first impressions: glossier (ultralip high shine lipstick)

Glossier is an ultra popular brand, but to be honest, the only thing I really know about them is that there was a collaboration with Olivia Rodrigo. Oh, and I was able to test out a sample of their foundation a few years back. Beyond that, the brand is a bit of a mystery to me. I am not opposed to trying different items from Glossier, but I haven't felt compelled to run out to Sephora to fill my basket with their products either. Lucky for me, my sister passed along the Ultralip High Shine Lipstick in the shade Ember. Keep reading for a first impressions review that talks about all the essentials: packaging, colour, and comfort. 

testing out beauty subscription box items.

There was a time when a subscription box full of samples and other beauty goodies was delivered to my home each month. According to past posts, that was way back in 2012. (How the time flies!) Though it was fun to receive surprise items month after month...it got to a point where I had more than enough beauty items to use. That subscription was not renewed and I have not sought one out since. However, my mom still subscribes to a beauty box. In recent months, she has found that there are not as many items she is interested in. While she decides whether or not to cancel her subscription, she passed along a few items that she thought would be of interest to me. She was correct! Keep reading for some mini product reviews.

first impressions: rimmel wonder volume thrill seeker mascara

Some mascaras are better than others. When it comes to Rimmel, a few of their mascaras have been stellar while others have only been so-so. The Wonder Volume Thrill Seeker Mascara was intriguing because of the claim on the packaging that it has a "creamy whipped formula." I was curious to find out how it performed and whether or not it met all of the other brand claims. Ready to learn more about this affordable product? Here is a first impressions review of this drugstore mascara from Rimmel.

first impressions: stila huge extreme lash mascara

Though my all time favourite mascara comes from Cover Girl (The Super Sizer) and my more recent favourite comes from Cover Girl (the Lash Blast Cleantopia in Ultramarine Black)....there are a few mascara samples that I have been wanting to put to good use. One is the HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara from Stila. Curious about the formula? Keep reading to find out how it performs. 

first impressions: rimmel scandaleyes volume on demand mascara

Rimmel used to be one of my favourite drugstore makeup brands. I purchased items from them frequently....and then I didn't anymore. It all started when they discontinued my favourite foundation (The Clean Finish Foundation was my everything). Over time, I just browsed their selection less often than before. That being said, I do miss the brand. It is certainly nostalgic for me. I've tried a few of their mascaras in more recent years, but not a whole lot else. Maybe it is time to take a closer look at what they have to offer these days. Until then, it is time for a mascara review. Since my favourite mascara, The Super Sizer from Cover Girl, appears to have been discontinued (or at least seriously difficult for me to get my hands on), I am looking into alternatives. Keep reading for a first impressions review of the Scandaleyes Volume On Demand Mascara from Rimmel. 

l'oreal voluminous noir balm mascara (first impressions review)

My makeup collection is a mixture of high end and drugstore items. A lot of eyeshadow palettes and cheek products are higher end. However, when it comes to everyday essentials (foundation, mascara, brow products, powder, and eyeliner)...the drugstore wins out time and time again. The products tend to be on par or superior to the higher end offerings. Plus, everything is a lot more affordable. Though my all-time favourite mascara is The Super Sizer from Cover Girl, temptation won out and I decided to try the L'Oreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara. With lots of impressive product claims, it was a little too much to resist. Ready for a first impressions review? Find out how this drugstore mascara from L'Oreal performed. 

first impressions: jaclyn cosmetics (bronzer, blush, and lipstick)

When OG Beauty Guru, Jaclyn Hill launched her own makeup line, Jaclyn Cosmetics, a few years back...I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the products were not available at any stores in Canada. (The line can be found in Ulta in the United States.) To be honest, I do not love purchasing beauty items online. Makeup can come broken, packages can be damaged, and there are often high shipping costs. Not to mention the additional duties if the products come from outside the country. It just feels like an expensive gamble a lot of the time. In store shopping is still preferable to me. So, it seemed that Jaclyn Cosmetics would not be added to my makeup collection. Until a few random items appeared at Winners, that is. This discount store tends to have makeup from all over the place. Without a second thought, two Jaclyn Cosmetics products were purchased. Ready to take a closer look at these items? Read a first impressions review? Find out how the Lip Cushion and Bronze & Blushing Duo perform. 

first impressions: revolution lift & define 5D lash extra dimension

Some people love a bold statement lip. Others are all about show stopping cheeks. For me? The eyes are everything. Though I love a beautiful lip colour and a gorgeous blush to pull a makeup look together...the eyes are always the main focus. I feel most creatively fulfilled when there are different eyeshadow shades and finishes involved. Then there is often lots of contrast with black liner and mascara. To this day, my favourite mascara remains The Super Sizer from Cover Girl, but every now and then, I have the opportunity to test out something different. (Friends and family members are well aware of my makeup obsession and often gift me makeup for birthdays and holidays.) For instance, the Revolution Lift & Define 5D Lash Extra Dimension Mascara. Curious about this lengthening drugstore mascara? Keep reading for all the claims and a first impressions review.

first impressions: cover girl exhibitionist stretch and strengthen

An awful lot of mascaras have come into my life over the years. Some have been wonderful and others have been...not nearly as wonderful. Out of all of them, The Super Sizer mascara from Cover Girl has been an absolute standout. It has become my holy grail mascara and is the one that I purchase over and over again. It just works! So, when it comes to Cover Girl mascaras, I am always open to trying something new from the brand, just to see how it compares to my all-time favourite. The Cover Girl Exhibitionist Stretch and Strengthen Mascara is designed to lengthen and strengthen the lashes. How does it perform? And how does it compare to The Super Sizer? Here are my first impressions of this drugstore mascara. 

l'oreal air volume mega mascara (first impressions video + review)

I am no stranger to drugstore mascaras. Though I have tried many different mascaras over the years...my all-time favourite comes from the drugstore. Expensive price points don't necessarily mean better products! Recently, I had the opportunity to test out a mascara from L'Oreal and was excited to put it to good use. The L'Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara boasted a light and airy formula and dramatic results. What could be better than that? With warmer weather on the way, something that was ultra lightweight sounded ideal. Curious about how this affordable mascara performed? Keep reading for a first impressions review on my YouTube channel followed by a full review of the mascara. 

first impressions: jlo beauty (that limitless glow mask)

Even though there are countless celebrity makeup and skin care lines on the market...JLo Beauty was intriguing. First of all, Jennifer Lopez is well-known for her incredible skin. Secondly, she is someone that I have been a fan of for a very long time. Her movies and music have been an important part of my life. Not to mention her perfumes! Her incredible fragrance, "Still," was my first grown up bottle of perfume. My dad bought it for me one day when we were out and it has been incredibly meaningful to me ever since. Yes, when it comes to Jennifer Lopez, there are a lot of positive memories associated with this A-list celebrity. That being said, the products from JLo Beauty are on the expensive side. For example, $98 for a glow serum, $72 for a day cream, and $62 for an eye cream. Those items would definitely be a splurge for me. So, it made sense to start with a good old-fashioned sheet mask. Keep reading for a first impressions review of the JLo Beauty That Limitless Glow mask. 

first impressions: burt's bees all aflutter multi-benefit mascara

Another day another Burt's Bees review. This is the last one. At least for a while. Since my history with the brand has been less than stellar (with every single product I've tried from Burt's Bees being underwhelming at best) chances are low that I will go out of my way to purchase something else. That being said...it is time to do a first impressions review of one last item. It is the Burt's Bees All Aflutter Multi-Benefit Mascara. Say that ten times fast! Though the name is a bit of a mouthful, it comes with some pretty impressive claims. Would it live up to them? Could it be that finally a Burt's Bees product would impress? It is time to take a closer look at the mascara and find out if it is worth adding to your drugstore shopping cart.

first impressions: cover girl exhibitionist uncensored mascara

Cover Girl is one of the first (if not the first) makeup brands that ever entered my makeup collection. I can still remember pouring over the shelves of beauty products at the drugstore. It was overwhelming. Despite all of the options available...I wound up going home with a Cover Girl foundation, a single black eyeshadow, and a Lash Blast mascara. Since then? I have continued to use and enjoy a wide array of Cover Girl products. Including my all-time favourite mascara, The Super Sizer. Most recently, the Exhibitionist Uncensored Mascara entered my life. Even though I wasn't looking for a new mascara, part of me was curious about how another Cover Girl mascara would perform. Want to find out how it works? If it performs better than other Cover Girl products? Here is a first impressions review with all the information.

wet n wild: first impressions (ombre blush + velvet matte lip color)

At heart, I am a drugstore girl. Though I love to mix and match high-end items, much of my makeup collection comes from brands like Cover Girl, Maybelline, Rimmel, Hard Candy, and Wet n Wild. The latter is one of my absolutely favourites. (In case you couldn't tell from the many, many, many times it has been featured on this blog over the years.) Most of their products are remarkable in terms of both quality and price...which helps the brand stand out with ease. Two of the latest items in my collection are the Ombre Blush in the shade In a Purple Haze and the Velvet Matte Lip Color in the shade Charred Cherry. So, how were they? Impressive? In between? Or total misses?

first impressions: fenty beauty by rihanna

It has been a while since a new makeup line has created a massive amount of buzz. For the last while, Sephora has been full of the same old brands with their usual offerings of beauty products and skin care items. While there is always tons to choose from....there hasn't been anything super exciting in a while. I'm talking line-ups, crowds, and tons of anticipation. Until Fenty Beauty arrived, that is. The new makeup brand, created by Rihanna, is shaking up the beauty industry.

first impressions: covergirl katy kat eye mascara

The easiest way to get my attention? Put the words Katy Perry on anything. Literally anything. At this point, I have her CDs, t-shirts, sunglasses, bracelets, necklaces, and lipstick. Now? I also have my very own Katy Perry mascara. It is Cover Girl's latest addition to their Katy Kat collection: Katy Kat Eye. There were a few different mascara options available. Black, Blue, as well as Waterproof versions of both. I opted for the non-waterproof black mascara. Largely because I wanted to see how the most basic version of the mascara performed. 

It promises 10x the volume and lash darkness as well as an "all day cat eye." So....how was this mascara? Let's start with the packaging and the wand. As you can see from the picture above, the packaging is super sleek and chic. It looks just like the Katy Kat Matte Lipsticks (review and swatches of those to come). White and black. Capitol letters only. Super trendy and cute. This is a mascara that definitely looks good on the outside. The wand itself is a little bit different. Instead of having a standard bristle wand, it is curved and twisted. The bristles spiral around the wand itself. 

I'll be honest. The wand itself was really intriguing to me. At this point, I have tried many different wand styles. Some with larger bristles, some with smaller ones, some with rubber bristles, and some in different designs. So as far as the mascara wand went? I hoped this one would provide a better application of product if nothing else. Sadly it did not. The spiral bristles made application on the lower lash line difficult as well as on the inner corner of my eyes. For the outer lashes? It worked well. It really did help create that cat eye effect as promised. However, overall ease of use was lacking.

Now for my overall thoughts on the Katy Kat Eye Mascara from Cover Girl. Meh. This was somewhat disappointing to me. Like I said earlier, I will buy anything and everything related to Katy Perry. Whether she is on the cover of a magazine or is putting her name on makeup. It will become a part of my collection. That being said....I would not repurchase this mascara. As I mentioned before, it was tricky to apply the product to the lower lashes and inner corner. (I have started using this on the outer corner for a more dramatic cat eye look and using The Super Sizer mascara on the rest of my lashes. The Katy Kat mascara is usable in this way, but I would rather not use two products where I could use one. Know what I mean?) In addition, this mascara was super clumpy on my lashes. Even using the smallest amount made them clump together. I like super dramatic lashes. But this was less dramatic and more clump, clump, clumpy. It took a lot of work to brush out all of the clumps. 

Here are a couple of pictures so you can see the mascara in action. Note: this is after I removed the clumps. It looks okay but it took a lot of work to get them to this state. Personally? I would much rather use something like The Super Sizer or Benefit's They're Real! mascara. 

There are a lot of great Cover Girl products. And a lot of fantastic Katy Perry products. The Cover Girl Katy Kat Eye mascara was unfortunately not one of them. The mascara was difficult to use in certain areas and ended up looking pretty clumpy. (As you can see from the picture above. Even after I combed out most of the clumps it still looks pretty clumpy in spots.) This is sadly not a mascara that I will be reaching for on a daily basis. 

Have you tried Katy Kat Eye? What did you think of it? 

xo Shannon

YouTube: CoverGirl Intensify Me! and The Super Sizer First Impressions

Something that makes me happy? Being sent two CoverGirl products....before their official launch. I'll be honest. This was a first for me. As a product junkie and a long-time CoverGirl fan, getting makeup in the mail was an especially thrilling experience. The moment I saw the package sitting on my kitchen table, I ripped into it with reckless abandon. New makeup? Talk about a great moment.

I was lucky enough to receive the Intensify Me! eyeliner pen and their latest LashBlast mascara, The Super Sizer. The things I love most....eyeliner and mascara. Score! Since I was super excited to receive these products, I immediately went to test them out. I incorporated them into a simple everyday makeup look to see how they held up. Then I grabbed my camera to film a quick first impressions video. I couldn't help it. I had so many thoughts and feelings to share!

Which brings me to today's post. I recently posted my eighth video on the creation of beauty is art. YouTube channel. It is all about my first impressions of these new CoverGirl products. Before I get to the video.....let's take a closer look at the items I received.

Let's start with the Intensify Me! Eyeliner Pen. The claims? "Our all-new paddle-shaped tip gives you two looks in one - thick and dramatic or thin and elegant. The intense black formula glides on smoothly and dries quickly for instant drama." As for The Super Sizer by LashBlast, it "gives you 400% more corner-to-corner volume for full, fanned out lashes. Our amazing Lash Styler transforms even small lashes - just twirl as you apply it to your lashes for an instantly Super Sized lash look."

They sound pretty fantastic, don't they? But how did they compare to the claims? Take a look at my latest YouTube video to find out!


Testing out new makeup? Always exciting. It was such a thrill to try out products from CoverGirl and work them into my makeup routine. To see them in action  - or to check out any of my other videos - head on over to my YouTube channel.

What is your favourite CoverGirl product?

xo Shannon

YouTube: Kardashian Beauty Hair Products

Lately, I have been itching to film a YouTube video. This is a very strange feeling. One I never thought I would feel. It was one short month ago that I started my own channel....and I was so scared to do it. Now I find myself coming up with fun ideas - and wishing I had more time to devote to filming. This is an exciting shift. One I hope will continue in the months to come.

At the moment, my life is busy, stressful, and overwhelming. There is a lot going on and even more coming up over the next couple of months. That is exactly why I chose to take time for myself. Rather than cross something off of my to-do list, I set up my camera. It was an exciting experience that re-ignited my passion. Being able to sit, talk, and share my thoughts? It was exactly what I needed. Oddly enough, even editing the video was exciting! I find I am learning more with eah and every video I film. And that is pretty great.

So, what was it about? My latest video for the creation of beauty is art. YouTube channel is a first impressions video. I recently tried out some Kardashian Beauty Hair Products and was super excited to share my thoughts. Take a look at my video to see the items I picked up and how they worked for me.....



As you can see from the video, I tried out four different products from the Kardashian Beauty line. They were the K-Body Volume Foam, Take 2 Dry Shampoo, Take 2 Dry Conditioner, and the Pure Glitz Hairspray. One thing I absolutely loved? The packaging! The bottles are so sleek and sophisticated. I am definitely excited to use these - and display them on my vanity. (You can take a closer look at the bottles in the picture below. Super pretty, right?)

My first impressions on the Kardashian Beauty line? Good! I definitely am happy with my purchases. If you get the chance, please check out the creation of beauty is art. YouTube channel, like, comment, and subscribe!

Have you tried anything from the Kardashian Beauty hair care line?

xo Shannon

with me it's always about first impressions.

 

There is always something fun about trying out a makeup brand you've never used before. I recently picked up a few products from Essence and simply had to share my thoughts. What did I buy? The Essence All About Matt Powder, Essence blushes in Life's a Cherry and Sweetheart, and the match2cover! Cream Concealer.

Ready for some reviews? Here goes!

Let's start by taking a look at the Essence All About Matt Powder.

I picked this product up on a whim. Even though I have really dry skin, my forehead tends to get really shiny as the day wears on. So, I have been on the look out for something to remedy that problem. I find that the powder I normally use for my skin can look cakey around my forehead area. When I saw this matt powder from Essence, I thought...what the heck! At such a reasonable price, it was worth the gamble.

What did I think of it? So far, so good! This is definitely a good mattifying powder. It doesn't make my skin look nearly as cakey as any of the regular powders I've tried. That being said, it's not perfect. I find that I need to re-apply every couple of hours to really get rid of shine. If you have oily skin, this probably won't work well for you. If you're like me and just have one trouble zone to take care of though, you'll love it.

Next up were the Essence blushes in Life's a Cherry and Sweetheart. 

 Life's a Cherry is on the left and Sweetheart is picture on the right. As you can see from the shades (and the swatches!) the colours are super pigmented. I was actually so surprised at the bold colours, considering how little these blushes cost! They have a really silky and smooth texture and the colour just glides right on the cheeks. Honestly, I was so so impressed by these. Great bold colour and a fabulous texture. The only negative about these blushes? The limited colour selection! I've only managed to snag these two shades and as far as I know, there are only four available. Such a shame!

And the last Essence product I tried? The match2cover! Cream Concealer.

For the last while, I've been on the hunt for a great cream concealer. I have a lot of liquid concealers but actually no cream ones. Since I don't get a lot of sleep (thanks to working way, way too much), I am all about concealers. I need to keep those under-eye circles in check!

My thoughts? This concealer palette is fab-u-lous. It has a really thick consistency and does a great job of covering the under eye area. Plus, surprisingly it didn't crease at all throughout the day. What's really great? The fact that there are two different shades included. The darker shade covers so well and the lighter shade really highlights the area. Such a perfect combo! I was really impressed.

So, there you have it! My first impressions of a few Essence products. Overall, I was happily surprised. Great quality at an even better price. How can you go wrong?

Have you tried any Essence products? Which ones are your favourites?

xo Shannon