what i've been watching lately (spooky season edition)

Halloween is almost here...which means seasonal favourites and horror movies have been in heavy rotation lately. Whether you are planning to host or attend a Halloween party this year, hand out candy, or turn off all the lights and wait for November to arrive, there are plenty of opportunities to watch something themed. Looking for something family friendly? Check out a few streaming options here. Prefer something scary or even a little bizarre? Check out a few suggestions here. Or if you are curious about what I have been watching so far this holiday, keep reading for some spooky season recommendations.

halloween town eyeshadow palette (melt cosmetics)

The debate continues. Is Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? It's hard to say for sure. On one hand, my brother and I have watched the movie on Christmas Eve in past years. On the other hand, it is a movie that I tend to watch most often during the month of October. Whether you view it as a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie, one thing is certain: Oogie Boogie is a memorable character. A little while back, the Halloween Town Eyeshadow Palette from Melt Cosmetics was added to my collection. This is not a brand that I have a lot of familiarity with. Though I have heard about some of the products before...this was one of the first to really capture my attention. Keep reading for all the spooky details. 

birthday inspired nails: sally hansen miracle gel (it's sherbert day)

Themed beauty products always make me smile. I've had the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish in It's Sherbert Day for a little while now, but was waiting for the right occasion to put it to use. This is from a birthday collection that celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Miracle Gel line of polish. It is hard to believe it has been that long, but it turns out my first post about the Miracle Gel line was post on the creation of beauty is art. way back in 2014. Time flies! I have been saving this nail polish in order to wear it on my actual birthday, which was yesterday. I took the day off of work and treated myself to a little at-home manicure. Ready to see how it turned out? Find out whether this birthday themed nail polish is worth adding to your cart.

calvin klein - euphoria eau de toilette (review)

Perfume has a way of saying all the things that go unspoken. It is able to accurately reflect my mood, desires, and dreams. Quite frankly, the scent that I choose on any given day is telling. Feeling down? I'll reach for something with a bright note to turn things around. Feeling anxious? A scent that is sweet and soothing is a must for me. Flirty? Maybe something a little more floral. Overwhelmed? Something clean and crisp. It is amazing how much the right scent can reveal. As mentioned in my last blog post, I was lucky enough to win a raffle basket with lots of different beauty products inside. One of those products was the Euphoria eau de toilette from Calvin Klein. With a unique bottle and a bold scent, it certainly knows how to stand out. 

review: kylie cosmetics setting spray (matte finish)

Not all setting sprays are created equal. Some are good, some are so-so, and some do not work at all. I have tried all sorts over the years and have liked a fair few, but still do not have one that I repurchase on a consistent basis. Perhaps the Setting Spray: Matte Finish from Kylie Cosmetics will change that. Several months back, I attended an event with my husband and raffle tickets were sold for a charity. We bought some and I put all of our tickets into the raffle for a basket full of beauty products, many of them from Kylie Cosmetics. Well...I won! Talk about a nice surprise. Over the next little while, the products from that raffle will be reviewed here on the creation of beauty is art. The first is the setting spray from Kylie Cosmetics. 

my barbie expo experience in montreal

It was a long day. A very long day. But when it comes to Barbie, sacrifices must be made. A few weeks back, my mom and I took the train to Montreal early in the morning...only to return back home the same day. Most of the day was spent on route and only a handful of hours were spent in Montreal, but in the end, it all worked out well. Barbie has always been an important part of my life, which is likely due to my mom and her obsession with the doll. The fashion, the glamour, and the possibilities made Barbie an absolute must back then and the same is true today. There is something so special about the doll. And that is how we ended up on a train to Montreal so we could visit the Barbie Expo. Here are a few highlights from the experience. 

#FOTD: fall inspired makeup look

Fall colours are beautiful. They are warm, soothing, and seem to make the whole world feel a little bit better. Orange, red, yellow, and brown are the most common fall colours, but warm greens are also associated with this time of year. I like to bring fall colours into my home with small decor items (like these coloured pumpkins) and also like to reach for fall inspired beauty products. For this latest #FOTD, the focus was on warm fall inspired colours and products already in my makeup collection.

 

what i've been watching lately (early fall edition)

Ahh...television. Do I watch too much of it? Most definitely. Do I have plans to cut back? Not a chance. There is something so wonderful about peeking into the lives of different characters, especially on a grey fall day with a scented candle burning on the table. There is a coziness to it all. Though the fall season is less than a month in, there are already lots of new and old favourites on my watched list. (Confession: there have been lots of spooky seasonal favourites in the mix as well, but those will be highlighted in a future blog post.) Here are some shows and movies that have been keeping me company so far this fall. 

2 looks 1 palette: urban decay wild greens eyeshadow palette

There used to be a lot of Urban Decay in my makeup collection. After all, there was a time where the Naked Eyeshadow Palettes were a total must in the beauty community. I hit pan on the original palette thanks to nights out with friends and used the Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette almost every single day for work. Ahh...makeup memories. Over the years, there have been a few Urban Decay products that have caught my eye (like the Naked Ultraviolet Eyeshadow Palette and the Stoned Vibes Eyeshadow Palette) but generally speaking, there haven't been a ton of items from the brand added to my shopping cart. When I saw the Wild Greens Eyeshadow Palette at Winners for a massively discounted price, my nostalgia took hold, and I decided to see what was happening with Urban Decay. This is an eyeshadow palette that I have been using on and off for the last several months. Ready for a mini review and a couple of makeup looks featuring Wild Greens? Keep reading...

current favourites: halloween edition

The fall season has has been a little uneven so far. September started off strong and my apartment was fully decorated with pumpkins, leaves, ghosts, and other such seasonal items. But then we received a notice that some rather invasive repair work would be done to our living room and hall ceilings...which meant un-decorating, packing away most of our possessions, and tarping all of the furniture. And after the repairs were done? It meant days and days of cleaning up the absolute disaster the contractors left behind. It has been draining to say the least. Halloween is just a few weeks away and it feels like I am starting over in a sense. I am trying to find my footing again and reestablish a connection to one of my favourite times of year. In an attempt to do that....here are some current Halloween favourites that I am hoping will add some spooky vibes to my space.

does it work?? infallible brows volumizing mascara

My at-home makeup looks tend to be a little bit different than what I wear out and about. When I am heading to the store, to the movies, or somewhere else, the makeup look that I create tends to be based on my mood and there is often lots of dark and dramatic mascara involved. At home? I like to create makeup looks that are a little more laid back, but still have some pizazz. For instance, some glittery eyeshadow all over the lid, a bit of pencil liner, a coat of mascara, and a fun blush. With that in mind, it only seemed right to put the L'Oreal Infallible Brows Volumizing Mascara to the test. Would it perform well? Fall flat? Be a new must have? There was no better way to find out than by incorporating it into a recent at-home makeup look. So....does it work?? Keep reading to find out how the Infallible Brows Volumizing Mascara compares to other brow products.

show and tell: back to school beauty bundle

The words "back to school" have not been in my vocabulary for quite some time. Clearly, my student days are well behind me at this point! Despite this, the Back to School Beauty Bundle was seriously tempting. This set came with an assortment of skin care and makeup items all in a cute pink mini backpack. Keep reading to see what is included and what items I can't wait to try.

#FOTD: inspired by shirley partridge

Confession: I have been watching a lot of The Partridge Family lately. This is one of my all-time favourite comfort shows. I have had it on DVD for many years now and seem to come back to it on a semi-regular basis. I love everything about it: the 70s home decor, hair, and clothes, the wacky plots, the family connection, the incredible music, and of course, David Cassidy. While re-watching season one recently, I was especially taken by the makeup worn by Shirley Partridge aka the iconic Shirley Jones. Though the makeup style was fairly similar throughout the series (sometimes there was a little more colour and there were some bolder lines from time to time)....in season one specifically, there was one daytime makeup look that really wowed. It was simple, but still made a statement. Here is a closer look at that daytime makeup look and my own #FOTD recreation.