Makeup – Page 2 – Rowena Francis

Sephora Haul | Throwback Edition

Published on May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 by Rowena Francis3 Comments

SH First Image — Photo by Julia Janeta on Unsplash

Ok, technically this was my second Sephora haul, but the first one was 20 years ago and all I bought was a green correcting primer.

I was never a spender. I rarely spent money and I most definitely didn’t spend it on makeup.

Until.

I was sitting at work and my friend and co-worker showed me an email from Sephora. It said something along the lines of ‘spend $30 and get all these products free.’

I’ll warn you now, those are hook emails. They hook you with all the free stuff you’ll get.

Well, it hooked me.

There we were, together, attempting to each purchase $30 of makeup from Sephora. I had no idea where to even start! I think I asked her a million times what I should buy for my first makeup purchase.

I quickly added the Estée Edit Flash Illuminator. I think it gave me enough to hit the $30 mark, but then as I started the checkout, I realized shipping wasn’t free.

Well, I guess that means that I need to add things to my cart until I get free shipping. It’s like getting more free products because the money you would’ve spent on shipping, now you are spending on makeup.

Such a deal. Or at least that’s what my logic stated.

Needless to say, I got my cart to $51 before taxes and I was getting lots of product.

…but I still didn’t know a thing about what it was or how to use it.

Let’s just say, that’s probably where my YouTube addiction started.

Don’t tell my husband.

Alright, moving on.

Coming to you straight from October 2016, here is my very first official Sephora Haul!

the Estée Edit by Estée Lauder
Flash Illumintor
Colour: 02 Morning Light
$32 (no longer available)

Ok, I’m not mad at this purchase. I just swatched this on the back of my hand and I’m not gonna lie, it’s a bit mesmerizing. If this brand was still around, I would probably repurchase this illuminator.

Sephora Collection
Make You Blush! Colorful Cheek Ink Gel Trio
Colour: 01 Peony/04 Lotus/06 Dahlia
$13 (trio no longer available)

I don’t think I actually used any of these blushes. I swatched them a few times and just couldn’t blend them easy enough. There always seemed to be an outline of the stain. These blushes are still available individually, but I wouldn’t repurchase them.

Sephora Collection
Wonderful Cushion Matte Lip Cream
Colour: 01 Wonderful Rosy
$6.00 (no longer available)

I love lipstick. I’m not gonna lie, I only added this to my cart because it was on sale and it gave me the free shipping qualification. I can’t say I hate this, but I can’t say I love this. I still throw this in my makeup bag to use as a ‘no makeup’ lip blush – you know, just something to give you a hint of colour while keeping the natural look. I like it and I really like the cushion, but I probably wouldn’t repurchase. (That being said, I did buy a second shade of this back in 2016)

Since I spent $30, I received a Sephora mini makeup clutch with samples inside. I don’t remember what the samples were, but I always set my samples aside to take with me on vacations (stay tuned for a travel makeup post).

Do you remember your first big makeup purchase? What did you get? Comment below.

Spring Makeup Routine

Published on May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 by Rowena Francis4 Comments

I went to get my nails done the other day. When it came to a design, I told him to surprise me.

Vacation nails.

He gave me vacation nails.

How did he know I need to be on vacation right now?

Well, this year, vacation has to stay between the type of nails I’m doting and the sweet memories that are popping up on Facebook.

So, while I’m home and not actually on vacation, I might as well let you in on my spring makeup routine.

So, without further ado, here is my go-to spring makeup routine.

Primer
Becca Backlight Priming Filter

This primer takes your dull, lifeless skin and turns it into a beautiful glow. I mean, if you wore it without makeup over top, people might think you have that ‘special’ glow.

If you know what I mean…

Foundation
Maybelline Fit Me – Matte & Poreless
Shade – Classic Ivory

I was on a high-end foundation kick for a few years – and I probably would still be if it weren’t for my skin turning 50 shades of white this winter. For real, this girl doesn’t have the pocket change to splurge on multiple foundations throughout a season.

Welcome to Maybelline. I mean, there is nothing I don’t love about this foundation. It is lightweight, goes on smooth, blends seamlessly, looks flawless and lasts all day.

Concealer
Tarte Shape Tape
Shade – Light-Medium

Brian laughs at me when I get to this step. He tells me I look like I have war paint on my face and asks me what I’m fighting for.

Him, of course. I fight for him.

I don’t have a lot of experience with concealer. This is probably the first real concealer I’ve used.

I love it, so it works.

I set my under eyes with Wet n Wild Bronzer in the shade Reserve Your Cabana.

(**don’t judge me on my concealer being darker than my foundation. Y’all know my struggle with the shades of my skin this year. Ergo, I’m making it work**)

Contour
Ulta Make Me Blush (I got this as a free gift with purchase from Ulta, I don’t know how to link it)
Shade – Cool Bronzer

I just carve out a bit of a cheekbone and chisel somewhat of a jaw line with my contour. I’m still learning, but it seems to be working well, so we’ll go with it.

Who knew you could mould your face shape with just a bit of contour?

Blush
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush
Shade – Paaarty

I love a pink blush. I constantly tell myself I should buy some more diverse shades of blush, but when it comes down to it, I will almost always revert back to a true pink.

The Tarte blush goes on smooth and blends so easily. It is the longest lasting blush I’ve ever used (although it is my first high-end blush) and although it’s not a poppin’ pink, the colour is perfect for my skin tone.

(**I totally forgot to include my Tarte blush in my pics, but there happens to be a pink blush in my contour palette.**)

Brows
Tarte Busy Gal Brows
Shade – Taupe
Annabelle Skinny Brow Liner
Shade – Universal Dark

I come from an era where we wanted the least amount of hair on our brows. Now, I never got on the waxing train because every time I’d go to get them done, the lady would turn me away. Why? I don’t know why?

A few months ago, I decided I would try to learn how to brow. Is that a thing? Browing?

Anyway, I typically outline my brows with a brow pencil and then fill them with brow gel. I run a quick spoolie through them and they’re good to go. I think.

Now, if only I could find a colour that works – Taupe is too taupe, Brown is too dark. I just don’t know yet.

Mascara
L’Oreal Voluminous X-Fiber Mascara

I never do eye makeup on the daily – only mascara. Who am I kidding? I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve had eye shadow on my eyes. Don’t even get me started with adding lashes. I can’t yet figure them out and plus Brian always says he likes my natural lashes best.

Boring.

Unless you use X-Fiber. For real, guys! This brings my lashes to a whole new level. I am very particular about my mascara and this hits every standard that I have.

Highlighter
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter Mini
Shade – Opal

This highlighter is poppin’. Can I say that? Is that still a thing? Yeah, well I pop a bit of this on the tip of my nose, my cupid’s bow and on the high points of my cheeks.

Wam. Bam. Kazam.

The lights are on.

Lips
Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner
Shade – You’re All Mine
Tarte H20 Lip Gloss
Shade – Zipline

I wasn’t sold on this liner at first, but the colour was exactly what I wanted for spring. However, when I started using it, I quickly realized how great it is. It is so creamy and feels so nice on my lips. I throw on the Tarte Lip Gloss and I’m ready to go.

Setting Spray
Urban Decay All Nighter

You all know my thoughts on this product. Simply the best. Spritz this on your face, then dab, dab, dab with your damp beauty sponge. Shellac for your makeup? Quite possibly.

There you have it. My basic Spring Makeup Look. I think it took this picture before I put on my lips, but you don’t mind, right?

Do you do a full face of makeup everyday or are you more of the minimal makeup type? Comment below.

April Favourites | 2018

Published on May 5, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

I feel like it’s safe to say that spring is here. It kind of came in overnight. One day we were sporting winter gear, the next day I had the top off my Jeep. I guess that’s Canada for you. We always joke that this is the one place in the world that you can use your heater and air conditioner in the same day.

C’est la vie.

I love when spring blossoms, birds are chirping and the sunshine just seems to touch my heart. Especially after this past winter season that just seemed to go on forever.

Nonetheless, spring is here and so are my April Favourites!

Batiste Dry Shampoo
I’m going to let you in on a little secret…sometimes I go a week or more without washing my hair.

Shocker, I know.

When I colour my hair, it almost always leaves blisters on my scalp. They usually hurt and I have to give them about a week to heal. If I wash my hair, it just breaks them open and leaves me regretting the beauty process.

So, lo and behold, dry shampoo.

I’ve tried many dry shampoos and Batiste is the only one that works amazingly well and consistently. I actually went through my full-size bottle and a travel-size one this month. My favourite scent is the tropical one for obvious reasons. I always want to be on vacation.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
My first experience with this was when Sephora sent me a deluxe sample kit with an order I placed. When I used it, it was the first time ever that my makeup still looked untouched after a full day of work.

I went to pick some up and the sales lady wouldn’t let me get it. She literally blocked the aisle and put her hand on my back and walked me over to another brand’s setting spray. She told me it would pollute my face and that I should use something more gentle for everyday use. Let’s just say, that I ignored her advice and found a travel-size one in the check-out line.

The only time I couldn’t use this was when I used an acne cream and my face became crazy dry. My skin felt like it was going to crack, so adding the all nighter was a bit too much.

Side note, this is one of those products that you don’t want to buy the travel-size. It costs more for the amount of product you get. You’re better off getting the full-size and enjoying it longer.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer
Wow.

Every time I go to Sephora, I swatch this on the back of my hand. I never wanted to get a sample because I figured I would love it and then want to buy it. It’s a bit of a splurge.

A few weeks ago I decided I would get a sample anyway.

Ugh! It happened. I loved it. Now, I’m saving up my $$ so I can splurge.

I don’t know what makes this product so perfect, but it goes on so smooth. It is extremely light and makes any texture on your face disappear. My face feels like glass when I use this. My makeup goes on flawlessly over top. I absolutely think this is worth the spend.

L’Oreal Voluminous Superstar X Fiber Mascara
The name of this is way too much for me to remember. That’s the only downfall of this mascara. I first saw this on MakeupByCheryl and since L’Oreal is one of my favourite drugstore brands, I thought I would try it.

It is absolutely easy to apply and I love that the primer is black. My lashes are already long, but this added so much depth that when I went to apply false lashes (which I usually don’t wear because of the natural length of my lashes), they were shorter than my own with this mascara!

It doesn’t flake, break or run, so I don’t have to worry about my eyes and face looking crazy after a few hours. To top it all off, it washes off so easily – no scrubbing, no double washing, just a swipe of Nivea eye makeup remover and it’s off.

Perfection in a mascara tube.

Have you used any of these products? I’d like to know what you think. Comment below.

Skin Care Routine | Spring 2018

Published on April 21, 2018April 18, 2018 by Rowena Francis2 Comments

Although I’ve loved makeup for a long time, I haven’t always loved taking care of my skin. I always found it to be a hassle taking off my makeup before bed or applying cream, serum or anything. I kind of had the thought that skin care products would cause my skin to radically dry out.

I’m grateful to say that I’m a little older and bit wiser in this area. My skin has changed so much since I started really caring for it. I learned that finding the right products was key in keeping my skin fresh, hydrated and healthy.

Before we dive into my current routine, let’s see how my skin care routine has changed a bit over the last few years.

2016
FCO
This was literally the only thing I used on my face (besides makeup). You can use FCO as an eye makeup remover, makeup remover and moisturizer, all in one. My face was never dry or greasy when I used this (although it is comedogenic, so you want to be careful with it).
Reason why I switched? It bothered my eyes so much that my vision would be blurry for about 2 hours after using it.

2017
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
FCO
Makeup Eraser
I admit, I continued to use the FCO to take off my eye makeup because it worked so well. I never had to scrub, it just melted it away. Closer to the end of 2017, I tried to use just the Makeup Eraser, but I felt like it left a film on my skin, so I added a cleanser. I tried a sample of the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and I loved how it cleaned my skin. I just couldn’t get over the smell and how dry my face felt afterward.

So, I switched. Again.

2018
Nivea Eye Makeup Remover
Biore Powder Cleanser
Tatcha The Deep Cleanse
Tatcha The Water Cream
This year has been an amazing start for me with skin care. It all started because I was travelling to Israel and wanted to pack in a carry-on. I did a lot of research on cutting edge products and found a powdered cleanser – which would eliminate that out of my liquids allotment. The problem was that it was so expensive and I wasn’t sure if it worked. I began looking for a cheap version of it when I found Biore had one. It was $6, so I couldn’t resist trying it.

I love it!

I know this is kinda gross, but my pores felt like they were exploding dirt right out of them! My face felt so clean after. The only problem was that it tightens and dries the skin as tight as I used to roll baby diapers.

I needed a cream.

I had a sample of Dr. Jart+ Hydrogel that I started using and I LOVED it. It wasn’t heavy, moisturized my face and literally felt like water.

 Then I ran out of it. 

I immediately ran out to Sephora to get a new sample or possibly buy it, but they didn’t carry it in the store. I decided I would get a sample of the Tatcha Water Cream and see if that compared. I got distracted, like usual, and tried the Tatcha Deep Cleanse on my hand. I’m sure if they have cameras in the store, they could pull up first of all how I accidentally squirted a boatload onto my hand, but secondly how excited I got with it.

Seriously.

I was talking loudly. To myself. In a very animated monologue. Then, in the middle of my monologue, I turned around and a shaft of light ignited the end-cap in front of me and I found myself staring at a travel size duo, for just $30.

Um, yes? 

So I did what any beauty lover would do. I bought it and ran home to wash my face.

At 10:00 in the morning.

I’m not even going to tell you anything about it, cause I’m saving that for a full review, but I will say that it quickly made it’s debut into my skin care regime.

So now, I feel like my skin is the best it’s ever been. I owe it all to my new skin care routine.

1. Remove eye makeup with Nivea
2. Take off makeup with Biore Powder
3. Wash my face/neck with Tatcha Deep Cleanse
4. Moisturize with Tatcha Water Cream

Do you have a tried-and-true skin care regime? What is your favourite product? Comment below.

Beauty Reward Programs | Hot or Not?

Published on April 18, 2018 by Rowena Francis2 Comments

It’s no secret that beauty costs money. Let’s be downright honest here. It’s expensive. So, how do you make it worth it? Is there a payoff?

Can I just say, the payoff is feeling great and looking like a million bucks. However, beauty stores tend to have some sort of loyalty reward program to reel you in.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Here are my reviews/thoughts on the few bigger beauty stores where I shop.

Ulta
The nearest Ulta is about 40 minutes and another country away, but it doesn’t stop me from heading out there to shop.

Ulta has a reward system called Ultamate Rewards. There are 3 membership levels: Member (free, earn 1 pt/US$1), Platinum (US$450, earn 1.25 pt/US$1) & Diamond (US$1,200, earn 1.5 pt/US$1). I am currently at the Member level because I only started actually shopping there 3 months ago, and the dollar exchange hasn’t been favourable for Canadians (which means I pay more). All levels receive a free birthday gift as well as 2x the points in your birthday month. The Platinum & Diamond levels also receive a US$10 birthday coupon and points never expire. If you’re Platinum, you will also receive free shipping on orders of US$25 or more and will also receive a US$25 beauty service reward card every year.

The nice thing about Ulta is that they sell both drugstore and high-end brands. So, you can get everything you need at one store. That also means I’m in there for a good few hours, at best. There are also a few items I love that are exclusive to Ulta, so it’s worth it.

The thing I love about Ultamate Rewards is that your points equal a dollar amount so you can use it towards any purchase.

The thing I’m not loving about this is that the website is not consistent between the US site and the CAN site, so I have to shop the US side if I want to get my rewards. Twist my arm, I might as well stop by Chick-fil-A while I’m out there.

Sephora
I have a love/hate relationship with Sephora. I feel like we’ve parted ways so many times, but I’m constantly lured back in by it’s Sephora-ness.

Samples. Beauty Offers. Exclusive Products.

Sephora’s reward system is called Beauty Insider. There are also 3 membership levels: Insider (free), VIB (C$350), Rouge (C$1,000). I am currently a VIB. All levels receive a birthday gift, have access to the Rewards Bazaar as well as the Beauty Insider Community. The VIB & Rouge levels also receive monthly gifts and free custom makeovers (1x for VIB). The Rouge level also gets you free shipping on all your orders, a private hotline and invitations to exclusive events.

In my opinion, Sephora has the worst rewards program. Although you can rack up points quickly and there are lots of sales and bonuses (like the Spring Bonus, check out my wish list), your points can only be used in the Rewards Bazaar. Products are launched in the Bazaar every Tuesday and Thursday 9am-5pm (PT) and they go so fast, it’s unreal. I have an alarm set on my phone and by the time I tap on the Rewards Bazaar tab, everything good is already sold out. Every. Time. My points just keep racking up, unused. Pointless, in my opinion. How ironic. Yet, I keep going back cause it calls me.

Beauty Boutique
I am true and true Canadian. So, I wouldn’t be true to my heritage if I didn’t include a Canadian company.

Shopper’s Drug Mart, anyone? Sorry, I mean Beauty Boutique.

Alright, if we’re going to be hands down open here, the Beauty Boutique is my impulsive spending place. There’s one just around the corner. I could walk there, even if I was stranded at home with no car.

They have just recently switched over their rewards program. It used to be Optimum Rewards, but has since changed to PC Optimum.

Now, I love the PC rewards program. I use it for my groceries, gas, everything. One year, I was able to pay for 90% of Christmas with my PC Points. So, the fact that they joined up with the Beauty Boutique just sets me over the top.

In my opinion, the Beauty Boutique is not quite as established as Sephora or Ulta, but it’s coming along quite nicely. They have great deals and a well-established reward system. It’s a bit different from the other reward systems as it doesn’t have tiers built-in. It is free to join and you can earn 15 pts/C$1 or more, depending on the store you’re shopping at or card you use (PC Mastercards earn more). 10,000 points is equal to $10. There are always opportunities to earn bonus points – I just usually flip through the flyer to see what’s happening.

There you have it. My 3 favourite beauty stores and their reward programs. My favourite would definitely be Sephora, if they switched their bazaar over to dollar value rewards. I probably would spend all my money there.

Until then…

What is your favourite reward program? Do you buy things based on rewards? Comment below.

Foundation Favourites | 2018

Published on April 11, 2018April 11, 2018 by Rowena Francis8 Comments

I’ve always been the type of person that finds a favourite product and then tries to stick with it forever. More times than I’m excited about, I’ve headed to the store just to find my favourites have been removed from the shelves.
Discontinued.
Way. Too. Often.
That’s where I found myself a few years ago when I ran out of my tried-and-true foundation. Oddly enough, I can’t even remember what it was.
Forgotten. That’s what it was.
This just also happened to be the same time that I found out about Sephora.
I went to Sephora and loaded up on foundation samples – Kat Von D, Tarte, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever, etc.
I found a few that worked great for me.
Out of those samples, these are the ones that I ended up buying in full-size. I’m loving the way they work for me.

Makeup Forever Ultra HD
Cost: $$ ($52 CDN)
Coverage: Medium
Great for all skin types, it claims to make skin look flawless and feel moisturized.
Let’s just be real here. This is the first high-end foundation that I bought. I was super surprised that foundation could last an entire day and still look flawless after that many hours.
It could be that I only ever used drug-store brands, or it could be that this foundation is just simply amazing.
I’ll give you the answer, it’s amazing.
The foundation went on smooth and blended well. It gave my face a smooth finish and still looked flawless at the end of each day.
Here is the review I wrote on Influenster.

Too Faced Born This Way
Cost: $$ ($49 CDN)
Coverage: Medium-to-full
Claims to moisturize, brighten skin’s appearance, promote elasticity and give a smooth & youthful appearance.
This is the foundation I tried when I ran out of my Ultra HD. Born this way foundation is absolutely perfect for everyday. It is super light on my skin and looks very natural.
Seriously, I just noticed on the website that it has hyaluronic acid in it. This is my new favourite ingredient. I did a ton of research on it when I was trying to decide if I wanted to get a gel shot in my knee – which is apparently hyaluronic acid…but that’s another story for another day.
Here is the review I wrote on Influenster.

Ok, so for some reason, my skin is getting lighter and lighter as the days go on. You’d think winter is lasting long into April or something. Due to this, my high-end foundations are way too dark for me. I mean, by more than a handful of shades. The last thing I wanted to do was go spend money on foundation shades that would only last for a month or so.
Now, y’all know that deals not only catch my eye, but also that I struggle to pass up a good one. Especially when it’s foundation and on sale for $5. In my new shade of blinding light skin tone, no less.
So, with that, I’m including my new fav drugstore foundation.

Maybelline Fit Me (Matte & Poreless)
Cost: $
Coverage: Medium
Ideal for normal to oily skin, it claims to blur pores and control shine. It also claims to leave a natural, seamless finish.
So, I’ll start by saying that I was pleasantly surprised with my $5 find. Beyond that, this foundation delivered results that were beyond my expectations. It matched my skin tone perfectly, went on smooth and blended extremely easily. It lasted all day and I couldn’t even tell a difference between this and my high-end loves. As a matter of fact, since my skin looks like it bleached itself overnight, I will probably head out to the nearest drugstore and pick me up a bottle in a beautiful shade of blinding light.

It might be worth mentioning that I’m currently wearing Tarte Shape Tape (hydrating) every day. Although I don’t love it as much as I love the concealer, it does work for me. However, you’ll never guess, but it’s also getting too dark for me.
What. Is. Happening??
If you read my post on my Sephora VIB Wishlist, I’ll likely be trying out Estée Lauder Double Wear next. The question is whether I buy it in shade winter or summer???

What is your favourite foundation? Do you live by high-end or drugstore finds? Comment below.

Sephora VIB Sale Wishlist | Spring 2018

Published on April 7, 2018April 7, 2018 by Rowena Francis4 Comments

Green corrector.

That was my very first purchase at Sephora. I was almost 20.

I had no idea what to do with it. I just loved the idea of a store completely dedicated to makeup.

So I bought the fanciest thing I could think of without looking like I was clueless about makeup.

I was.

And I probably reeked of ‘newbie’ from across the mall.

I’d like to say that’s when I started learning about makeup, but it’s not. We didn’t have any specialty makeup stores that I knew of where I lived. Plus, I never wanted to spend money. Ever.

Fast forward to 2016.

A friend forwarded me an email from Sephora.

And here we are. Loving makeup and working it into the monthly budget.

The semi-annual VIB Insider event is coming up at Sephora and I thought it would be fun to put together my top 10 shopping list for the spring.

First, let’s talk about the dates.

VIB ROUGE
April 13-16 & 20-23
15% discount
Code: YAYROUGE

VIB
April 20-23
15% discount
Code: YAYVIB

BEAUTY INSIDER
April 20-23
10% discount
Code: YAYINSIDER

With that, let’s dive into the list!

Tatcha
The Deep Cleanse
Tatcha
The Water Cream
Amika
Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo
Amika
Bombshell Blowout Volume Spray
Tarte
Mermaid Skin Hyaluronic H2O Sérum
Hourglass
Mineral Veil Primer
Estée Lauder
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation
Olaplex
Hair Perfector No. 3
Atelier Cologne
Collection Azur – Mandarin Glaciale
Urban Decay
All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

It was hard limiting my list to 10, but realistically I don’t have an unlimited number of resources available at my disposal for makeup. Or for anything.

If I could only get one thing, I would buy the Tatcha Deep Cleanse/Water Cream duo. I was so reluctant to buy anything from Tatcha because of the price point, but quickly found out that it is absolutely worth it!! My skin did a complete 180 degree turn literally overnight. That’s worth my money.
A good face of makeup starts with good skin care.

Are you shopping the VIB Sale at Sephora? What’s on your list? Comment below.