Mikasa Beauty | Review

Mikasa Beauty recently reached out to me with the opportunity to try out some brushes of my choosing. I will tell you about my brushes in a bit, but first let me tell you about Mikasa Beauty and why I was so drawn to this opportunity.

Image courtesy of Mikasa Beauty



Mikasa Beauty is a Vancouver-based makeup brush company. Since they are quite a new company, they are setting themselves apart from other more established brush companies by focusing on their current designs, as opposed to expanding product lines. This immense attention has created a line of beautiful and affordable quality brushes.

Image courtesy of Mikasa Beauty

I ordered the 4 Piece Essential Eye Set and they are a dream!

My favourite brush from this set has to be the blending brush. The brush hairs are soft and gentle on the skin, but them have enough rigidity and stiffness to actually do their job well. The eye shader brush looks like your generic eye shadow brush, but the brush hairs are quite stiff, allowing for a richer, brighter application of shadow.

Until now, I had never owned an eyeliner brush or a pencil brush, and I thought that these two brushes would just end up gong unused. as it turns out, these two little brushes are the best tools for achieving the perfect smokey eye look! The liner brush is small enough and precise enough for bringing eyeshadow along the bottom lashes. The pencil brush works perfectly for smudging out harsh eyeliner and dark shadow.

Along with my brushes, I was gifted the Lemon Drop Sponge. I don't usually use sponges in my makeup application, but this sponge is wonderful! It is small enough to reach every crease and corner, and provides buildable coverage. What I really love about this sponge is that I find that I use way less foundation when using it.

Overall, these brushes are beautifully made, easy to use, and so affordable.

I love supporting local companies, and I can definitely see myself purchasing my makeup brushes from Mikasa Beauty from now on.

Check out their brushes here.

Want your own brush set? Looking to expand your brush collection?

Get 25% off your order from Mikasa Beauty using this code:

BRUBCBABE25

A Trip to Paradise | Review

I am a mascara addict.

Mascara was the first beauty product I ever wore and it is the one piece of makeup that I am always wearing. I can live without highlighter. I can live without eyeshadow. I can even live without concealer. But you can never take away my mascara!

Over the years, I have tried so many different mascaras. Covergirl, Rimmel, Revlon...you name it, I've probably tried it. But none of these products ever really gave me that "Wow!" factor. A couple have come close, but there has always been something that I was let down by.

And then, a last minute wedding beauty purchase changed everything.
Enter: L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise.

This is the perfect mascara! 

It curls...it volumizes...it lengthens...it darkens. The formula is long-lasting, does not flake and remains soft to the touch all day. 

Again I say: this mascara is perfect.

The packaging is so feminine and tasteful, with a metallic rose gold body and gold accents. The wand is easy to handle and doesn't feel bulky in your hand. The brush has a slight hourglass shape to it that grabs every lash and coats it with mascara, without applying too much.

I absolutely love this mascara! It's a quality product that is reasonably priced and delivers absolutely beautiful results that will not disappoint. The name says it all: lash paradise.


Cheers Xx.

OOTD 07.29

Shop my look:

Top: H&M (similar) | Shorts: American Eagle (similar) | Shoes: Payless (similar)

A Summer Staple: Black and White Dress

This post is sponsored by Rosegal. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Summer is a time for breezy fabrics, dynamic prints, and fabulous accessories. Keeping reading for a simple, chic way to style a black and white dress, layered with a criss cross crop top. 

Long Sleeve Indian Print Dress - Black

I love a black and white dress for summer because it is a perfect base. You can easily go from a bohemian day look to a more glamorous night look simply by switching out your accessories. I especially love this printed black and white dress for summer because of its bell sleeves and the intricate print.

Open Back Padded Lace Crop Cami Top - Black

Lace crop tops and bralettes are perfect for summer layering. They are light and comfortable, and the lace adds a cute, feminine touch to your outfit.

Artificial Pearl Star Chain Earrings - Golden

These earrings are perfect for summer! Glitzy enough for a night out on the town, but not too fancy for a shopping trip downtown or a walk on the beach.

Chunky Heel Suede Ankle Strap Sandals - Brown

Obviously sandals in summer are a must, but this year's summer shoe trend - the chunky heel - is an essential! These sandals are perfect for summer, thanks to the mixed textures of the suede toe strap and the faux leather ankle strap. Show off your summer pedicure in these cute sandals!

Suede Panel Flapped Handbag - Green

It is common knowledge that summer is a great time to wear bright colors. And while this is not wrong, summer is also the perfect time of year to wear earthier, more natural colors as well. That's why this handbag is fantastic for summer. It's also the perfect size and the suede accents on the flap soften the overall look of the bag itself.

You want some new clothes? Why not take a look over here?

Summer sales are going on, all from 33% off. Use code RGEN for another 10% off!

Time for a new outfit!

Surprise code: RGEN

http://www.rosegal.com/promotion-summer-sale-special-364.html?lkid=178359





Summer Sun Skincare

Summer's here! Finally!


And with summer comes to usual array of activities: beach days, picnics in the park and, if you are a fellow Vancouverite, many bike rides around the Stanley Park Seawall.
Another expected Summer activity? Nursing that sunburn you got after being out in the sun all day.


I have had my fair share of sunburns and, to be quite honest, I am done with it. The pain, the dryness, and the peeling. Oh, the peeling! NO MORE.


As I was (ironically) nursing a pretty nasty sunburn a little while back, I got an email from the people at Reviews.com, asking me to write a post on a review they did recently...on the best sunscreens of 2017! It's like they knew.


In my opinion, the most important point that is made in the article is that any sunscreen with an SPF higher than 30 is basically useless. While the SPF (sun protection factor) of any sunscreen means that you will be protected from the damaging effects of the sun for that many times more than if you had no sunscreen. However. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 2 to 3 hours because the first application will be sweat off or washed off as you swim. So even  though, mathematically, wearing SPF 50 has you protected for 500 minutes, you will need to reapply after 120 to 180 minutes.


Another important point that the article made is that you should be applying a water-resistant sunscreen. I know that this is a pretty simple point to make note of, but it is so easily overlooked. The same goes for powder and spray-on sunscreen. The ease of the application completely overshadows all of the lost and misdirected sunscreen.


The article ends with a list of the best sunscreens in four categories: coverage, sensitive skin,  face, and physical activity. Read the article for yourself to see what information stands out to you.
Read the article here.


Cheers, babes Xx.