Sparkled Beauty

Yes you have seen these Annabelle SmudgePaints in the same display with the Best of Black collection. So it is only fair that they get some exposure too, right?

I have the SmudgePaint in Plummed to review today. First, give Annabelle props for the fun packaging. Part of the lid comes apart to make the (built-in) brush, one that is actually usable. I use the flat side for swiping/ smudging the paint, and the thin side for lining.

SmudgePaints are supposed to be creamy gel shadows and liners all in one pot. They claim to be water and crease resistant, and long lasting, and I agree to all.

This is a few swipes to make the swatch wide enough for the pic, but not for pigmentation, as they are packed with a punch. You know I'm more of a pencil liner fan but I didn't have any problem applying this along the lash line. It was a smooth application, like a dream.

This first swatch is in natural light, and the one below is with flash.

It does look a little shimmery under the flash, but not noticeable on the lid, nor glittery in any case.

I'm a big fan of this eggplant type of purple colour, but if you aren't, there are 4 other colours to choose from. These retail around CAD10.95 each, 0.07oz/ 2gr. Note that the pots are smaller than regular gel eyeliners. For comparison, the Maybelline EyeStudio gel eyeliners are 3gr.

For those who need to know, main ingredients include: Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Polyethylene, Isododecane, Polybutene, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PVP/ Hexadecene Copolymer, Ozokerite, etc.

A quick FOTD with Plummed on the upper lash line. I used the thin side of the brush for a very slim line along my lashes, which is not ideal for blog pictures. But I enjoy wearing it this way, not too noticeable but still creates a defined eye look.

Notice my new feather earrings? I got a few pairs, and some feather clips for my hair too, from a local seller. They will make appearance on more FOTD, rest assured :)

A closeup on the eyes. My next experiment would be a smudge eyeshadow look to see how this SmudgePaint behaves. But so far, I'm in love already. The only thing I might change is the small size, I want more of it in the pots if I am going to use it as an eyeshadow as well.

I came home last night to no internet, frustrated! Irene got me one way or the other after all. And my home phone had no dial tone as well. If my cell phone died too, I would be cut off from the world. Scary...

Anyway, it's more fun talking about nail polish, and I have a beautiful blue to show.

You are probably all familiar with China Glaze Blue Sparrow, the gorgeous blue with pretty shimmer, shown pretty well in the bottle. One of the great old shades from China Glaze.

I didn't take a pic with only Blue Sparrow on the nails, but it stayed true to the bottle colour, for your reference.

I added something fun on top - Claire's Bright Skies. It has multi-coloured glitters in a sheer blue base, an equally pretty shade.

This is in direct sunlight. Bright Skies comes to life under the sun, showing the coloured fine glitters while in the shade, you only see silver. And I love both looks.

The sun altered the blue a little to a teal, which I found interesting. You can click to enlarge for better view of the shine.

The differences show a lot better in these last 2 close-ups, same order - in the shade first, then in the sun.

I enjoyed looking at my nails through out the day, felt like I have 2 different manis on, made life a little more exciting. And don't I need that recently? Have been bringing out lots of glitter shades to play around with - sandwich, glitter over coat, layering 2 different glitters, etc. Last resort would be nail art, lol.

Would you be able to pick a favorite if these are 2 different nail polishes?

My internet won't be fixed till at least tomorrow night, so I'm running on draft posts right now. Good thing I uploaded these pics on Sunday :)

It was a little chilly this morning walking out the door, guess summer is leaving us soon. I'm sad that we didn't get to do much in the warm sun, but do look forward to fall makeup and nail polish.

Hope you have a good day and the weather is nice where you are.

Guess where I spent 4 hours shopping at yesterday? Value Village :) They were having 50% off sale (Sunday for Super Savers Club card holders and Monday for everyone). Gotta say I have never hit such a big jack pot like this before, found dresses, cool tops for work and night-outs, jeans, fall boots, school clothes for Squirt and a few outfits for my baby niece. They all looked like new, I was so excited. We spent lots of time in the fitting room, lots of stuff to try on.

Alright, moving on :) If you haven't heard about the BOGO sale on certain Smashbox products at Shoppers (until end of October while supplies last), you do now. My store didn't have any sign about this promotion, so make sure you ask.

Technically, BOGO products include single eyeshadows, eyeshadow trios, Eyelights, Eye Illusions, single cream liners, Lash DNA and Camera Ready Full Coverage foundation. My store excluded the Lash DNA though, so I couldn't get the deal on it.

I got the Eyelights trio in Smokebox, reg. CAD45 (loved that intense black on swatching) and the Camera Ready Full Coverage foundation SPF15 (reg. CAD44) was free. The shade (M3-M4) was darker than what I wanted, but it was the only shade left. At this point, I'd suggest calling your store to find out what stock is left, as they are gone fast.

Also found this Smashbox Sultry/ Sweet Glam box from the Soft Box Summer collection, reg. $68/ CAD78, on sale for CAD50. It comes with:
- Limitless Eyeliner in Smoke
- Photo Op Under Eye Brightener
- Eyeshadow quad in Softly Seductive
- Hyperlash mascara in Blackout
- Reflection High Shine Lip gloss
- Lip Enhancing gloss in Tempt
- Cheek Duo in Sultry/ Sweet
- Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation primer (travel size).

You might have guessed the Cheek duo was what drew me in, it looked really pretty. I'm still on the fence on the price though.

At Lawtons, I got some stuff on clearance.

- Fresh Minerals are 75% off, I picked up the Mineral Long-lasting foundation SPF15 in Soft, CAD4.99. The line only has 4 shades and no tester, I don't even know if this is my shade.

- OPI Not Like the Movies, CAD4.99. Finally I found this shade on sale, to complete my little Katy Perry collection.

- Sinful Colors are BOGO this week, come out to be CAD1.99 each, which is their regular price in the US. Sucks to buy stuff in Canada sometimes. I went for glitters in shades that I don't already have, Agaci and Pinky Glitter.

The Nail Art Diva! Diva Elements collections (Nail Art Expansion Kits, with an image plate and 2 nail art polishes each) were on clearance for CAD.99 each. They are supposed to be used with the Nail Art Diva printer which I don't have/ didn't buy. We'll see if they work just with regular stamping and top coat.

The colour combos I got:
- Dark Seductions with Blood Red and Deep Midnight shades
- Glam & Glitter with Bewitching Blue and Shimmering Plum, and
- Christmas Dazzle with Jolly Red and Shining Star.

Walmart was exciting this week too.

Physician's Formula is on sale. I grabbed the Mineral Glow Pearls blush in Natural Glow, reg. over CAD11, on sale for CAD8.92. There is a $6 Mail-in-Rebate sticker on it, I figured it was worth getting.

And then, there's Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Flawless Complexion kit, with Talc-free Mineral pressed powder, Talc-free Matte Finishing veil and Talc-free Mineral blush. The kit retails CAD28 (valued over $50), on sale for CAD16.80. I got it in Light, as it'd be a gift to someone I know that likes this line :)

The star of the haul would be these Wet n Wild 8-pan palettes. A few of you have found them in Canada a while back but a Walmart near me has just recently stocked them.

I passed on the blues and went for Comfort Zone and Petal Pusher. The best thing is they are only CAD4.64 a piece, which is cheaper than what Walmart currently charges for the trios (CAD4.99). So go get your palettes before they are gone. One Walmart already sold out of these and didn't know when they are getting a new shipment.

Totally random, but I found these at Walmart as well. Aren't they Shape-Ups-ish? The tag said they are from Sand N Sun, called Walk, reg. CAD10, on clearance for CAD7. They might go lower as the summer clearance goes on, but I didn't want my size to sell out.

Despite the bulky look, they are light and comfy to wear. Come in black as well, and also in crocs design, if you want to check them out. We'll see if they do anything for my body :)

Irene is over, and we see sunshine around here. How was everyone's weekend?

Shoppers: Sat & Sun: Surprise gift card ($10, $15, $25 or $50 value) with $60 purchase
- Free git with $75 beauty purchase
- L'Oreal Infallible lip, Telescopic mascara, Bare Naturale, True Match makeup: 30% off
- L'Oreal One Sweep eyeshadow, Studio Secrets Sculpt blush, Double Extend mascara, Lash Boost serum: CAD11.99
- L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, Infallible liner: CAD7.99
- L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes/ Extra Volume Collagen mascara, Crayon Petite lip liner, Color Riche gloss/ lipstick: CAD9.99
- Revlon eye/ lip: CAD8.99
- Maybelline XXL Pro mascara, Gel eyeliner, SuperStay lipstick, EyeStudio eyeshadow: CAD9.99
- Maybelline Cover stick, Pulse Perfection mascara, Unstoppable eyeliner, SuperStay concealer/ foundation: 15% off
- Cover Girl Blast liner, Smoky/ Intense Shadow Blast, Last Perfection, Last Blast Length/ Fusion mascara: CAD8.99
- Cover Girl Simply Ageless: CAD15.99
- Cover Girl Lip Perfection liner/ lipstick, Outlast lipstick/ lip stain: 15% off
- Rimmel Day 2 Night/ Lash Accelerator mascara, Match Perfection foundation: CAD7.99
- Rimmel (selected types): CAD5.99
- Physician's Formula: 30% off
- Annabelle Custom Eye quad, Khoh lip/ eye liner: CAD2.99
- Almay SmartShade: 15% off
- Gosh eyeliner/ mascara: 15% off
- Vichy Purete Thermale, Liftactiv skin care: 25% off
- Clean & Clear acne/ skin care: 20% off
- Neostrata skin care: 20% off
- Dermaglow: Free Glycolic Smoothing moisturizer (50ml) with purchase of 2 Dermaglow Radiance skin care products
- Olay Regenerist skin care: 20% off
- Eucerin skin care: 15% off
- Garnier Skin Naturals facial cleanser: 15% off
- Calgon/ The Healing Garden bath: 20% off
- Sally Hansen Nail Growth nail polish: CAD5.49
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish: CAD3.99
- Sally Hansen Crackle top coat: CAD7.99
- Sally Hansen nail art pen: CAD6.99
- Essie nail polish: CAD8.99
- Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber nail polish: CAD7.99
- Revlon nail polish: CAD4.99.

Lawtons:
- Sinful Colors nail polish: BOGO
- Nicole by OPI nail polish: CAD7.99
- Essie nail polish/ treatment: CAD8.99
- Ardelle lashes/ accessories: BOGO
- Maybelline Great Lash mascara, Shine Sensational gloss: CAD4.99
- Annabelle: 20% off
- Aero Minerale: 20%
- Aveeno Fresh Essentials skin care: 25% off
- Dermaglow: Free Glycolic Smoothing moisturizer (50ml) with purchase of 2 Dermaglow Radiance skin care products
- Vasanti: Free Lip & Cheek stain with $30 Vasanti purchase
- Mistura: 20% off, free pink clutch with $50 Mistura purchase
- La Roche-Posay Effaclar/ Bioderma Sebium/ Vichy skin care: 20% off
- Avene sun/ after sun care: 20% off
Fresh Minerals are being cleared out for 75% off at my store too.

Superstore: Fri & Sat: Tax free (might be different where you are, please check your flyer). There are also 2 pages of coupons included in the flyer, good until September 1.
- L'Oreal/ Olay skin care (selected types): CAD17.77
- Sally Hansen Complete Salon nail polish: CAD3.99
- Cover Girl Pro/ Maybelline Great Lash mascara: CAD3.99.

Walmart:
- Clean & Clear Morning Burst: CAD6.34 - CAD9.57 (reg. CAD7.54 - CAD11.57)
- SPAresource body butter/ lotion: CAD4.97
- Rimmel mascara: CAD5 (reg. CAD6.98)
- Physician's Formula mineral: CAD6.58 - CAD16.80 (reg. CAD10.97 - CAD28).

Sears: Lancome GWP of $34, valued up to $178. Spend $75: get an extra full-sized Nutrix Royal body lotion ($48.50 value) and receive $15 Sears cash card, redeemable on your next purchase of $75.

It hasn't been a great summer around here, weather wise, up until the last week or two. I can feel the fall chill early mornings and after the sun goes down, but during the day, it is warm and sunny. I'm taking it all in.

There is another reason to enjoy the season, the Big Day Downtown event, hosted by Downtown Halifax. I am participating this year, and this is my first "downtown adventure".

Last Sunday, the IncrEDIBLE Picnic was in town, right on the waterfront, at Sands at Salter. Note the playing on words in the name. You'll see the sand at the end of the post, promise :) People come to the picnic to enjoy fresh picnic food prepared by local chefs with local ingredients. A great way to celebrate the land, right?

The picnics, happening at 12 different locations in the province, are organized by Select Nova Scotia. So was this humongous BBQ that grilled awesome corn cobs. First thing I did was to get my corn - as appetizer, free of charge, while sitting down in the tent with live music in the background.

Wait until you see my "entrees", lol.

Tada! On the left was a Norwegian waffle with blueberry (and supposedly cream but I skipped out), made on site. Mine was the second last one as they ran out of batter, but there were plenty blueberries left, so they said I could go wild with them. And I did, with fine sugar sprinkled on top :)

On the right was a salad roll, with crunchy veggies wrapped in a rice paper sheet. Dipping sauce was in the little container on the side. It was a bit big and hard to maneuver without falling apart, but I shoved it all in anyway. Delicious lunch, and did I mention it was fresh?

My dessert was one of the peaches from the basket on the left, from a local farmer. Felt like I handpicked them right off the trees. Nothing can compare to fresh picked fruits. There were fresh apple cider, ice cream, etc. but I couldn't eat anymore.

There was so much food there, I couldn't try them all. Some were already sold out when I got there, more than an hour in. I made a mental note to be there right when the picnic starts next year. It's a shame missing out on lobster rolls, seafood chowder and all the Maritimes goodies.

And this is the sand.

If you haven't been to our waterfront, it is lined with board walk for your leisure strolls. Seeing sand here is special. They even brought in umbrellas, plus the cool breeze coming off the water, I felt like I was at the beach. The only thing missing was the sound of the waves rushing to shore. I can dream of that part instead :)

My whole lunch cost less than $10, good food, with awesome view, music, friendly local people as company, I couldn't ask for more. Maybe they should make it a monthly thing in the summer, so I can have my picnic more often.

I do like it here :) Would you come visit?

It has been pretty quiet at Joe Fresh makeup shelf since the release of 3 Spring nail polish groups. I am hoping they will come out with fabulous fall shades but so far, no words yet.

Iris was from the most colourful Spring Group 2. I didn't need anymore purples, but still couldn't turn this one down. The thing we do with LE collections, lol.

The flash brought out more purple than the shade actually has.

This is more true to colour, a little dusty and toned down lilac, I would say. Great for spring, and maybe even fall. Not a surprise to say I love it both ways.

Same as all Joe Fresh nail polish I tried, no problem with application or opacity with Iris. You can get away with 2 coats but I did 3 anyway.

I have tried quite a few eye makeup looks in the weekend but the face is breaking out like mad, so no pics till it heals :(

Just got the notice about the "Secret" x20 points at Shoppers for tomorrow, another way to suck me back in store. Maybe the Gosh clearance display would get the best of me, who knows. Any of you plan a purchase?

Last weekend was an awesome time to shop at Shoppers. I mostly stock up on favorites or items I have been wanting to get, conveniently are on sale, plus the bonus redemption/ $10 gift card offer :)

First things first, backups of my Annabelle staples. Like I mentioned on twitter, there are $1 coupons attached to the Black Collection display, and bonus 2,000 Optimum points on the purchase of any 2 of these. Extra savings!

You recognize these, don't you: Volumelips in So Sanguine and Tangerina, Smoothie eyeshadow pencils in Acaidasiac and Licoriche, CAD6.99 each.

At the bottom is Gosh Velvet Touch eyeliner in Banana. Gosh is clearing out lots of shades and products from its current lines, to make room for new products. Lots of Velvet Touch/ Let's Twist/ Extreme Art liners, Effect powders, lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadows, etc. were on clearance for CAD7 each. I freaked out seeing Banana there, fearing it's gonna be gone forever. Let's just say I grabbed more than 1 :)

Other good deals:

- Maybelline Fit Me foundation in #235, CAD7.99. This is the lowest price I have seen on this product. Shoppers doesn't carry my current shade (#310), so I went 1 shade lighter, hope it works when my skin gets lighter in the fall.
- Marcelle Face Powder in Translucent Medium, CAD9.99 (reg. CAD13.95)
- Marcelle Pressed Powder, also in Translucent Medium, CAD5.99 (reg. CAD13.95)
- Vichy Dermablend Corrective foundation in 45 Gold, CAD21.99 (25% off).

Not pictured is CoverFx cream foundation, CAD39. The store didn't have my shade, so I had to grab the wrong shade for the sake of the redemption, then exchange it later at another store.

The Fragrance clearance corner has some interesting selections. I grabbed a few as gifts, CAD19.99 each.

- Guess by Marciano EDP, 100ml
- Pink Sugar EDT, 50ml
- Hummer and Hummer H2 EDT, 125ml.

I'd say the sale prices are awesome on these, but testers aren't always available. Now if only Katy Perry Purr would make it to this corner, lol.

Aveeno is 25% off, not a bad discount. I got:
- Aveeno Positively Radiant Dual-textured Cleansing pads (28's), CAD10.49. Not cheap for the amount of pads you get, but I've heard lots of rave on youtube about this, and redeemed for it, so that's ok.
- Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing lotion, 532ml, CAD13.49. Humongous size lol.

Hope you guys checked with my weekly flyer deal post and scored yourself some good buys.

I also did some damage at Joe Fresh summer clothing clearance sale. Prices were as low as $2 for Ts, $7-10 for dresses. The problem was finding size at this point. There's a coupon for a free reusable bag with any Joe Fresh apparel purchase, if you need a bag to bring your clothes home.

As the winner of my Color Club nail polish set giveaway did not response, the new winner, picked by Random.org is Glogirl. Congratulations!

I'll be sending you a tweet/ email. Please kindly confirm the set of your choice and your mailing address within 48 hours, so NailPolish Canada could mail out your prize.

Shoppers:
*** Sat & Sun: Redeem 50,000 points for $100 or 95,000 points for $200 on cosmetics and fragrances; or get $10 Shoppers gift card with $50 purchase
*** Sun & Mon: Quo brushes, sponges, implements: 40% off

*** All week:
- Vichy Normaderm skin care: 30% off
- Aveeno skin care: 25% off
- Life brand/ Balea skin care: 20% off
- Avene acne care: 15% off
- Yes to Carrots, Cucumbers, Blueberries skin care: x15 points
- Yes to Carrots shampoo/ conditioner: x20 points
- Nip + Fab skin care: x15 points
- L'Oreal Colour Riche lip, Voluminious Million Lashes mascara, Visible Lift/ Infallible makeup: 30% off
- L'Oreal Double Extend mascara, Infallible liner, One Sweep eyeshadow, Magic Smooth Souffle makeup: 15% off
- Maybelline Fit Me makeup: CAD7.99
- Maybelline Color Sensational lip stain, Define-a-Brow/Line/Lash, Eye Studio eyeshadow, Waterproof liquid liner: CAD8.99
- Revlon Beyond Natural, New Complexion, Photo Ready makeup: 15% off
- Cover Girl eyeshadow, Perpect Point liner, Professional mascara, Wetslick gloss: CAD6.99
- Rimmel 1000 Kisses liner, Lasting Finish lipstick, Natural bronzer, Professional brow, Soft Khol eye pencil: CAD3.99
- Vichy Aerateint/ Dermablend skin care: 25% off, Aqualia skin care: 20% off
- Marcelle (selected types): CAD9.99
- Annabelle SmudgePaint, Smudgeliner, Smoothie eye pencil, Volumelip, quad eyeshadow: CAD6.99
- Nicole by OPI nail polish (Justine Bieber or Texture Nail): CAD8.99
- Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips: CAD8.99.

Don't forget to pair your purchases with "30 Days of Beauty" Optimum point offers.

Lawtons: Bonus Airmiles week
- LA Girl/ LA Colors: 20% off
- L'Oreal: 20% off
- Maybelline foundation, powder, concealer: 20% off
- Revlon mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner: 30% off
- Revlon Age Defying DNAdvantage foundation: 20% off (10 Air miles with 2)
- Almay foundation, powder, concealer: 30% off
- Marcelle Hydra-C skin care, foundation: 20% off
- Avene TriAcneal/ Cleanance: 20% off
- La Roche-Posay anti-aging skin care: 20% off
- EcoTools: 20% off.

Walmart:
- Maybelline Great Lash mascara: CAD4
- Cover Girl NatureLuxe Lip gloss balm: CAD5.97
- Clean & Clear Advantage Skin: CAD6.97
- Clean & Clear Fruit Infusions cleanser: CAD8.47
- Calgon Ageless bath pearl, soak, milk bath: CAD4.97.

Superstore:
- L'Oreal Voluminous mascara/ HIP duo eyeshadow: CAD7.99
- Maybelline One-by-One mascara/ SuperStay lip colour: CAD7.99
- Oxy, Neutrogena, Olay, Garnier, Cetaphil facial skin care: CAD6.99
- Olay Total Effects/ Regenerist facial skin care: CAD19.99.

No, I didn't get to go to Europe but am lucky to have a big enabler that hunts stuff down for me where she lives and where she travels. You probably remember Marie from Mon Coin a Moua through my France swap last year. She is in a blog hiatus for a while now but we still keep in touch. She always offers to pick me up some stuff and send them over.

This first batch of stuff, she got from London a while back but couldn't send them to me because of the Canada Post strike.

I tried to be good and didn't ask her to get too much. There wasn't any LE Sleek palettes around at the time, so nothing for me there.

I got a beautyuk eyeshadow palette #2 and some MUA (Makeup Academy) £1 range: lipstick #7 and eyeshadows #2, #7, #12 and #14, all Pearl finish. It's silly with all numbers as names, but nothing I can do there lol.

And then, nail polish. Prices are for reference only, I'm shocked sometimes of how little these cost compared to the quality
- H&M Hunt Me Down - I couldn't find this shade at my store here, €3.50
- P2 Crackling top coat in Golden Rush, €1.75. This completes my main colour range for crackles
- Essence Colour & Go in Where is the Party? - duochrome goodness, €1.25, and a Nail Art magnet, €1.79, to work the few magnetic nail polish I have. We'll see if it works.

- Kiko #237 Rosso Glitter Sparkle Touch, #278 Viola Orchidea Microglitter, #255 Viola Microglitter and #231 Multicolour Paillettes Sparkle Touch, €2.50 each. Only numbers on the bottles but there are names on their website. I have always wanted to try Kiko, they aren't easy to get a hold of.

Catrice has been coming out with fabulous LE collections lately and I'm absolutely in love with how they look and even their names.
- From the Papagena collection: Tigerlily Crystal Clear Gloss Stick, €3.99. Same concept as the Maybelline Pop sticks
- Out of Space collection: Beam Me Scotty! nail polish €2.49, Supernova Skywalker and Back To Pandora baked eyeshadows, €3.49 each. There'll be more nail polish and eyeshadows from this collection coming my way, I wanted to collect them all
- Glamourama collection: Drama, Baby! and En Vogue Absolute Eye Colours, on clearance for €1.50 each, woo hoo! These 2 shades show up on camera brighter than IRL. Can't wait to do more smoky eyes with them.

The box she sent the stuff in was packed to the rim. See what she sneaked in as extras for me:
- Essence You Rock! collection: Cut Off the Beige, Love, Peace and Purple, Kings of Mints and Speed of Light Blue
- Essence Sun Club in BBC Splash Refresh.

How cute are those tiny little bottles (7ml)? They are slightly bigger than the Colour & Go line (5ml) but are still babies next to the Sun Club (11ml). Love the colours she picked for me, especially Love, Peace and Purple with the duochrome sheen.

Then there's more.
- Catrice Absolute Eye Colour palette in The Season's Must Have
- P2 Kiwi Cuticle Peeling
- P2 Me, Myself and I nail sticker
- Essence Blossoms Etc. eye pencils in I Like and Bloom-a-Loom
- Essence You Rock! lip stain in Your Pink is on Fire
- P2 Home Sweet Home Everlasting eye primer in Little Darling, and
- P2 Happy Blooming eyeshadow in Cheerful Lilac.

Besides cute names, the packaging is adorable too. Can I have these brands here, please? All of them? I'm clueless of what to try first, can't decide. What do you want to see first?

It's sunny out, so let's talk holo nail polish :)

This is a surprise find at Sally. Squirt was asking for some nail polish for herself, and I thought Sally Girl would be perfect. I happened to pick up this little bottle before I realized it was a pink holo. And I of course have to test it out.

The holo effect is visible in the bottle and on the nails, but it's not in the face kinda shine. Considering the nail polish world not having enough holos, this is a nice addition, I might add.

Application with this polish was easy. I believe I did 2 coats here, no VNL. Despite the size (of the bottle and of the brush), I didn't have any issue painting my nails.

These Sally Girl are ideal for travelling. The tiny bottles didn't take much space at all, and if you happen to lose them, they aren't hard to replace. I used to carry quite a few (regular sized) bottles of nail polish with me, kept worrying they'd break/ spill, even when I carefully wrapped them up. Problem solved now!

You can probably see the shade a little better here. The holo is a lot more visible IRL, I just can't seem to capture it.

I think Sally Girl nail polish are $.99 in the US and CAD1.39 (or something) around here. They sometimes go on sale too. Pick a few up to try out, you'll have fun with them.

So, big and small nail polish companies out there, please make more of the holo goodness. We don't mind if it comes in tiny little bottles like this or big huge full sizes. The end! :)

Thank you all who entered my Color Club nail polish set giveaway, sponsored by NailPolish Canada. Random.org picked Bailey from I Know all the Words as our lucky winner. Congratulations!

I'll be sending you an email, or if you see this post first, please kindly confirm the set of your choice and your mailing address within 48 hours, so NailPolish Canada could mail out your prize.

Have a great day, everyone!

So, this is my very first attempt of smoky eyes. Yeah, I never did a smoky before, have always been intimidated by blacks. I put all the products from Annabelle Best of Black collection to work, to see if I can conquer the intimidation.

- Annabelle Smoothie eyeshadow pencil in Licoriche as smoky base
- Annabelle Zebra trio eyeshadow in Tropic Thunder - the teal/ aqua shade - on top of Licoriche base
- Annabelle Liquid eyeliner in Black Spark on upper lash lines
- Annabelle Glitterama in Blast Off on top of Black Spark on the outer corners
- Annabelle Smoothliner in Metal Daze on the lower lash lines
- Annabelle Le Big Show mascara in Black.

The rest of the face:
- MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37, mixed with Vichy Dermablend Corrective foundation in Sand
- Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Crush with Annabelle volumelip in Iced Spice on top
- Marcelle Multi-colour Face Powder in Luminous Veil, the top 2 shades for brow bone highlight, the bottom 3 shades for blush
- Annabelle Zebra Bronzing powder in Haute Gold.

It didn't turn out too bad/ scary, for someone at the snob level like me. The teal was darkened quite a lot, which I liked in this case. I meant to wear this look at daytime, so I didn't too crazy with the black base nor the liner.

Wish the silver sparkles showed up a bit better in the pics, they were really fun to add to the look. If I still in my party phase back in my 20's, these blacks "with an edge" would get a lot of uses, I tell you.

Trying to look serious here :) When I started this blog, the bf said I would be fine as long as I stayed anonymous with it. Guess where it lead me to two years after, thanks to the blog's growth and the access to wonderful makeup products in the market. I'm still not confident with my skin issues, and as the blog grows, I also grow (older) as well, but well it's my blog, might as well go crazy with it while I still can.

Hope the blog has been a fun read for you guys. I sure have fun working on it, it take my mind off things when I need an escape. Well, a vacation to somewhere warm and sunny is still on the top of the list, but blogging is always a little cheer at the end of a long day. It keeps me sane.

What's your favorite smoky eyes? Do you wear blacks a lot? If you are Canadian, are you impressed with the amount of new products Annabelle/ Marcelle comes out with?

Oh on that topic, Marcelle has finally set up their online store shipping within Canada ($8 or free with $50 orders, right now shipping is free with $25 orders - limited time only). For the US, it'd cost more to ship ($20) but at least you now have an option to shop. We can always CP for you too :) I'm hoping Annabelle will soon join the online site too, no words on that yet though.

Are you ready for Fall? I know I'm not, even I know for a fact that it'd come not too long after my birthday (Thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes yesterday, btw, everyone). But when it comes to makeup, I welcome all seasons. Thought I had some time before this collection hits the store but I just saw a pretty display at Shoppers last night. So here it is, Annabelle's Best of Black collection for Fall 2011. Smoky eyes with an edge is what the collection is meant for, and I agree.

Are you a fan of black? Get ready, as black is what you get with this collection:

- Glitterama in Blast Off (new shade, glitter in gel base), retails around CAD8.50
- Liquid eyeliner in Black Spark (new shade, with metalized shimmer finish), CAD8.50
- Smoothliner in Metal Daze (new shade), CAD6.95
- Smoothie eyeshadow pencil in Licoriche, CAD8.95
- Le Big Show mascara (new product) in Black, CAD9.95.

Swatches, in the same order.
- Blast Off has pretty black and silver sparkles in clear gel, looks great on top of regular liners or eyeshadows
- Black Spark has beautiful shine. Its foam tip applicator makes it a lot easier to apply for a snob like me
- Metal Daze got me for the silver specks on top of the black. They are less visible on the lids, so no crazy sparkly looks, if you are concerned
- Licoriche was part of the new Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils post, so I wouldn't say too much about it here
- Le Big Show mascara gives the darkest black.

The swatches again in natural day light.

At the right angle, Blast Off could give some crazy glittery sheen, which I happened to capture here. Same case with Black Spark with its silver sheen. Metal Daze's specks are still visible too, I guess they would be noticeable if you do a cat eye/ wing liner.

All products have quite good staying power on my lids. Although only the Smoothliner officially claims the waterproof status, I didn't experience any smudging with any of these items.

All first four products above are not new (just new shades), so I figure the spot light is leaning toward the Le Big Show mascara.

The brush is pretty standard, except for the smaller tapered head that I love big time. It helps getting to the too-short-to-notice inner lashes a lot easier, and is also a lash separating tool when I hold the wand upright. It would work well for the lower lashes as well, it's just that I don't have the habit of attending to mine, so I can't comment on this.

Now that you have the first glance at this Best of Black collection, stay tuned for my FOTD of first smoky eye attempt ever :)

Hi guys, how's your weekend going? We are so blessed with 2 sunny days straight. I couldn't be happier. The sun is too precious around here these days.

Anyway, this was my birthday mani. Yep, turned a year older, not that I'm counting (I stopped figuring out the number when I turned 30). This is what nail bloggers call a glitter sandwich, thought it was time to try it on myself.

The base is OPI Guy Meets Gal-Veston, 2 coats, then 2 coats of Milani Gems, and another Guy Meets Gal-Veston to top it off.

Milani Gems is a great glitter to do a sandwich of, as the glitters are exciting, multi coloured and sizes. One polish did all the job, no need for mixing and matching.

The last coat of Guy Meets Gal-Veston changed the colours of the glitter particles, made them look a little more pink. That's the beauty of a glitter sandwich, I am embracing the concept fully.

Don't forget to click for larger view :) Hope you like it as much as I do, it was one thing I did to "celebrate" the day, sad huh?

All right, guess I've said enough about glitters and sandwich, rambling starts now. Just so you are warned.

I wish my friends and family were around to at least share a piece of cake (or crepes, as that was what Squirt and I had yesterday for brunch), but I was getting used to it, I guess. Hope I could do something to change that soon. In the meanwhile, I have you guys to share a birthday mani with :) I owe a lot to this blog.

For now, I have October to look forward to, reuniting with the bf in Toronto on a business trip. And then a long trip home to visit my parents and sis - still pulling my hair out to find a cheap flight, but it's coming.

A few things I planned to get for myself for the birthday didn't work out, so I content with a crepe and some BBW's stuff that smell pretty good. And a tub of mint chocolate ice cream in the freezer. No cake so I didn't have to count candles. At least my wallet is happy.

If any of you are also a Leo, feel free to share how you celebrate your birthday. Or any sign at all, as a matter of fact. Remember how exciting it was to have a birthday when we were younger, drinks, party, dancing, all that stuff. Now, our kid's party is probably all we worry about. Those who are still single, enjoy your life to the fullest, lol.

Shoppers: x20 Optimum points with $75 cosmetics/ fragrance purchase
*** 30 days of Beauty: extra Optimum points with certain purchases (check out the Offers)
- Cover Girl Intense ShadowBlast, Lash Perfection, NatureLuxe mascara: CAD8.99
- Cover Girl Simple Ageless: 15% off
- Cover Girl Clean makeup: CAD7.99
- Cover Girl Exact Eyelights: CAD8.99
- Rimmel (selected types): CAD4.99
- Revlon lip: CAD7.99
- Revlon Custom Eyes mascara/ eyeshadow: 20% off
- Revlon nail polish: CAD5.99
- L'Oreal Infallible lip: 15% off
- L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Boost serum/ mascara: CAD12.99
- L'Oreal Wear Infinite quad/ HIP shadow: CAD9.99
- Maybelline Line Stiletto eyeliner, Lash Stiletto/ the Falsies mascara: 15% off
- Maybelline Colour Sensation lip: CAD7.99
- Almay makeup remover: CAD5.99
- Annabelle (selected types): CAD3.99
- L'Oreal Ombrelle sun care: 25% off
- Vichy body care: 20% off
- Vichy Essentielles skin care: 25% off
- Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy: 15% off
- Sally Hansen nail treatment: CAD7.99
- Sally Hansen Inst-Dri/ Diamond Strength nail polish: CAD5.99
- Borghese nail polish: CAD7.99.

Walmart:
- Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion mascara, Liquiline/ Smoky Shadow: CAD6.97
- Cover Girl NatureLuxe Silk foundation: CAD10.97
- L'Oreal Double Extend Illuminator mascara: CAD9.96
- Clean & Clear base skin care/ makeup remover: CAD4.97
- Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit body/ face wash: CAD6.97.

Lawtons:
- Physician's Formula: 40% off
- L'Oreal lip/ Maybelline eyeshadow: 20% off
- NYX: 20% off
- Revlon nail polish: 25% off
- Milani nail polish: 15% off
- Avene skin care: 20% off
- Garnier Nutrioniste: 20% off
- L'Oreal Elnett hair spray: BOGO.

A quick reminder, it's the last day to enter my Color Club nail polish set giveaway, Canada only. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

This is a reswatch of one of the Ozotic shades I own. A few months back, I did a NOTD of Ozotic Pro 609 mentioning it was a shy holo, even under flash. If you don't remember how it looked, feel free to click the link to see my post then.

I love the sparkles in this shade, but wish it had a stronger holo effect. Karen and Jackie suggested swatching it over a silver foil, so I did.

The base is China Glaze Millennium, a very strong foil which only took one coat to full opacity. Then I added 2 coats of Ozotic Pro 609 over top.

The result is much better, isn't it? I'm not sure the holo got any stronger with a base but the shade looked more metallic with a shine. If a single polish could achieve this look, it would be awesome. But I treasure all my Ozotics - as they are just so hard to get a hold of, so I will be using this trick every time I wear those that are not strong enough.

Thank you ladies for giving me the idea. Love getting your comments :)

It was interesting that last time I wore 609, the weather wasn't great. This time, it was raining and windy as well :( It has been like this all week, the Buskers were in town and couldn't get outside to perform. Looks like it's gonna clear up on Friday, just in time for Sephora to take the stage. I will be stopping by the opening ceremony before work. Something to look forward to.

Asian makeup has been creating quite an interest in North America, as I witness through beauty blogs. Can't say I have experienced it much, until KKcenterHK offered to send me this CUICU Soft & Shiny Eyeshadow to review.

The eyeshadow is coded as #C3108-06, formulated in Korea, retails for $6.30 (11.5gr). It comes in a black paper packaging with cutout window to show the colours inside through the clear plastic window on the palette. The plastic case is sturdy, doesn't make the palette look cheap, which is a plus. I actually really like the design of the lids. Most Asian makeup has fancier packaging than in North America, I think you figured that out already :)

Here is the palette opened. The lid includes a small mirror at the top and clear plastic to line up with the eyeshadow pans. This way, even when the lid is closed, you can still see the colours inside.

There are 2 sponge-tipped applicators included, which I don't use, but they are handy for touch-ups or while travelling.

Close up on the colours, under flash.

In the top right is a shimmery white, an awesome inner corner colour. It might look glittery with the flash, but it was just an overspray. The glitters didn't show up much on the lids overall.

On the right is a baby pink. Pigmentation was not very noticeable with this shade, as you will find in the swatches below.

At the bottom is a lilac, which at first glance looks quite close to the baby pink shade. It does have better colour payoff though.

The last 2 shades look quite different in the pans because of the overspray - gold for the one on the right and silver for the one in the middle.

When the overspray was swiped away, the base colours are very close to each other, a purple-ish charcoal, very pretty on the crease or near the lash lines.

All in all, don't let the glitters scare you away, as they aren't scattered in the eyeshadows. The bright shades might look frosty at times, so pairing or using them as base colours would be a good idea.

Here are the swatches with flash, with the colours in the same positions as they are in the palette.

As you can see, the baby pink shows up as a frosty pale pink, and one dark shade is just about half a shade darker than the other.

I do like this dark colour a lot, so I don't mind the two shades are close to each other. However, I still wish there were enough differences between them to get more use out of the palette. Maybe a navy blue or dark purple would be nice.

See, in natural light, you can hardly see any shimmer in the eyeshadows. The white looks almost matte even. Still can't deny the frost on the baby pink though.

These swatches were done on bare skin, no base, about 2 swipes each. Using a damp brush, I didn't experience any fallout with all colours. The baby pink shade is a bit more powdery than the rest.

Pigmentation wise, the dark colours certainly perform better than the light ones. Blending was easy for all shades.

My quick FOTD with this palette, using 4 out 5 shades, as a result of the similarity between the 2 darker shades. The white colour (after the overspray) is good for brow bones and inner corners, my next favorite after the dark ones. Pink and purple go well together, so it didn't take much planning for this look :)

Wear wise, at the end of the day, I saw some fading of the baby pink and lilac in the inner half of my lids where my lids fold. The dark shades stay in tact all along, no creasing.

Keep in mind that we haven't had many scorching summer days around here lately, so the wear test wasn't ideal as I wanted it to be.

Last shot on the eye makeup, if you want to see it closer.

All in all, I enjoy wearing the eyeshadows but wish there were more colour options within the palette so I can create more looks. And maybe a matte shade among the 5 would be fun to have too.