April 2013 Beauty Favorites!

Hey everyone! Now that April is over, it's time for monthly favorites ♥

April has been quite hectic for me with school and everything, so the month went by super fast. I can hardly believe may is just around the corner already! It's finally getting warmer here in Quebec City so that's definitely making me quite excited for summer. My trimester will be over in just a little over three days, but unfortunately, my summer trimester is starting next Monday :( 

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Anyway, let's get started with my Beauty Favorites 

  I have quite a few new favorites to share with you all this month :) 

♥ Neutrogena Oil Free Makeup Remover - This is a repurchase, just as gentle and efficient as I remembered! It works great with waterproof mascara too (which I have been into lately).

♥ Equate Facial Cleansing Towelettes - I probably mentioned this a million times on my blog now. I just cannot get enough of these! I was super glad to get these again in April since I had run out and had to get by with another brand for a couple weeks. 

♥ Samani Makeup Brush Cleaner - This is very new to me. I've never had brush cleaner before. I really like this, it gets the product out of my brushes instantly so I can use them to apply multiple colors.

♥ L'Oréal Kids Tangle Tamer - Seems to work ok for detangling (my hair isn't all that tangly usually), but the smell is absolutely fabulous. It smells like yummy pears, it's awesome :D

♥ Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear - I've gotten into filling my eyebrows lately (especially if I'm going to take pictures, it looks a lot more put together). This is a cheap and efficient way to keep my brows looking tidy.

♥ Rimmel Scandal'Eyes Kohl in Nude - I love this on the waterline. It makes your eyes look bright and awake. If I'm going for a natural look, I much prefer nude to white. This pencil is super creamy as well, I wish it came in more colors.

♥ Bonne Bell Liplites - Not sure what this one if called but it's  a creamy medium pink color. It smells like vanilla cake, yummy!

♥ NYX Eyeshadow Base in Nude - This is a great primer for eye shadow, it really helps the shadow stick to the lids. I also love that it is tinted because it hides all the little veins in my eyes.

♥ Kiss 05 Lashes - These look great on. They're not too overpowering, but they're still long and dramatic! They're also super comfortable and light.

♥ Sally Hansen Nail Polish in Pacific Blue - I've had this for a couple years now and it hasn't dried up. Love this color for spring :)

♥ Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - I bought two of these at the beginning of the month. One for myself and one for my giveaway. I have been using mine constantly. I love everything about it! I think I might do a full review about it soon, would you be interested in that? Let me know!

♥ Lush Shampoo Bar in Seanik - I'm super impressed with this! The smell is very nice (even though I was skeptical at first, it seemed a bit salty for a hair product), it leaves my hair feeling super clean and weightless and it rinses off really well. To my surprise it lathers very well too. I love this.

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And now my Favorite Accessories for this month

♥ Bracelets from Ardène (except the gold bracelet on the left which is from Suzy) - This month I have been loving the combination of gold, white and turquoise. It looks great paired with peach, pink and cream :)

Hair clip from Ardène - I got it from a surprise baggie (Yes my friends and I  still get those 2 for 5$ surprise bags because we're just like little kids :P) Usually we get mostly rubbish from them, (once my friend got an awesome owl necklace though) but this time I got this hair clip. At first I didn't think much of it, until I tried it in my hair. It's is so strong for it's tiny size I can't even believe it. I have a ton of hair and it can hold my bun all day, no hair bands or bobby pins required. I'm getting a million of these for sure!

♥ Necklaces from Forever 21 - The first one is a dainty bow and the other one has an awesome feather on it. I love them because I feel like I can pair these with so many outfits!

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That's all for this month's beauty favorites! What were your favorites this month? Let me know! I'm on the hunt for good Spring/Summer bright nail polishes :)

Don't forget to follow me and like my Facebook page for more posts like this ♥

Easy Nail Art Tutorial : Galaxy Nails

I've seen a few pictures of Galaxy Nails recently and I must say, I think they look amazing! When I learned that they were made with the sponging technique, I had to jump on the band wagon and make my own. I'll show you how I achieved these cute galaxy nails. It's super easy and even nail art beginners can make this design easily. The proof is that I'm satisfied with mine and I'm usually no good when it comes to painting my nails :P

First off, here are the tools you will need to achieve the Galaxy Nails :

I forgot to add the pale pink polish I used in this picture

• Nail polish remover for touch ups (I'm using 100% acetone, which is quite drying for the cuticles, but works great for precise cleanups around the edges. If you choose this method, make sure you have either a cuticle cream or at least a good hand cream to apply afterwards)
• 7 nail polishes : 1 black, 1 grey, 1 purple, 1 navy blue, 1 pale pink, 1 glittery top coat, 1 glitter polish.
• Top Coat
• Cosmetic sponge (it has to be porous, if it's dense it won't work properly)
• Small rounded brush for clean ups (you can also use cotton buds)
• Cuticle cream or moisturizing hand lotion

1) Start with a black base :

Kind of looks messy at this point because I didn't bother to clean up neatly yet

2) On the flat side of the cosmetic sponge, place a small amount of purple polish in the shape of a circle. Using a paper towel, sponge off the excess polish until only a small amount of polish comes off at a time. We want the colors to be subtle and blend in with the background. Start sponging the color on the nails. Don't do the whole nail,  choose a small section and sponge the color lightly. Change the position and shape of your sponging for each nail.

I used one corner for each color. That's how my sponge looked like at the end of the manicure.

As you can see the purple is quite subtle.

3) Repeat the process with the three other colors. The colors can overlap. Leave a portion of the nail black to create more depth. Wait for a minute or so in between each color to allow the polish to dry. This shouldn't take very long since the polish is applied in very thin layers by the sponging technique.

First add the blue (sorry this looks messy)

Then add the grey

Finally add the pink

4) Cover the nails with a glittery top coat. This will help the look come together  It should look like stars in the sky.

The picture is a little blurry because my camera had a hard time focusing on the nails after I applied the glitter.

5) Add the glittery polish. I chose a blue glitter with large round glitter pieces and small glitter. You could choose a silver one also. Don't place this all over the nail. Only apply it to portions of the nail and vary the placement from one nail to another. Try to avoid placing too many large glitter pieces so to not overwhelm the design.

6) Add a clear top coat to protect the design from chipping.

7) Clean up the edges with a small brush or with cotton buds.

And you're done! Pretty easy right? I'm quite pleased with the results. My camera doesn't do the design justice, it is much nicer in real life :)

That's it for this super easy nail art tutorial! Let me know if you'd like to see more of these and tell me if you try these galaxy nails, I'd love to see yours ♥

Simple Neon Pink Konad Manicure

I bought a Konad starter kit just before I left for Central America so I haven't had time to post a manicure using it yet! I did this neon pink, butterfly manicure today for fun and it turned out pretty cute so I thought I would share the idea!

That's all I used to create this

My pointer finger's buttefly is distorted because I'm still a newbie at stamping. By the way, this is my dominant hand, not bad right? The Konads are really easy to use once you get the hang of it :D I cannot wait to try out more intricate style.

It was super easy too!

I have to also mention that this was my first time using the Sèche Vite! It's hard to tell at the moment if it's as amazing as everyone say it is, but it did dry very quickly and did not smudge my designs which is a good start! Now let's see how it protects the polish from chipping!

Ardène Fashion Haul!

I went to Ardène again to pick up some more of their great cheap basics and polishes!

I decided to post about it since I find that what I got was a real bargain ♥ I'm really pleased with pretty much everything I got!

I will list the prices of everything in case anyone is interested!

Before I start with the clothes I also wanted to show some products I picked up that I'm pretty excited about =D

2 more Ardène polish in pink and mint, Aussie 3 minutes miracle (I've looked EVERYWHERE for this), my favorite lip balm ever (which I have been unable to find for some time now)

This cami was 2.50$

This cami was 6.50$ For some reason the lighting went crazy!

This cami was 2.50$

This bikini was 5$ for each piece, so 10$

This cami was 2.50$

This cami was 2.50$

I got this cute skirt 70% off! I paid 4.50$ for it

This cami was 2.50$

This cami was 2.50$

I also got a cute purple beach/tube dress with removable straps! It was only 2.50$ as well ^^ I haven't taken a picture since I'm wearing it with leggings right now! So comfy ♥

Review and Swatches : Ardène Polish in Purple Rain

Name : ACO Nail Polish

Size : 17 mL

Application : Just like the pink I just reviewed, this polish applies very evenly without leaving unsightly streaky marks. The pretty cream finish is glossy and the polish dries quickly. Again, the formula is just thin enough.

Coverage : This color is less opaque than Neon Pink. It is opaque in two coats.

Brush: The brush, just like the other Ardène polish I reviewed is a standard polish brush, not too thin or excessively large.

Durability: I have worn this polish for three days now and it is starting to show some signs of chipping. I’m wearing it without a top coat though, so it is not very well protected. I have done quite a bit a scrubbing this morning too which might have made it chip some more.

Color : The color is beautiful, if not very unique. It’s a pretty shade of lavender, perfect for spring and summer!

Price: 2 for 6$

Pros : Cheap, not tested on animals, pretty color, applies well, good formula, nice finish.

Cons: Only available in Canada (I think)

Would repurchase? : I want all of the colors now! I have my eyes on a minty green and a yellow :D

Review and Swatches : Ardène Polish in Neon Pink

Name : ACO Nail Polish

Colour : A very bright neon pink

Size : 17 mL

Application : Easy and even, does not leave streak marks. Dries quickly and does not bubble up easily. Formula is thin and easy to handle but not so thin that it drips everywhere.

Coverage : Excellent, this is a one coater. If you want it more even though, it’s best to use two coats, but you get the full color in only one coat.

Brush: Standard polish brush, not too thin or excessively large. I have pretty large nails and I can cover my whole nails in three strokes.

Durability: I can hardly comment on durability because since I ran out of top coat, I’ve been using a clear polish to coat my nails to add extra shine. It doesn’t help prevent chipping though, worse it probably accelerates the process since it makes the polish on my fingers thicker. I’ve had it on my toes for 3 days though and no sign of chipping there.

Color : While it might not be unique, I’ve yet to find a neon at the drugstore here in Montreal. This color is bright and fun for summer and different from everything else you can buy at the drugstore. Note that the pictures do not do the color justice, it's a lot brighter in real life :)

Price: 2 for 6$

Pros : Cheap, great coverage, not tested on animals, amazing color.

Cons: Only available in Canada (I think)

Would repurchase? : Definitely, I adore it ♥