Maybelline Vivids Lipstick Collection. Neon Coral Goodness!

 You may have heard, but I looooovvvveee lipstick.
 Lurve it!
The brighter, richer, or deeper the shade, the better!
Maybelline's new Color Sensational Vivids line fits that bill and then some!
They have released eight shades in this collection, which are all over the bright, neon trend. The formula has new pigments which give a brighter colour payoff, and honey nectar has been added for comfort and moisture.
Naturally, I ran out the door and bought one!
Shocking Coral found it's way into my hot little hand.
 It sells for $10.99ish most places.  I lucked out and got mine for $8.00 on sale.
This lippy applied comfortably, and opaquely.  The shade of coral is on the pinker side, but really flattering!  The texture is soft without sacrificing wear-time.  I go through lipstick like nobodies business.  I drink tons of water, and my lips are extremely dry, so not much lasts for more than an hour.  This one was comfortable for about two and a half before I had to reapply anything!  Which was awesome!
It didn't migrate outside the lipline too badly, and I really liked the staining effect it left behind. 
Did I mention that the packaging is ADORABLE!  Really pretty!
I'm planning on buying Shocking Coral a little lippy sister or two ASAP!
Have you guys tried the new Vivids yet?  What do you think?
 I'd love to know!

Donna Xoxo
 

The New Neutral Nail, With a Nod to Mod!

Hey Hey!

Hope everyone was good to their Mommies yesterday, and if you're a Mommy yourself, hopefully you were spoiled ridiculously!
If you were in Ontario, it was most likely and indoor affair seeing as it's winter again.  Snow on the roof of the house winter.
I've.  Had.  It. 
Now that I've vented, we're going to discuss a nail trend that's starting to grow on me.
I'm a little bit in love with the whole opaque nude/pale nail look.
It has an elegance that we haven't seen in a while.  It looks more finished than a bare nail, or translucent polish. 
When I was in my late teens, the whole mod thing was back with a vengance!  I loved it then, and I love it now.  I used to rock a graphic white nail with my black and white trapeze dress.  It was the 90`s!  It felt fresh! 
I took the stark white of my youth and made it softer and more modern by putting an opalescent white over the creamy polish.  As a base and top coat I used Sally Hansen Complete Care 4 in 1 treatment.  If your nails are brittle, this stuff is amazing on its own or with polish.  For the creamy white I gave the Lòreal French Tip a shot since this was what I had on hand.  Not the best idea I`ve had.  The brush is slanted and for these purposes it was awkward.  I had to do three coats to get a relatively smooth coverage while swearing like a sailor!  (Yeah, I`m classy like that.)  The next step was a Clarins Sheer Shimmer Nail Colour in 01.
I found the end result to be really pretty!  I dont look like I liquid papered my nails, but it`s completely opaque.  I get bored with nail colour quite quickly, but this feels like a keeper.  As for wear time, it`s been a couple of days now and I have no chips.  I`m quite hard on nail polish, so this is exciting! 
Check out the pictures, and let me know what you think!

Donna Xoxo

Tightlining. Much More Wonderful Than it Sounds!

Lately tightlining is popping up all over the place on the internet.
For good reason!
It is a great little trick that just adds a finishing touch to an eye look.
Tightlining is done when eyeliner is applied between the gaps of the eyelashes of the upper eyelid.  Waterlining is when the waterline of the upper eye is lined.
The two are NOT the same!
Tightlining is, of course, good for a smokey eye. I love this best however, when doing a really soft eye!  It adds a fullness to the lashline that mascara just cant give on its own.
Here's how it's done: 
Wiggle a sharp dark pencil in-between the upper lashes by gently lifting the lid, and working the liner into the root from underneath.
Try to get as little on the waterline as possible, otherwise the look is slightly more harsh
I've never tried it with a gel liner, but from what I understand, the results are great.  Be sure to use a nice thin, stiff brush under the lash so it goes in smooth.  I absolutely adore the brush that comes with the Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner!  The bristles are nice and dense, so you have great control.  I will say that gel formulas smudge on some people, regardless of the product claim, so find one that stays in place on you!  Courtney Love is not the best role model when it comes to eyeliner.  Or life in general.
Keep it clean ladies!
In the middle picture below, the eye on the left hasn't been lined.  See how the lashes look different on the right?  It's subtle, but it does add thickness. Add mascara and you're a lush-lashed vixen!
The word "Vixen" isn't used nearly enough in life, IMO!
Has anybody tried tightlining?  Is it great?  Not so Much?
Any other words that should be busted out in conversation more often?

Donna Xoxo

 

Style Love: Who's a Pretty Girl

Hey Kids!
Did I mention that I moved from my hometown last month? I'm still figuring everything out in Aurora, slowly getting my bearings! One thing that did make me wet myself with excitement however is the two, count'em, TWO, Targets near me!
This place has piqued my curiosity for several reasons.
First, the Colabs!
They have partnered with some amazing names. The collaboration with Missoni last year was beyond fun.
Second, Sonia Kashuk.
She's an incredible artist, so I have been dying to get my paws on her products! I imagined artist quality with real-people prices. I've picked up a couple of brushes and trust, they are the ish!!! (I'm going to have to try my hand at a tutorial to show off these babies!)
Third, the prices.
In the states, this store is dirt cheap. Minimum wage there is also $6.00 or something ridiculous. I'm a realist and expecting the prices to be higher here. They are still great though, relatively speaking.
I now have a new reason to be in love with Target!
Only the cutest purse. Ever. No, really. How can you not fall terribly in love with a minty green tote? It has the most buttery, soft texture and the colour is girly, but not sickly-sweet. The burnished gold buckles make sure that the tote has a bit of edge, which gives it great balance.
This bag is also amazingly light, with loads of room. I went out of town last week and fit my book and a water bottle in there along with the rest of my goodies. I believe this retails about $35.00, which is great for a faux leather bag like this! I got it as a gift, (lucky girl that I am) but I have been eyeing it up since I first walked into Target!
This Green Lovely is a pretty girl indeed!
Any Target fans out there? Tell us about your faves!

Donna Xoxo

The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream. Yes, I Jumped On The Wagon

Like most ladies out there, I've been curious about BB creams. I've hesitated to try one mainly to avoid the disappointment of it turning out to be just a fancy tinted moisturizer. I love a good tinted moisturizer, but why would I need another one?
A couple of weeks ago I was in The Body Shop getting some toner. A special was available on their BB cream. I grabbed one, thought "why not?". The cream itself is white with self-adjusting colour spheres. I was slightly skeptical of the colour matching ability, (Whitey Whiterson over here) as it did go slightly orange on my hand.
On my face, however, Holy Mackrel!
It was perfect!
The texture was silky, and the spread was smooth. The hydration from this was beautiful! I have dry, tight, early menopausey skin, but not with this tube of deliciousness! Even after a few hours my skin was still comfortable.
As for coverage, it was on the lighter side, which I expected. The finish, however, was glowy, and even. My skin was gorge! Bright and comfy!
The one downside here is the lack of SPF. I'm a total SPF whore, so I wear a 60 over my moisturizer and a 30 in my powder, so it's not the end of the world for me. It is a shame that I do have to put that extra layer on every time, even if I'm desperate to be lazy that day. If you won't do the separate sunscreen, this isn't the BB for you!
The bottom line here is that my Aveeno now has a run for its money as a fave! I'm really enjoying this product, and I'm looking forward to a little test-drive of other BB's!
I think I need Body Shop rehab. I'd probably do a Lindsay and beat the hell out of someone standing between me and my Aloe Toner though!
Step off be-hotch, get yo own Body Butta!

Donna. Xoxo

I Should Probably Explain Myself.....

Hey Hey Peeps!

I've been MIA for far too long! Absence has made my heart grow fonder, so, your Auntie Maureen isn't talking out of her ass when she says that. Who knew?
There has been some crazy ish going on the last six months! I have seen some life end, and learned of some new life beginning. Found out that every one of my joints are plotting against me and my hands have joined the rebellion! (My arthritis is recruiting like a terrorist cell up in here!) Became someone's wife! I wore feathers and Birkenstocks at my wedding, surrounded by people I love. I said good-bye to my father-in-law two months before, surrounded by those same people. I did both while standing beside his son, right where I belong. Ray and I also packed up this bag full of crazy and moved into my father-in-laws house an hour and a half away!
And I did it all in red lippy! Well, most of it!
So, here I am. New city, new house, new life.
Same old crazy bee-hotch though! Let's get this party started!

Donna. Xoxo

My Wedding Face!

Good Morning Boys and Girls!
Hope everyone's having a good week so far!
I have made some spectacular headway with my wedding plans! We still have no idea what the menu is going to be, and we don't have invitations, (even though it's like, nine weeks away) but I have decided on my wedding make-up! Yay Donna!
I knew from the start that I wanted a very distinct look, very 1950's screen siren. I did however, play with a smokey eye. I like it on me, but I'm a raging lipstick whore, so a red lip felt right!
I'm not a "natural" bridal-look kind of girl. I'm going to contour and hilight like a drag queen!
There's a few particular things that are needed for this look. A great liquid liner, defined brows, dimension in the cheeks, and of course, a fab lippy!
I almost have my products narrowed down, so I'll post a how-to once I pick all of them!
I'm still on the hunt for a lip primer, so if anyone knows of one that works I'd love to hear it!
Do you like?

Donna Xo