Current 2015 Favourites & I'm Back! | Lauren Slade

    It's been quite a while since I've written a blog post. I really needed time to focus on my schooling and even though I am still in school (to be a freaking makeup artist!!!) I would like to try to get some blogging in at least once a month... so we will see how this goes!

Current 2015 Favourites:

Revlon Highlighting Palette in Rose Glow: This product always receives mixed reviews but I personally love this product. I use it as a very glowy blush. This product doubles as a blush and highlighter, so if you want a matte look, this blush isn't for you. It has actual flecks of glitter as well as it's shimmer and the packaging can get very "glittery" but I will put up with it for how nice this makes my cheeks look.

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Highlighting Dome in 01: This cream highlighter is subtle yet beautiful. This is a great highlighter for when you want to have a natural looking glow. I apply this with a small stipple brush on the top of my cheekbone before I set my foundation with powder and it leaves the most beautiful natural glow (it also smells AMAZING).

M.A.C Satin Lipstick in Twig: This has been my favourite lipstick colour for the past few months now and I just can't get enough of it! I don't really have any words for it other than it makes me feel confident and beautiful!

without flash

with flash

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Foundation in Classic Ivory: This tube of foundation is kind of pricey for the drugstore, but I think it's totally worth it! I have oily skin and this foundation is able to mattify my skin and make it look flawless. As the foundation wears throughout the day, it gives my skin a slightly more "dewy" look which is actually nice and not greasy looking (powdering over it gets rid of the shine and it will still look amazing). I give this 10/10.

Covergirl The Supersizer Mascara in Very Black: This is a newer favourite of mine and it's likely to change again in a few months but as of right now this mascara does an amazing job of delivering volume and separating the lashes just enough. The interesting rubber want does a great job.

    Although I have been enjoying lots of other products and playing around with makeup, these are just a few makeup items that really stand out to me! Let me know you're faves!

Love,

Lauren!

 

Who IS Beautiful? | Lauren Slade

    Disclaimer: Now, before you go all crazy on me and start saying "who is she to judge who is beautiful or not?" please read the whole post first. 

     I have noticed something in the media lately that has really been bothering me and I just wanted to take a moment to let out my frustration. A lot of people are supporting the idea that having a curvy figure is the "ideal" body shape and that having a nice booty means you are "hotter"; of course this is a beautiful body shape but it is not the only body shape. I am a woman with a 5'8" frame and weigh in at about 125 pounds so I am quite slim and to say the least I am not the most endowed because of my slim frame. It is simply just the way that I am built.

    A video recently surfaced online and I saw it on Facebook via a Facebook friend who shared it:  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=403367309820283&pnref=story (please note that this video has some foul language, viewer discretion is advised) 

    This video is what upset me the most because it is bullying based on weight. Curvy girls will defend themselves if a slim girl makes a comment about their weight, but that doesn't make it okay to turn around and make fun of a girl who has a slimmer frame (especially the extremely rude and life threatening comments made in the video above). No matter what, it is a mean comment about weight and it is not ok. Although this video is not directed personally toward myself, I still feel extremely offended and hurt. Another thing that bothers me is the "thigh-gap" phenomenon and that if you have one you are "starving yourself" and/or "unhealthy" and that is not true... Having a thigh-gap has more to do with bone structure than weight, therefore no matter how much some women work to achieve this they may never reach that point due to their bone structure or no matter how hard women work to rid of their thigh-gap, they may be stuck with it.   

     I will admit that there have been times when I wish that I had a curvier frame, bigger bust and a bigger booty but I have come to be proud of my slim frame. It doesn't mean that I don't eat (because I have a very strong love for all food) and it just means that I choose cardio instead of squats because that is my preference. 

    Love yourself no matter what frame you have and don't tell others what frame they "should" have. Every single person on this earth is beautiful and no one has the right to single people out (especially based on something so trivial as weight). 

    Now, to answer the question stated in my title: "Who IS Beautiful?" - YOU!

Love,

  Lauren  Like My Facebook Page!

Makeup Essentials | Lauren Slade

   
     Hello Everyone! I know that I have been away for quite some time now but I just needed another little break from blogging so that my content stays exciting! I have decided to change some things up like the font that my blog posts have and also the actual blog post title is going to have a slight change. Anyways... Today I want to talk about some simple makeup products that I have to have on a daily basis to make myself feel comfortable leaving the house. Keep in mind, I am an aspiring makeup artist and a makeup enthusiast so if you don't even want to wear makeup than you don't have too! 

     To start off I think it is important to have a base, so I make sure that I apply my foundation as I normally would (liquid foundation and set it with powder) and then I want to make sure that I look awake so apply an under eye concealer to awaken the face.

L-R: Covergirl Clean Oil Control in Ivory, Almay Clear Complexion Pressed Powder in Light
B: Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer in Ultra Light

     Another thing that makes me feel beautiful is blush! Blush is one of those things that can completely transform your makeup look and add dimension to the face. I think the best option is to go with a light pinky blush (that is what I would use) or any colour that would look natural on your skin tone.  

L-R: Wet n' Wild Coloricon Blush in Pearlescent Pink, Laura Geller Blush - N - Brighten in Raspberry, essence Silky Touch Blush in Adorable  

     Now, lets bring some attention to the eyes. The eyes can be tricky because if you are just out running errands, you probably don't want or need an entire eye look (okay, not gonna lie, I do that sometimes) but most of us feel more comfortable with just a little somethin' on the eyes to make them pop and add dimension. I recommend using a brown eye liner and apply it however you normally would; brown is a great option instead of black because it is not as intense. After you have applied your brown eyeliner, my next step would be to apply mascara! I find that mascara is just another great makeup product that awakens the face even more.

NYX Retractable Eye Liner in Brown

     Okay so now we have pretty much all of our essentials but I know that I love having a great lip! Lip products are probably my favourite makeup item to buy and wear and I always leave the house with some form of lip product on. I think that it is important to own a nude coloured gloss that you can apply on its own to add extra voloume to your lips or just as a topper to lipsticks but when you want to go that extra mile you should pick a lipstick shade that makes you feel beautiful. I personally like bold lip colours the most so I tend to go for crazier shades.

L-R: Teeez Golden Glow Lipgloss in Silky Nude, Covergirl Lipstick in Feline, e.l.f Matte Lip Color in Rich Red, NYC Cityproof Twistable Intense Lip Color in Gramercy Park Plum, Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 110, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry. ( These are just some of my favourite shades of lipsticks)

     The last thing that we need to put on before we leave the house is a BIG SMILE! Always remember that makeup is something that we should do as a hobby and to make ourselves feel fancy, but we do not NEED it! It is just makeup and everyone is beautiful no matter if they wear a full face of makeup or wear none at all. 

I also think brows are important so if you want to see how I do my brows, read through this post!
Love yourself!

     Love Lauren


Product Information & Other Links:

e.l.f
Covergirl
Revlon
Almay
NYX
Rimmel London 
Laura Geller
Wet n' Wild
NYC
essence
Teeez

First Impression | Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette

     After all the hype going around Youtube over this limited edition fall palette by Tarte I figured that I would go on sephora.com and order it. I must say, ordering it was the right decision because this palette is BEAUTIFUL.

     This palette includes a stunning highlighter(Champagne), bronzer(Park Ave Princess), blush(Unleashed) and 6 eyeshadows(Bare to Explore, Make a Mauve, Plum Away With Me, Up to No Gold, Tan-gled Up in You & Don't Turn a Brown). The highlighter is my favourite product in the whole palette, it is gorgeous and the light captures it beautifully. The bronzer is warmer than I would usually use but it is still very pretty and it is great for bronzing but not great for contouring in my personal opinion. The blush is a very nice shade but I wish it was slightly deeper than it is, this colour will be a very nice everyday shade for fall but nothing bold.

     The palette has 6 beautiful fall eyeshadows that I have gotten to play around with a little bit and my favourite shades are definitely "Bare to Explore", "Plum Away With Me" and "Tan-gled Up in You". These shadows are very pigmented and blendable, but they do crease on me faster than a Urban Decay shadow would but keep in mind that I have oily eyelids and all shadows that I have tried crease on me at some point in the day. 

top L-R: champagne, park ave princess, unleashed, bare to explore, make a mauve
bottom L-R: plum away with me, up to no gold, tan-gled up in you, don't turn a brown

     I love the packaging of this product. It is made out of plastic and closes very nicely, it feels very sturdy. The lid has a beautiful snake design with a purple gem on top of the snakes head and on the inside it has a nice large mirror. Overall I have really been enjoying this palette and I will continue to play around with it. If I were you I would check out this palette before its gone! 

xo,

     Lauren    

      

First Impression | Maybelline Leather Color Tattoo

   
     If you have not heard of the Maybelline Color Tattoos you must be living under a rock. The Color Tattoos are a long wearing cream shadow that I have always wanted to try, but I have never before made the point to go buy any. Once I heard about the leather collection I HAD to go get some.

     
     This line of the Color Tattoos are matte which is what encouraged me to buy this one! I have the shade Chocolate Suede and it is the prettiest brown that I have ever seen. This colour is quite unique because it is in fact part of the matte line of colours but it has a pretty pink/purple shimmer in it but some how it is still matte and you will see that in the pictures.

     The Color Tattoos claim to be a really long wearing eyeshadow and I have put that claim to the test. I used a primer and then applied this to my eyelids without setting it so that I could get the true result (the only reason I applied a primer is because I always apply a primer no matter what). It is currently very hot where I live so I did experience some creasing but for the most part I always have creasing because of my eyelids and eye shape so don't let that throw you off. I would say that it would've lasted longer if I had of set it with a powder shadow. 

     This collection has 5 shades to choose from and the other shades that I want to have in my makeup collection are Vintage Plum and Deep Forest. I am thoroughly impressed with this product and I will continue to work with it and play around with it. Overall it passes my first impressions test!


xo,

     Lauren


---PRODUCT INFORMATION--- 

     
Maybelline

The Budget Blogger | NYC Expert Last Lipstick

     Hey guys! I want to start this little series about super affordable makeup products that I find amazing. I don't plan to have a schedule for this series but I want to make a special category for really affordable products, as even some drugstore products can sometimes be a little too pricey for what they are worth (in Canada at least).

     The product that I want to talk about today is the NYC (New York Color) Expert Last Lipstick. Now, I know what you are thinking... NYC? Really Lauren? But hey, I know NYC has a reputation of not being near the best but this product really hits it out of the park for me! Where I live I can get these lipsticks for around $1.79/$2.00 or at Walmart for 3 for $3.00 which is an amazing price. 

     These lipsticks are super buttery soft and glide on beautifully. I have 5 shades from this line out of the 20 shades that they offer. I own, Blue Rose, Candy Rush, Creamy Caramel, Coralista and Smooch. Personally I love all these shades and I would like to have all the shades from the whole line. Not only do these lipsticks glide on beautifully but they have one of the most amazing smells on a lipstick that I have ever smelt. 

top- Coralista, Candy Rush, Blue Rose, Creamy Caramel, Smooch

     Although I LOVE these lipsticks, there is one negative that I see in them. This negative is more towards a claim they make than the actual lipstick. The lipstick claims to last up to 6 hours, now I don't know about you, but I am a talker... I love to talk and I usually eat food within 6 hours so I have never experienced a lipstick lasting more than 3 or 4 hours on me and these lipstick are no different. So maybe if you don't really speak or eat with this product on, they will last longer but considering they are not a staining lip product of any kind, they don't last that long at all. 

      I also have a concern with the packaging. If packaging is huge selling point for you, you may not like these lipsticks for that one purpose... As you can see in my pictures, the labeling wears off and this gives the tube a "cheap" look. The lipstick bullet itself doesn't go fully down into the tube so you have to be careful when placing the top back on that you don't take a chunk out of the bullet. 

    In the end, this product is Lauren Michelle Makeup approved and these are some of the best lipsticks from the drugstore in my opinion and I will be purchasing more shades fro this line as time goes on.

xo,

     Lauren

---PRODUCT INFORMATION---

NYC Expert Last Lipstick 

Walmart

Product Review | Stila Single Eye Shadow in Java

     If you know me, you know that I am a drug store makeup girl at heart but that being said, my eye shadow is one thing that I like to splurge on. I spend the most money on eye shadow products (including primer). Ironically I did not pay full price for the product that I am going to talk about today but I would have if I had to replace this. Now, what is this product? You might be wondering... It is the Stila eye shadow in the shade Java.

     Long story short... this eye shadow kicks ass! Hello amazing pigmentation. Java is a deep matte brown. It glides on very easily and blends like a dream. It is super soft to the touch as well, which is huge plus to me. I wouldn't say that it is incredibly long lasting but keep in mind that I have oily eyelids.

     The main purpose that I like this for is as a definer shade. When using this shade I apply it to the outer half of my lid and blend the edges of the shade on the inner half with it so its not harsh and then I take my crease brush and continue to blend that colour into the outer part of my crease and sometimes for a more dramatic look, I will take that colour all the way across the crease. Keep in mind though that I didn't find crease work very easy with this shade so I suggest putting a transition shade underneath it like Naked or Buck from Urban Decay and then take Naked for your transition area. These extra steps just make it a little easier to work with if applying it fully to the crease.

**Swatched over a white base** All images are my own

     Overall this is one of my favourite definer shades and I really love the way it looks. I think it can be very versatile and usable for all skin tones. This is a Lauren Michelle Makeup approved product, check it out!      

xo,

     Lauren


--- PRODUCT INFORMATION---

Stila - Java
Buck
Naked