works very nicely as a light primer!

Find it here for $24.95

Sibu Sea Berry Seed Oil

Made of 100% pure Sea Buckthorn, this oil claims to transform dull skin and repair blemishes and scars.

Texture: A fairly watery consistency. The oil is also a bright orange color, but this is not too noticeable on the skin.
Scent: A light citrus scent.
Application: The oil is housed in a brown glass bottle and is dispensed through a dropper! 2-3 drops is more than enough for the entire face. It initially comes out as a bright orange liquid, but quickly absorbs into the skin. It does leave behind a thin oil residue, but that's to be expected.

Apparently this oil helps soothe redness, so I have high hopes! I had quite a bit of redness on my face and around my nose, so I'll keep you guys updated on my results. It boasts extra benefits for those with troubled skin, as the oil has powerful anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and skin repairing properties.

The interesting part about this oil is that it can be used for first aid! Apply to cuts, scrapes, minor burns or any damaged skin area to help accelerate the healing process and prevent scarring.

Find it here for $39.95!

Sibu Sea Berry Therapy Omega 7 Oil

So at first I thought this was just a big jar of face serum, until I saw the nutritional facts on the back! This is actually an Omega 7 supplement that can be added to food. The directions state to add 2 full squeezes of the dropper into food, drink, or directly into the mouth. Sibu’s Seven Omega 7 Fruit Oil helps regulate cholesterol levels, smooths artery walls and moisturizes skin from the inside out.

It doesn't really have much of a taste, so you don't notice it when it has been mixed into food.

Find it here for $34.95!

Have you tried cruelty-free / vegan skincare or makeup products before? Sibu is a great brand to check out if you're thinking about trying new vegan products! They also have some more skincare and supplement products on their website.

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!

Hello friends! Hope you've all had a great weekend - mine was quite eventful! Today, I'll be posting another one of my Toronto Hot Spot series. Hopefully these posts will introduce you to new places to stop by for lunch or dinner, or if you're looking for something fun to do downtown Toronto! You can read the rest of the posts here.

Saturday's events are all within walking distance, and could make for a fun night out downtown.

Trapped! Toronto - Escape Rooms

Jord and Adam had never tried escape rooms before, so we booked a room at Trapped! Toronto. Escape games are super fun - if you've never tried them out, I suggest you round up a group of friends and book a room! We did the room called "Claustrophobia"... I won't elaborate on it too much, but you're locked in a fairly small, dark room and you have 45 minutes to solve puzzles and figure out how to escape. Lots of fun though, we ran out of time but they let us have 5 extra minutes at the end and we managed to get out!

The rooms at Trapped seem to be good for escape room beginners, but still require lots of communication and creative thinking. Not as immersive as some of the other escape rooms I've been to though - Claustrophobia takes place within one room.

Address:
118 Dundas W, 2nd Floor - Above Spadina Garden
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1C3
(Look for the yellow door!)
Tel: (437) 886-0246 (local Toronto number)
Email: trapped.toronto@gmail.com
Hours of Operation:Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Thursday: 6pm - 11pm
Friday: 6pm to 1am
Saturday: 12pm to 1am
Sunday: 12pm to 11pm

Sansotei Ramen

We headed down the street to Sansotei Ramen (or as my dad likes to call it, "San Jose Ramen?... A few people recommended it and it was literally 2 minutes from Trapped! It is easy accessible from Eaton Centre, and is a minute away from St Patrick subway station.
I think I've found my new favourite ramen place in Toronto! Dropped by for dinner (around 8PM). As a party of 4, we had to wait outside for about 20 minutes to get in. The place itself is quite narrow and small, so I wouldn't recommend this for groups larger than 4.

I ordered the tomato ramen (with thin noodles) and extra egg, and I highly recommend it! I've been to other ramen places *cough* kinton *cough* where the broth was way too salty for me. (I ordered shoyu ramen with a miso base, and couldn't even finish it because it was the saltiest thing I've ever eaten.) The tomato ramen is flavourful and has the perfect balance between saltiness and acidity! The pork slices were great, not too fat. The portion sizes were perfect, and left me feeling super satisfied.

Sansotei Ramen
179 DUNDAS STREET WEST, TORONTO, ON, M5G 1Z8
Monday - Saturday : 11AM - 10PM
Sunday : Closed
647-748-3833

(photos from yelp because I forgot to take my own)

A-Game Cafe

Every time I've walked down Queen St, I've seen the sign for A-Game. Located on the upper floor of the building, A-Game is a little gem that most people seem to overlook (in favor of bigger names like Snakes & Lattes). It's a medium sized room with many tables and three shelves of board games.

There is a $3.50/hr per person sitting fee, or $7 for unlimited play. They offer drinks and small meals, but there is no pressure to order anything. (We didn't, still super full from the ramen!) The staff were knowledgeable and would give suggestions and explain rules if you didn't know how to play a certain game.

Super friendly environment, and there was no elitist gamer attitude at all! Just a nice place to sit with friends, play some board games, and have some fun.

179 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M5G 1Z8
Monday - Saturday : 11AM - 10PM
Sunday : Closed
Tel: 647-748-3833
$3.50 / Hour per person or unlimited play for $7

Weekdays three before 3*
*$3 play with any purchase of food or drink before 3pm
Toonie Tuesdays*
*Play for $2 with any purchase of food or drink
Reservations
Walk-ins are welcome but if you'd like to reserve ahead, call us at 416-971-4263 to book your table

Cafe Crepe

As we walked out the door of A-Game, we caught scent of the sweet crepes that were being made just two doors down. I've been to Cafe Crepe a few times - it's one of my favourite places to eat downtown! It was about midnight, and I really felt the need for a sweet, chocolatey crepe.

We got them to go, which meant they were wrapped up and placed in wax paper bags wrapped in paper towel. The crepe itself was crispy and soft, loaded with nutella and strawberries. So gooood!! We munched on crepes as we walked back to the Eatons parking lot.

Hope you enjoyed this little guide!

xox,

Sachie

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*This post contains press samples, but as always it's 100% my honest opinion!