Five little pick me ups

            Hello! Happy Tuesday. I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for coming back for another blog post!

            Last weeks posts were pretty simple ones and I want to start off slow with my blog before I delve into personal details about myself and share my secrets with the world. 

            Today I want to tip toe into topics related to mental health. 

            I’m going to share five tips and tricks for how to pick yourself up when you feel down or anxious. These are all things I do on almost a daily basis.

            As much as I hope you don’t feel down or anxious, or even depressed, I hope you can enjoy reading these little tips and take some for yourself for when you need it.

My nightly routine.

1. Exercise 

            The first tip is to work out. This is probably hard when you’re feeling down in the dumps and the last thing you want to do is throw yourself on a treadmill. However, I really do swear by this. 

             I’m sure everyone and their mother knows this by now but exercising releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy (and happy people don’t kill their husbands. They just don’t!) (that’s a movie quote I’m not crazy). But it’s true! I’ve never gotten off of the treadmill feeling mentally worse than I did getting on. 

            I personally work out in my basement, in the privacy of my home so I can sweat and be embarrassed by how pathetic my stamina is in peace. I’m sure this also has to do with how good I feel after exercising so if you can, I would recommend working out in your own home. 

            This tip really works if you’re feeling anxious and have jittery nerves to burn off (and possibly a pint of ice cream). The best thing I can do after a bad day is put on good music and run on the treadmill for an hour. It just feels so good and the endorphins kill my negative thoughts. 

            A key point I make when I work out is to leave my phone in my room and only use my iPod for music. I think escaping from social media, my friends, and the internet for an hour or so is good because I rarely am without my phone and we all know our cell phones are making us more anxious. So if you can, ditch your phone while you work out. It’s so worth it.

            Not to mention this is kind of a killing two birds with one stone scenario. If you feel badly mentally, you should try to make yourself feel good physically to compensate. Sitting on the couch won’t help you feel better physically and all the bad feelings will just pile up until you explode. So try running on the treadmill or going for a spin on a bike! Whatever you enjoy doing.

2. A Cuppa Tea

            This is probably a really self explanatory tip but it’s not something that many people do on a daily basis. I know that drinking tea in warm weather is gross but now that the weather is getting colder, it’s a good time to get into the habit of drinking tea every night.

            I also felt the need to specify that it should be decaf tea. Two reasons: 1. If you’re hypersensitive to caffeine (like me), then drinking caffeine at night will increase your inability to sleep and after all, the best thing you can do when you feel down is to just sleep it off. And 2. Caffeine is a known trigger for anxiety and will make your mind race even more. So you’re better off with decaf tea or even decaf coffee if that’s more your cup of tea (that was a pun on a level I don’t even understand).

            Something I try to get into the habit of doing is having a cup of tea every night at 9 p.m. That sounds so random but it’s for a good reason. Creating a daily habit helps keep you grounded if you suffer from anxiety. Grounding is basically bringing your anxious brain back down to reality when your negative thoughts make you feel like you’re floating away from your body. Having a daily habit is a constant reminder that you’re still alive and okay, and when it’s at night time it’s a milestone to show you that you made it through another day. It also gives you something to look forward to everyday so that you don’t feel so hopeless. 

            I know if you’re not naturally a tea person then getting into the habit of drinking tea can be difficult. There are so many people that associate drinking tea with being sick, but I think if you feel anxious, you should incorporate decaf tea into your life. 

            Also, if you find tea gross (you’re wrong), I would recommend trying out a place like David’s Tea because they have an amazing variety of flavored teas that don’t taste like dirty leaf water. If you need a good flavor recommendation, I am your gal. I love that place. 

3. Read

            This list is starting to become things you probably already do or know you should do. But oh well. With that, I still recommend escaping into a good book. 

            Reading is another activity that only certain people really enjoy doing but it’s something that I will always recommend you try getting into because it’s worth it and is very good for you. 

            I recommend reading because it’s a good way to step away from your phone, and it really helps your brain distract itself from all of its anxious thoughts. I mean if you think about it, when you’re reading words on paper, your brain is too busy making sense of what your eyes are seeing to think about other (negative) things.

            Reading is one of my favourite escapes. Even if it’s just doing a textbook reading for school, I have to read on a daily basis. Might I also recommend reading my blog on a weekly basis as a way to incorporate reading??

            If you don’t enjoy reading, you probably haven’t found the right book yet. Once again, I am your girl to go to if you want a good book to read. My collection expands every month and it’s one of my favourite hobbies. Escaping my thoughts in a good book feels very very good. 

            You could also conjoin this with tip #1 to work out and do two good things for your brain and body. But don’t knock reading until you really try it.

4. Talk to someone

            For this little tip, I’d say you have two options: talk to someone face to face, or over the phone. I think the key here is to be able to hear someone’s voice instead of texting someone back and forth when you can’t read their tone and behaviour.

            When you’re in a state of anxiety, talking to someone helps because you put your focus on maintaining a conversation and responding to what they say rather than going over the same anxious, negative thoughts in your brain. 

            I often find that if I’m at work or out with my friends, I feel okay all day because being around people that make me happy distracts me from my anxiety. The moment I’m away from them and in my room alone, my anxious thoughts come full force and hit me like a brick wall. 

            Obviously it’s impossible to spend your entire life surrounded by other people (and you’d probably go crazy if you’re an introvert like me), but spending as much time as you can handle talking to people you enjoy really helps elevate your mood and distract your mind.

            Talking on the phone is low commitment because if you feel like you really just want to be alone, then you can say you have to go and hang up the phone. In the moment, having someone to talk back and forth with is comforting because they’re giving you their full attention and you can even choose to vent to them about whatever is bothering you.

            Of course physically being with someone feels a lot better because they can read your facial expressions and even be able to offer you a hug. For me, my person who always calms me down is my mom. When I’m really really anxious, I’ll just go sit in the living room with her and watch TV. Every time I do this she looks at me like a stranger who just walked into her house because I normally sit in my room and avoid human interaction at night. But we can sit in complete silence and her presence naturally calms me down. If you have someone in your life who plays this role for you, then I’d recommend you stay around them as often as possible. 

5. Light a candle, wrap yourself in a blanket, and watch a video 

            If all else fails, I support and encourage you to just admit defeat and wrap yourself into a human burrito and hibernate for as long as necessary. It’s sometimes the most effective remedy for a broken heart or an anxious mind or even just a bad day. 

            Step 1: light a candle. Or two. Or three. Four might be pushing it. I am a candle hoarder. I’ll admit it. Candles make me so happy and I think I’ve figured out why I love them so much. For starters, they make any room automatically smell delicious. But I also recently noticed that the way a candle flickers mimics a heart beat. If you stare at a flickering candle when you’re anxious and your heart is pounding, it can help (at least it does for me) regulate your heart beat by kind of mimicking the flicker. If that makes sense…

            Step 2: wrap yourself in a blanket. Any one will do. Fuzzy ones are appreciated. Ones that are twice the size of your body are even better. The goal is to become the rice and beans of a good burrito. Blankets burritos feel like human contact. When you feel anxious, sad, overwhelmed, or just down in the dumps, getting a hug from a giant tortilla wrap makes you automatically feel better. If you get sweaty, crack open a window. But do not leave the human burrito blanket until you feel ready to. If you never do, then so be it. The world can wait until you feel good and ready to go participate in it.

            Step 3: This step has various options. I personally always go for a YouTube video from a vlogger that I enjoy. The familiar face and voice is very comforting and helps me feel better. You can also go with a good Netflix TV show or even a movie. A stand up comedy act is a great way to force yourself to laugh when you can barely manage to crack a smile. The key is to watch anything with audio and visual content to temporarily distract your mind and racing thoughts. Allow yourself to get lost in the video. The best way to shut your negative thoughts is to just run from them. (That’s terrible advice, don’t run from your problems like I do).

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            I hope you enjoyed these little tips and plan to use them right now or the next time you’re feeling under the weather! (Although I hope you don’t feel that often).

            If you have any other tricks that I didn’t mention then feel free to share in the comments! I’d love to hear some different ideas. 

            I also hope that whatever you are going through that is bringing you any feelings of negativity, anxiety, or sadness is only temporary and that you are strong enough to overcome them and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

            Thanks for reading and enjoy your week!

My Top Drugstore Makeup Products

             Hiya! Welcome to my third blog post! My name is Stefanie, I’m a 23-year-old from Canada, and I’m a writer and journalism student. 

            This is one of the first (of many!) blog posts where I will discuss makeup and beauty products. I also plan to cover mental health, lifestyle topics, food and fitness, and my own personal experiences and life lessons.

            This post is a continuation from the one I posted a few days ago which you can read here. I wanted to write about my favourite makeup products altogether but I found that it was way too long so I decided to separate them.

            This article is all about my favourite drugstore makeup products. If you found my previous post was too boujee (as the kids like to say) for your lifestyle, then this one should be more relatable for you! I have more experience in drugstore products because I am very frugal (or so my mom tells me) and I always try to get the most bang for my buck. 

            I’ve been wearing makeup for about ten years now, but only got into it as a hobby over the past three or so years. The products I list are organized by when you apply them to your face, so they don’t go in order of preference.

            For reference, I have light-medium skin with a neutral (olive in the summer) undertone and it is very dry all year round. All of the products in this post have worked for my skin and most are repeat purchases that I swear by. 

            Every item is hyperlinked in the name and will bring you to a page where you can purchase it. Most of the links lead to Wal-Mart Canada so I apologize if this is inconvenient for you.

            I hope you enjoy this post and leave a like or comment (or both!) about any products you’d like to discuss, have questions about, or any tips/recommendations you can offer!!

            Happy reading and happy shopping!

a. Primer (liquid)

E.L.F. Illuminating Primer Mist ($8):

            After getting halfway through my first bottle of Primer Water (which I raved about here) and contemplating buying another one, I decided to research alternatives (because $$$). I found this ELF one and honestly…it’s pretty good. It’s not exactly a primer water, but it is a spray on face primer. I like spraying my face instead of having to use my hands to spread a cream. My only problem with the ELF one is that I have to do it before I apply any other product (especially liquid eyeliner) or it just smears everywhere because the spritz is so strong. But once it dries, it makes a pretty good base. This is also really great for dry skin. It may add a little too much moisture to oily skin, so you’d probably benefit from a pore filling primer if that’s your case. If you want to try a spray on primer (and I didn’t convince you to buy Primer Water in my last post) then I recommend starting off with this really cool product. 

b. Primer (cream)

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Primer ($10):

            I approve of this primer. I bought it to go with the matching foundation (which I will rave about in just a bit) and I found that my skin loved this in every season: hot and sticky or cold and dry. It just glided over my face cream and provided a pretty good base for my foundation. I can’t really say if it made my makeup last any longer but I think it did what it intended to do. Again, the only reason I stopped using it is because I discovered spray primer and I’ll do anything to avoid touching my face and aggravating my dry and acne prone skin. I could see this working for any skin type-it just creates a perfect base for foundation. If you’re interested in a drugstore primer (because high end primers are crazy expensive) then definitely try this one.           

c. Eyeshadow Primer

E.L.F. Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer ($2):

            I have to say, this might actually be my all time favourite eyeshadow primer. I am on probably my 7^thor 8^thtube. The only downside is that it dries out and finishes a little quicker than I’d like. But for the price I can’t complain if I have to replace it three or four times a year. The application is amazing, it’s the best when it’s brand new and in the first few weeks of its life. It makes my eyeshadow last and it keeps my oily af eyelids under control. I actually first used this because I noticed that my eyeliner was transferring a lot. So most days I use this without eyeshadow and just as a way to dry out my eyelids and keep my liquid liner in place. It’s great and I will keep repurchasing forever. I trust this primer with my life. I’ve tried a few other drugstore eyelid primers now and none of them compare. You have to try this.

d. Liquid Eyeliner 

NYC Liquid Eyeliner ($4):

            When I say holy grail, I mean holy grail. If you wear liquid eyeliner and you have not tried this GO NOW. Actually don’t go yet. Wait until it goes on sale at Walmart for like $3. I’m frugal, can you tell? Anyways, I love this stuff. I’m on my third or fourth tube and I first tried it two summers ago. So, #1 it lasts forever, six months to be exact, and #2 it is worth repurchasing. The first time I tried it, I hated the tip of the applicator, and then after a while I got used to it and realized it actually makes drawing wings a breeze! I use liquid liner every single time I wear makeup. So the fact that I use this about five times a week and one tube lasts six months is amazing. I always had issues with my previous high end liquid liner smearing when my eyes watered (as I complained about in my post), but this one has rarely given me that issue. If you’re trying to get into liquid liner, this is perfect. And if you’re experienced, this is also perfect. It’s just really great. 

e. Eyebrow Mascara

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara ($9):

            This is very good brow mascara. I haven’t used this in a few years because I’ve tried many other drugstore products, but I think it’s the best one I’ve tried so far. I first bought a tube of the shade Espresso, and after bleaching my hair a few summers ago I realized it was way too dark for my hair. So I moved down to the shade Brunette and it matched pretty well. The applicator is great and doesn’t give you those awkward, patchy clumps in your brows. It didn’t dry out for a long time and overall was a good product. I will eventually repurchase this if I don’t find another drugstore product that I like more. If you want more definition in your brows, you’ll likely have to follow with a powder but this is great on its own for natural brows. It is definitely worth a try. 

f. Eyebrow Powder

Rimmel London Brow This Way Brow Sculpting Kit ($8):

            I bought this a few months ago when I realized my Anastasia powder was getting old. I actually just googled a dupe for ABH because I wasn’t down to pay $30 again. And a good dupe it is. I find it literally identical in colour and texture to ABH. I haven’t touched the wax part because I like the lightness of powder but maybe one day I’ll try it. This is very basic but it does the job and it’s travel friendly so it's worth a try. Has anyone used the wax part in this? 

g. Eyeshadow Palette 

Milani Everyday Eyes Powder Eyeshadow Collection ($11):

            I was recently gifted this palette for my birthday and I immediately fell in love with it. The powders are pigmented but not powdery and the colour pay off is absolutely amazing. I have the palette called Must Have Metallics. The colours are absolutely gorgeous—gold and rose gold go so well with dark brown eyes. I love the colors because they are so shimmery, so if you’re into mattes then this isn’t the palette for you. I find that I can just swipe one shade across my lid and I’m good to go! No blending necessary so it’s a dream for a lazy girl. You do have to be light handed because of how pigmented they are but that’s not a downside at all. And the price is amazing too. 

h. Foundation 

Rimmel London Lasting 25 Hour Finish Foundation ($10):

            This is very very very good stuff. I depend on this foundation to last me on long days and even on nights out. It can withstand anything. One of the main highlights of this is the fact that it’s transfer proof. That is 100% true. I’ve always had transfer issues with other foundations, but I could sneeze into a white t-shirt while wearing this foundation and not a speck would get on the shirt. It’s excellent for dry skin and I couldn’t see anyone with oily skin having issues with it either. The shade range is kind of lame but I think shade 200 Soft Beige is my match. The formula is the thickest I’ve ever used, but I’ve never had issues blending it out with a sponge. I think the thickness is what makes it transfer proof—the thin and runny foundations are the ones that just sit on my skin and come off onto anything. However, it is completely full coverage. So if you’re not into thick, full coverage foundations then you probably won’t like this. But I recommend this to anyone looking for a good drugstore foundation.

i. Concealer

Maybelline New York Fit Me®Concealer ($8):

            I swear by this concealer. I’ve gone through over five tubes already and I will keep repurchasing it because I have not found anything that beats it. This concealer can cover my genetic dark circles from hell like they’re no match. It also covers redness like it’s nothing. I want to be buried with a tube of this concealer in my hand. The consistency is perfectly blendable and creates a smooth and flawless finish. However, I always have to set it with powder because it will crease in my under eye wrinkles. But that’s with any concealer. One tube lasts me over half a year, so it’s well worth the price (but never buy it full price, wait for it to go on sale for about $6). I recommend this concealer to anyone and everyone who needs a good, high coverage concealer. I’d also go so far as to say that it’s a complete dupe for the Nars concealer. Agree or disagree?

j. Setting Powder 

NYC Smooth Skin Face Powder ($5):

            If you read my last post, where I mentioned that there is a drug store dupe for the Laura Mercier setting powder, now is my time to share it. I’m on my second container and it lasts about a year. Which is crazy considering it’s only five dollars!! When it goes on sale, it’s about three dollars. I really did like the Laura Mercier powder but it’s pricey considering the fact that I bake my under eyes and end up wiping off the excess powder. Watching the powder (and my money) dissipate before my eyes made me very sad. So I switched to this drugstore powder and haven’t looked back.This stuff is so good and it has been my key to every single makeup look I’ve done in the past two years. I use this every time I do a full face of makeup and it has NEVER let me down. It’s great for baking, but like any powder it does dry out my under eyes and accentuate my wrinkles, however that’s my own personal problem and not the product’s fault. I wouldn’t recommend using this on your entire face if you have dry skin, but it would probably work great for soaking up moisture and adding a matte finish to oily skin. Everyone who wears setting powder needs to try this and see how it changes your life too.

k. Mascara

Maybelline New York Full Fringe Impact Lash Sensational Mascara ($7):

            I must admit, Maybelline makes some really good mascaras. This is no exception. I was introduced to this product by Zoella, who repeatedly raved about it in her product reviews and makeup tutorials. For some reason, I didn’t think I’d like this because the curved brush head turned me off. I’ve always gone for thick, straight wands (hence why the Too Faced Better Than Sex was my fave mascara in my last post). I finally grabbed this while it was on sale and from the first time I used it I fell in love. I will also mention that drugstore mascaras are the one category where I have A LOT of experience, so the fact that this is #1 says a lot for me. I’m on my third or fourth tube and I will not stop purchasing it. This mascara is excellent for both length and volume (I find you have to wiggle it a lot at the base of your lashes to add maximum volume, but the extra effort is worth it). It did not make my lashes clumpy no matter how hard I’ve tried, and separates each lash better than anything I’ve tried. The formula is perfect and doesn’t dry out for months. I’m on month six with my current tube and it’s just starting to die (just in time because I only give my mascaras half a year of life before I chuck them!). If you have not tried this mascara, you have to now.

l. Bronzer

Annabelle Perfect Bronze ($8):

            I was recently gifted this bronzer in a gift set last Christmas and although I’m not a “bronzed goddess”, I had to try it out and I really like it! I actually replaced this for the Hoola bronzer that I was using (I only stopped because it got old, nothing was wrong with it at all). The container is great, the formula is amazing, and it’s not a powdery mess at all. I only use this on nights out or when I have time to do my makeup (because I suck at putting on bronzer and need an extra hour just to buff it out). I will continue to use this until it finishes or gets old (probably the latter). If you’re looking for a cheap drugstore bronzer, I’d suggest this one.

m. Highlighter 

Pixi Beauty Blush Duo ($18):

            I’m on the fence about whether Pixi is a drugstore brand, especially considering the high-ish price of this product, but I’m going to consider it because you can only purchase it from drugstores in Canada. I was gifted this highlighter/blush combination last year and I really like it! I completely ignore the fact that the red section is supposed to be used as blush and the orange shade is highlighter. To be honest, I just swirl my brush in both colours and apply it as a highlighter! And it looks amazing every time. Very subtle but still noticeable, it gives the “I put highlighter on my cheekbones but I didn’t drown myself in powder” look. It’s very classy and pretty. This blush/highlighter is part of a kit set that I have which you can check out here. I don’t have a lot of experience with drug store highlighter because this is the one product that I’d prefer to use high end (aka Becca which I gushed about here). But this two in one set is worth a try!

n. Setting Spray

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray ($10):

            This stuff is very popular in the beauty community for a reason. It’s really good. I’m on my second bottle and I absolutely love it. It’s marketed on the NYX website for $10 but I know in my local drugstore it retails at about $8 when it’s on sale. I’m not a huge fan of the dewy foundation look which is why I chose the matte spray, and it works even on my dry skin! I just have to be careful to not overspray on the dry areas of my face. This is marketed towards people with oily skin to help mattify it, but I’d say it works for any skin type if you’re looking for a matte look. This is super cheap and I feel like I can go crazy with spritzes and not feel guilty about wasting money every time I spray it (as I mentioned in my post about the All Nighter spray). This is definitely worth a try and I will continue using this forever. 

            Notable mention: I spent quite a while debating which setting spray to choose as my favourite. I still wanted to mention the Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist. Once again, it is a little pricey to be considered drugstore, but it’s really really good. I finished my bottle a while ago but I still think about it and I will repurchase it one day. The one thing I looooved about this spray is that it actually melts all your makeup so you get a seamless finish. So if this fits in your budget, then it is 100000% worth a try. 

o. Lipstick

Maybelline New York Superstay Matte Ink™ Liquid Lipstick ($10):

            As I mentioned in my last post, I never wear lipstick. But of course, I’ve tried so many just to find something that suits my thin lips, mostly cheap drugstore lipsticks that I could throw away if they didn’t work. The one lipstick that I swear by (and will wear daily once I get the courage and $$$ to get my lips plumped a bit) is Maybelline Superstay. I bought this in the shade Pioneer which is a dark, blue toned red. It’s a gorgeous colour and compliments my olive skin really well. The best part about this lipstick is the fact that it is waterproof AF. I’m convinced this could withstand absolutely anything. The first time I wore it, I put it on and spent about 20 minutes taking various (embarrassing) selfies. After I was done, I went to take it off and….I couldn’t. You know how normally with lipstick, you just take a tissue and with one wipe it’s gone? Not with this guy. The lipstick would not budge. It was stained onto my lips. But that’s not a bad thing! I had to put makeup remover on a cotton pad to take this off, and thankfully that worked like a charm. So this is definitely waterproof, food proof, and kiss proof. It’s very good and the shades are really pretty. Of course, it’s super matte, so if you a) like a shiny lip gloss finish or b) have dry lips, then this may not be for you. But it’s so worth a try if you want a darn good matte lipstick. 

Bonus Round #2

            Once again, if you read my last post, then you saw that I did a bonus round of products. That is because you may have noticed that I did not mention a blush product in this post (disregarding the Pixi highlighter/blush combo). I don’t wear blush because I’m weird. But actually it's because my skin naturally flushes so I really don’t feel I need extra pinkness. Instead of blush, I’d like to recommend two more drugstore products that I really enjoy.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($13):

            There is a lot of debate over these sponges, and I am personally on the support side. I LOVE these sponges. They are amazing, and I will even go so far as to say that I like them better than the name brand blenders. Do you agree or disagree? I find that they need a long soak in warm water to give the best effect, but that’s just a little tip and not a downside. I use the flat side for blending my under eye concealer and the pointy part for blending the foundation on my face. They’re just perfect. Definitely worth a try if you want a drugstore version and the price difference between these ($13 for two) and name brand ($26 for one) is insane. I actually linked to these sponges on Amazon Canada because they’re about $2 cheaper than what Wal-Mart retails them for. Do you love these sponges too?

One Direction Our Moment Perfume ($37):

            I am manically laughing to myself as I write this. I cannot believe I’m advertising a perfume that is over five years old and was made by a boy band. But oh my gosh it smells so good. I originally bought this when it first came out in 2013 and I was still a hardcore directioner. I loved the smell and was sad when it finished but I didn’t repurchase. (It was about $50 for the small bottle back then). A couple of months ago, I was walking around my local drugstore (Shoppers Drug Mart for the Canadians reading this) and I walked past the discount perfume shelf. For the past few years, I’ve always checked that shelf to see if the One Direction perfume was on there because I know it’s not really on the market anymore. Lo and behold, I found the perfume!! And guess what? It was $19.99 for the 3.4 ounce bottle. Which is absolutely crazy. I provided a link to this on Amazon Canada but even that retails at about $37 when I only paid $20. Anyways, this perfume is very pretty smelling and has a flowery smell but is also really sweet. The scent doesn’t last long on my body but it’s not at all over powering and I just love it. If you ever find it for a sweet deal like I did, then I completely recommend that you pick it up. I had a co-worker ask me a few weeks ago what perfume I was wearing and I started cackling because I had to tell her it was One Direction (she was expecting me to say something fancy like Marc Jacobs). This is good stuff. 

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            This concludes the end of another very lengthy blog post. If you can’t tell, I am very passionate about all things makeup.

            

            I hope you enjoyed reading this and will follow me for more content. I also hope you’re considering trying some of the items I shared in this or my last post!

            If you’ve tried some of the things that I mentioned, did you like them as much as I did? Anything you disagree about? Any tips you have to offer about specific products? Or just questions about an item in general! 

            I’d love to hear from other members of the beauty community. I could talk about makeup forever.

            Thank you for reading and have a lovely day☺

My Favourite High End Makeup Products

            Hello! If you’re a returning reader, then thanks for coming back!

            

            If you’re new, then welcome! My name is Stefanie, I’m a 23-year-old writer and aspiring journalist from Canada. This is my second blog post and I’m very excited to share it. If you’d like to learn more about me, then click here for my introductory post. 

            Makeup is one of the topics I will explore a lot in my blogs. I also plan to cover mental health, fitness, lifestyle, and anything else that I find worth discussing.

            Today I’m going to share my favourite high end makeup products. I organized them by when you put each product on your face, so my favourites aren’t in any particular order. I also provided links to each item which you can access by clicking on the hyperlink in the name (I used Sephora Canada only, my apologies if this is inconvenient for you).

            I've been wearing makeup since elementary school but got really passionate about it during university. I'm very frugal and loooove my drugstore products but I've also been a VIB at Sephora for the past three years (I usually renew my status in December but this year I hit renewal in September and I immediately felt shamed by my bank account).

           For reference, I have a light-medium skin with a neutral undertone. My skin is extremely dry all year round, so the products that I buy are catered towards dry skin and have mostly worked for me.

            Disclaimer: I obviously have not tried every single item on the market for each category. This is just a list of things I have tried in the last five-ish years that I either still use or that have left a lasting impact on me. Everyone’s skin is different so what worked for me may not work for you, but everything I list is definitely worth a try!

            This post is meant to appeal to people in the beauty community and I’m assuming most of these high end cult favorites are familiar to you. In that case, my review will just be a reiteration of what beauty gurus have already raved about. I’d love to hear about any products you hadn’t heard of and were persuaded by my review to purchase! 

            Enjoy and happy shopping ☺

a. Primer (liquid)

Smashbox Primer Water ($18-$36):

            I’m going to start off completely honest and say that I rarely use a primer. But if I don’t use a primer then I definitely use a setting spray. I feel like most girls also do this? Using both when I’m just going to work or school is such a waste of product to me because I don’t care for my makeup to last long on days like that. 

            Anyways, when I DO wear primer, and I need it to count I always always always reach for my Smashbox Primer Water. I was introduced to this by a friend last year and I’m still on the same bottle! (That literally goes to show how often I use primer). At first I was like “……so it’s water,” but then I tried it on my dry af skin and I fell in love. It adds the perfect amount of moisture to make my foundation go on flawlessly and stay on longer. I trust this primer water with my life. And no, it’s not just water. It’s amazing. If you have normal to dry skin, this is a must have product. 

b. Primer (cream)

Benefit POREfessional ($16-$64):

            I can’t even tell you the last time I used a cream face primer because primer water changed my life. I have a weird relationship with the POREfessional. I first bought it a few Christmas’ ago when I had Sephora gift cards. I used it a few times then never touched it again. Over a year later I found it lying in my makeup drawer and took it to Sephora hoping to get store credit for it. Since I had it for so long they said I couldn’t return it. So I did the next best thing….I used it. And I liked it. I didn’t find it did anything special but it was good from what I remember. Would I repurchase? No. Would I use it if I was gifted it? Yes. It does the job and it’s a beauty community favourite so it’s worth a try. This is probably better suited for people with oily skin and/or large pores, but it still worked for my dry skin.

c. Eyeshadow Primer

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($16-$28):

            This is the only high end eyeshadow primer I’ve tried so it’s the only one I have an official review on. I have very oily eyelids which is surprising considering the rest of my face is dry, so I need a good eyeshadow primer to prep my lids. I don’t know if I got a bad tube or something but I hated it…. I’M SORRY. The formula was too watery and didn’t blend out well, I ended up losing half of the product on the sponge I used to blend it in. It did make my shadows last longer when I used it but the application was too frustrating. I bought it in April and rarely use it and it’s already almost finished. Since this is so popular in the beauty community, I’d say it’s still worth trying and forming your own opinion about. Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree with me, or if you think I really did get a bad batch!

d. Liquid Eyeliner 

Sephora Collection Long-Lasting 12 HR Wear Eye Liner ($15):

            This is probably one of the products that I have the MOST experience with. I’ve gone through countless tubes of liquid eyeliner. Side note: I rarely use pencil eyeliner so I don’t have a firm opinion on those products.

            I used to swear by this eyeliner back in university. I probably went through five or six tubes because I loved it so much. I also used to get a lot of compliments on it (mostly that it’s a super matte and bold black). To be honest, I haven’t received compliments on my eyeliner since I stopped using it. I don’t use it anymore for two reasons: 1. it is NOT at all waterproof (aka any time I teared up or fully cried, it just smeared around my eyes or down my face), and 2. the price was a little steep, which is why I switched to drugstore liner. It’s not technically a “high end” brand. The other high end liquid liners I tried, which I will not name here, were absolute garbage so this takes the cake for me. The application was pretty easy too, so I'd say it's a good starter liquid liner.       

e. Eyebrow Mascara

Milk Makeup KUSH Fiber Brow Gel ($22):

            Okay. I just bought this in August and I FELL IN LOVE on the first use. LOVE IT. I love it more than I’ll ever love any man. This is the first product I’ve ever found that fills in my brows and ACTUALLY acts as a filler. Does that make sense? Normally eyebrow mascaras just basically add a touch of colour and keep each hair in place. But this amazing product actually adds fullness in the base AND length to the tip. I actually stopped using brow powder because when I use this, it completes my entire eyebrow. It’s like magic, I don’t know how they do it. I had to wait weeks for this to come back into stock and it was completely worth the wait. I will definitely repurchase this and honestly twenty bucks is pretty cheap, as long as it lasts me a while. I got the colour Grind, which is dark brown and still works with my very blonde balayage hair. Buy this. Now.

f. Eyebrow Powder

Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Powder Duo ($30):

            I bought this product as part of a binge shop at Sephora a few Christmas’ ago. I still have it in my drawer but I stopped using it because I realized it was old af and I got grossed out. But in its prime, this stuff was amazing. I even bought the matching brow brush (#12) and I still use that with the drugstore powder that I’m currently using. I never tried the brow pomade because I think that’s way too strong of a look for my face but I chose the powder and I do not regret it. I bought dark brown which was surprisingly too light for me, but I still kept it and made it work. With the right shade this is worth every cent.

g. Eyeshadow Palette

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette ($55):

            I bought this palette in April 2017 during the Sephora semi-annual sale and the girl who cashed me out said, “you’re so late to this,” to which I awkwardly smiled and laughed. I used it once immediately fell in love and I’ve managed to do some bomb eye looks with it. My only quibble (as so many other people have said) is that it’s super powdery and makes a huge mess if you’re not careful. I know that ABH has come out with a few more palettes after this one, but I have no interest in purchasing them because this one has everything I need. To be fair, I’m not huge into eyeshadow and only wear it when I go out so this palette should last me years. I never considered using reds, pinks, and oranges on my very dark brown eyes, but they really worked for me. And orange on blue or green eyes would look amazing as well. Two thumbs up from me. 

h. Foundation

Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation ($45):

            As of right now, as we are floating on this giant rock in space on the 7^thday of November in the year 2018, this is my all time favourite foundation. I fully expect that to change once I try more foundations, especially high end ones. However, it’s the best one that I’ve found so far. My only issue is that the shade range kind of sucks. I originally bought Light Beige because the description (light with neutral undertones) matched the shade I normally buy. But once I tried it on, I found it was totally off and way too dark. I actually had to go two shades down and I ended up with the shade Nude, which according to the description has pink undertones. It was my closest match when I tried it in store. I do not have pink undertones. I still think it’s off but it’s the best I’ve found. So yeah, if you can find your perfect shade in this foundation AND you like a matte, lightweight foundation, then I definitely recommend getting this one. The matte finish works for even my dry skin and never accentuates any dry patches. It would be great to control oily skin as well. Pair this with a good primer (primer water) and setting spray (will mention in a bit) and you’re golden for hours and hours. It smells nice too. 

i. Concealer 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer ($35):

            Back when I had no bills to pay and money to spend, I used to wear this concealer daily. I went through two or three tubes and bowed down to it. I haven’t used it in years for two reasons: 1. I was going through it too quickly and wanted to switch to a cheaper drugstore concealer, 2. I noticed that it wasn’t full coverage enough for the black holes that are my under eye bags. If I still had the energy to colour correct my under eye bags with orange concealer, I would definitely try this concealer again. But alas, that too I stopped doing because it was just adding extra layers to my skin and time to my makeup routine that wasn’t really worth it. My colour is light neutral and as far as I can remember, it was a great colour match. I actually used to wear this before I even set my under eyes with powder! And it never creased. I doubt that will be the case today because my under eye wrinkles have gotten progressively worse with age. But this is a very good concealer and it was my holy grail at one point. I recommend this as a high end concealer to try. As long as you pair this with a moisturizing under eye cream, this could work for any skin type. 

j. Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($30-$48):

            This stuff is a favourite in the beauty community for a reason. It’s darn good. I bought the mini size because I was desperate for something to control my under eye concealer from creasing (around the same time I stopped using the urban decay concealer and switched to drugstore). The small container lasted me months but when it was time to repurchase it, I decided against it and once again went to a drugstore version. (Yes there is a dupe which I will reveal in my next drugstore favourites post). One of the last times I used this powder was in the summertime. I had very tanned skin and I went to a party and took some pictures. I looked back at the pictures the next day and noticed I had the worst flashback! I think it was because my skin was darker than usual so there was a big contrast difference. I stopped using it for the rest of the summer, but it was good in its prime. Laura Mercier recently (I think) came out with a medium/deep version of this powder which is great for darker skinned people. I know this isn’t supposed to have flashback but that was my experience. It was a little bit drying for my skin, but I prefer a matte under eye look anyway. Otherwise I really did love it. What’s your experience with this product? 

k. Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara ($15-$31):

            There is a reason this mascara is the #1 on Sephora’s best selling mascaras page. I’ve gone through a couple of tubes of this and I always take advantage of a free sample or a rewards sized tube. I haven’t used it in a few years, but I did try the drugstore dupe that was recently released (you must know exactly what I’m talking about so I won’t name it) and it was pretty darn comparable. This mascara is still worth trying. It can make your lashes clumpy if you’re not careful but I kind of like that look. It’s more focused on volume than length too. 10/10 recommend. 

l. Bronzer

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer ($20-$38):

            I have a confession to make. I have no idea how to put on bronzer. I’ve tried everything. Regardless of how I apply it, it looks patchy and unblended and doesn’t give me the bronzed beauty look, I just look like a child who got into her mom’s makeup drawer. For that reason, I rarely wear bronzer. The only high end bronzer I’ve tried is the Hoola one and I did like it when I was using it. I stopped using it only because I realized it was years old, and I happened to get a drugstore one for Christmas. The Hoola is worth buying because it is a light pigment and if I happen to mess it up (aka every time), it’s easy to buff out and fix. I got the mini size and never hit pan so it lasts a long time. The only downside is that the box is a square so you can’t swirl your brush in a circular motion but I still managed. The formula would work for any skin type and I recommend trying it.

m. Highlighter

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector®Pressed Highlighter ($23-$46):

            When I die I want to be buried with the Becca Champagne Pop highlighter. That is a formal request. This stuff is good. This is another holy grail product for a reason. It’s just so good. So buttery, so smooth, so subtle but still noticeable, and so easy to use. I could probably dust my whole face with this highlighter and still look like a beautiful glowing goddess. I recently hit pan on this product and I’m sad but I know I still have months to go until it’s completely gone. And guess what? When it’s finished, I’m for sure going to repurchase it. The first shade I tried was Opal, which I got in mini size but I found it was too dark for my skin. I actually had an old coworker ask me if my face was bruised because of the way it reflected on my skin. After that, I steered away from using it. (Also because I dropped it on the floor and it shattered and when I did the old rubbing alcohol trick, it totally changed the consistency of the powder). This is worth every cent, regardless of which size you go for. I want to try the Rose Quartz shade next. That is, if my Champagne Pop ever finishes because it has lasted for almost two years now. Amazing. 

n. Setting Spray

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($19-$40):

            All hail the All Nighter. I’m on my third bottle and I will never stop loving this. Of course I am frugal so I always buy the mini size and make it last as long as possible because I use it sparingly and only on nights out (which are rare when you’re an introvert like me). This makes any look last for at least twelve hours. I’ve never done the makeup cry test with this, but there are reviews that say this can last through anything. And I believe them. It’s so good. The price is a little high and I feel like every spritz costs like a dollar but it’s worth it for those occasions when you need your makeup to last. This is excellent on my dry skin, but I think it may be too shiny for those with oily skin. Anyone with oily skin have experience with this product? It's still worth a try and I'm hoping Santa will buy me the full size version of this for Christmas.

o. Lipstick 
Buxon Full-On™ Plumping Lip Cream Gloss ($24):

            I have another large confession to make. I don’t wear lipstick. Like, ever. But I have a good reason. I was blessed with white people lips which basically means I have no lips. When I wear lipstick, I look like a clown. If I wear a dark shade of red, it makes my lips look even smaller because dark colours are slimming. If I wear a matte pink, I look washed out. I cannot win with lipstick. But the Buxom lip gloss is what I always reach for if I feel like my makeup look needs that finishing touch. It may come as no surprise that it’s a plumping lipstick as well. I have the shade White Russian and it is probably flattering for any skin tone. Does it plump? Barely. But it’s pretty and shiny and creates the "illusion" that your lips are fuller, so it’s one of my favourites. I recommend trying it, just don’t expect to look like you just walked out of a lip plumping session. 

Bonus Round

            If you’re a hardcore makeup guru, you will have probably noticed that there is one makeup product that is completely missing from this list: blush. That is because when I do wear it, I look like a blushing rag doll. So I do not use it. In lieu of my opinion on blush, I decided to share two other high end products that I recommend.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler ($24):

            I bought this earlier this year and wow. For years and years, I used a crappy drugstore eyelash curler that I always managed to clip my eyelid with. I just accepted the fact that eyelash curlers are supposed to hurt. Then I bought the Shiseido one. And realized I was wrong. Eyelash curlers are NOT supposed to hurt! I actually curl my lashes often now because it’s so easy and quick and makes a world of a difference to the length of my lashes. It’s a really good price considering it will last you years. This is the #1 best seller in eyelash curlers from Sephora for a reason. If you’re in the market, I recommend that you try this one. It’s also a good stocking stuffer too!

Viktor&Rolk BONBON Perfume ($95-$195):

            I wanted to share this perfume because it smells really good. That is all. I recently finished the bottle (wah) but it lasted me a year and a half! The smell is very very sweet, so if that’s not your cup of tea then I wouldn’t recommend this. It literally does smell like a bag of candy. It never made me feel nauseous, but of course like most perfumes after a few hours the smell almost completely disappeared. I got a lot of compliments when I wore this perfume and I do plan on repurchasing this one day when I’m in the mood for something sweet again. I’d definitely ask for a sample of this before you purchase it, because it’s not for everyone. But this is a good perfume and worth a sniff.

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            If you’ve made it this far then thanks for reading this very long post! I hope you enjoyed and agreed with some of the top makeup products I mentioned.

            I’d love to hear your experience with high end make up products. Are there items I mentioned that I loved and you personally hated? Any products you have questions about? Recommendations you have that you think others would like? Feel free to leave a comment and start a conversation about high-end beauty products.

            In my next blog, I am going to do the same concept but focus on my drugstore beauty faves! 

            Stay tuned for my next post!