Bite Beauty Sugared Maple | Review

A couple of weeks ago I ordered this beauty of a lipstick from the Bite Beauty Maple Collection - a Canadian Exclusive. This is a Matte Creme lipstick collection that is inspired by the changing colours of a Canadian Maple tree in autumn.

Even the packaging is beautiful!
The colour I chose for myself is Sugared Maple, which is a berry colour. 

Everything about this lipstick is beautiful, as it should be for $28.00 CAD. These lipsticks are free of Parabens, Sulfates & Phthalates. They are comfortable to wear, which is a great quality in a matte lip product of any kind. 

This beautiful lip colour lasted on me for 6 hours & through one teeth brushing without moving or fading.  It also has a delicious maple syrup scent upon application, but it's not a lasting scent (I'm not sure I want to smell syrupy anyway). 

Would I buy another one? Absolutely. The way it looks, feels & lasts is definitely worth the price point.  With five colours to choose from, I'm sure there's a great fall colour waiting for everyone! It's a well curated and timely collection.

Would you purchase one of these lovely lipsticks?

Cheers,
Kait 

Sephora Haul | August 2015

My hubby decided that since he didn't know what to get me for my birthday this year, that I could have a little shoppy-shop on Sephora. What a darling. 

 So I picked out some new goodies, a couple of things I already know I like & got a couple of freebies too!

 This little kit is quite exciting because it gives me the chance to try minis of five products. I've never tried any of these before, but who knows, I might find a product or two worth repurchasing!

I've had samples of both of these before & I absolutely love them both. This is literally the first perfume purchase I've ever made. Obviously these are still quite small, but I like to use different fragrances so I didn't want to commit to too much & have it not be properly loved.

The NARS minis are my Birthday present from Sephora. This is actually the first time I've received the gift, but I have to say, it's a pretty sweet one this year.  The Bite lipstick is one of the Canadian exclusive Maple Collection. How cool? It's my first full-sized Bite lipstick & I chose the sugared maple colour because I've got nothing like it. It's going to be so pretty come fall!

I love the Philosophy Purity Made Simple. This is my second little bottle of it & it's such a nice little face wash. The Caviar Repair heat spray is a sample that I received using the YOURGIFT code. There were a few choices, but I chose something that I would genuinely use. 

Have you purchased anything lately?

Cheers,
Kait 

Makeup Purge 2015 | I've Moved!

So we bought a house! & we've moved! While it's all very exciting, we've been very busy on both ends, the cleaning out of our old place & the fixing of our new place. We've been cleaning out our apartment and getting rid of some things that have just collected over time.  I thought that since I'm doing it anyway, I might as well document the beauty portion of this event.

In the apartment, I had 3 locations with beauty-related items in them.  I had a dresser drawer in my bedroom containing my makeup, one bathroom drawer containing skincare & bath items and a drawer in my office that holds some miscellaneous items and extras (nail polish, extra soap/lotion, etc.). This is obviously because I had no physical way of having all of my beauty-related items together, seeing as our space was quite small. & I don't even really have that many things!

Drawer #1 (bedroom)

First, I'm giving the hard candy duo eyeshadow away to a friend, because I've only ever swatched it.  It came in a beauty box 5 when I was subscribed briefly.  The shadows are quite pigmented, I just don't wear those types of shades.  Secondly, the Skinn face illuminator.  This is so old, it smells weird (but always has) & has now developed clumps.  I've used it in the past, but it really did nothing for me...so to the trash!  Next up, Got2b body butter. This stuff literally looks & feels like butter. Which is kind of gross to me. It smells alright, but this is also really old. Trash!  Finally, Nivea moisturizer.  This used to be my go-to moisturizer. I've repurchased this so many times.  I noticed more recently that it was really greasing up the place, so I've decided to pass it on to a friend & use more combination skin friendly products.

Also in the bedroom, I had a few Lush things.  Here are two that I'm tossing. The Lust solid perfume. I love the smell of this & it was mostly used up, but it's now very old & Lush products generally don't keep for more than a year (this was probably pushing 3 years).  A sample of the Luster Dusting Powder.  I believe that this is a product that is now being discontinued, but it smells exactly like the Lust perfume - very jasmine-ish & sultry. It's very nice smelling, but this dusting powder always left a not-so-sexy yellow tint to my skin...not for me!

Drawer #2 (bathroom)

In the bathroom there were only a couple of things to toss...This Nair hair removal cream that smells like chemicals & feels like them too. As you can probably tell, the tube has had some use. I never used this on my face, I mostly used it on my legs.  The Simple light moisturizer is actually quite a lovely product! It is not greasy, which is pretty fantastic for something containing an SPF.  Unfortunately, this didn't all get used up before the aforementioned SPF expired. Bye Bye!

Drawer #3 (office)

The office drawers end up collecting things that aren't immediately being used, then they end up being forgotten. Here are a few forgotten products. Jergens Natural Glow was one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but turned out horribly. This was the old formula & it smelled terrible! Veet hair removal (I'm beginning to see a trend) does not work well for me. I've used about half of this & like the Jergens it smells BAD. The Avon sunscreen is simply past it's expiration date..thus not worth keeping. Finally, this weird hand lotion that smells like fake, plastic peaches & isn't moisturizing. At. All.

Some nail things I've found. The nail decorating kit was well loved when I had time to do fun designs. I'm also not that great at it. Even in this picture you can see that some of the colours are well used & kind of dried up. The salon effects thing was kind of used. I'm not much of a fan of these actually. They were fun to try, but I wouldn't buy any myself. The Artistry colour is quite bland & clumped. 'nuff said.

I'm mostly ridding myself of things that have gone bad. Otherwise items are being packed up & moved or given to a friend (if they are still good, but not used).

Have you purged anything lately?

Cheers,
Kait

Choice Makeup | July 2015

This month's favourite "makeup" is more of a mish-mash of products...& only three things. Because I've been moving house & thus cleaning, painting and all varieties of grubby work, makeup has been not so much on my mind this month.

These three things have been awesome this month. From the sunshine to the sweat to the crazy hair colour I've chosen, these things stood up for me.

First, the Urban Decay 24/7 liner in LSD. This is a mini from a Christmas set last year. I know that not everyone is a fan of these liners, but they really do work well for me! This one is navy with bright turquoise sparkles in it, but it's not overly sparkly in my opinion. It glimmers just the right amount between the two shades. This has definitely been my fun pop of colour this month & it really looks awesome with my bright red hair. Bonus? Although I got it in a Christmas set, this is a permanent colour!

This moisturizer with SPF was given to me by my mother. She used it a little bit & she couldn't anymore because the scent was choking her up.  That being said, my mother is extremely sensitive to smells of any kind.  I find this to be a lovely product. Not greasy at all, it's perfect to wear on it's own or under foundation! It offers a little hint of shimmer that is virtually undetectable on the skin & it's a really easy way to make sure I always have SPF on my face & neck!

Last but not least, this little gem from Lush! Vanilla Puff is a dusting powder (which I've heard is getting discontinued, boo) that smells delicious, but it's so much more than just a pretty scent! It's perfect for those hot & sweaty days working in or out of the house.  It keeps your skin silky and not sticky, which is why I love it! It also keeps you from smelling like sweat, which is inevitable if you're working hard in the dead of summer. Although this one won't be around the Lush shops forever, they do have other options for dusting powders & I will probably continue to be a fan.

What have you been loving this month?

Cheers,
Kait

Be Your Best Self | Tag Post

From August 3rd to 9th, Beauteque is celebrating a Week of Positivity. This week is all about being, feeling and active positively. The to-live-by phrase for the week is ” Be Your Best Self.” (You’ll see more about what that means if you keep reading.) Small acts of kindness, such as paying for someone’s coffee or taking the time to have a real conversation, can make a huge impact on someone’s day and cause a ripple effect.

This week, Beauteque is holding a promotion where 50% of their proceeds will be going to Dress for Success. Dress for Success is all about encouraging women and building up their self-esteem by helping them. It’s a not-for-profit organization that helps women by providing professional attire, support and career development to encourage success.

To celebrate this week, I’ve been tagged by Newly Minted to do the "Be Your Best Self" tag. This is a really cool idea, but I have to say that it's not easy reflecting on these types of questions with regards to yourself. I'm all about other people and their good qualities...not so much myself.  

1. Was there a time where you had to be brave in a difficult situation?

Yes! The nature of my job as a teacher occasionally brings about difficult situations, situations in which people could get hurt if the right choice is not made, etc. The only way to get through those situations is to be brave, to not show your fear & to do whatever it takes to ensure that everyone is safe.

2. Who inspires you to be your best self? 

This is quite difficult to answer but I think honestly I'm inspired by my husband to be my best self. He is such a hard-working, selfless person that it's hard not to want to rise to the occasion of returning the effort. 

3. What is your greatest personal achievement?

Being a homeowner! This has made me feel like everything for which I've worked so hard has finally come to fruition. I know that material possessions are not important, but my house has quickly become a point of pride with me. It's a physical manifestation of years of dedication. 

4. Share a time where you acted selflessly.

This is something that for privacy reasons I can't go into too much detail, but as a teacher I encountered a child who was very violent. I say encountered, but I taught him for an entire year. A couple of times I physically put myself between him and the other students and willingly allowed myself to be injured in the interest of protecting the rest of the class.

5. What is the best compliment you have ever given?

I'm not sure I can completely say that I have one "best" compliment that I have given. I compliment from the heart & they are generally in the moment. I think that compliments that are given honestly are the best anyway.

6. What is the best compliment you have ever received?

It's hard to pin down one specific compliment, but I can honestly say that compliments received from strangers are the ones that stick with me the most. Not that my friends and family don't compliment from the heart, but sometimes you feel obliged to say something nice. Strangers, on the other hand, have no need to even speak to you, thus they must truly mean what they say!

7. What’s your best beauty tip?

Moisturize! Your skin will always look better, thus if you wear makeup that will also look better. Enough sleep is also a beauty tip that I really think makes a huge difference.

8. What beauty product makes you feel your best self?

Eyebrow pencil & gel...if I'm not wearing any other makeup, but my eyebrows look good I still feel great!

9. What do you do that makes you feel like your best self?

I like things that relax me.  Putting on makeup is one of those things. I love being able to take the time to just chill out & apply my makeup. Exercising also makes me feel relaxed and empowered. Two things that I find put me back into my right frame of mind.

10. What is something that you love about yourself?

My dedication to people and projects. I will never willingly give up on anyone or anything. Some people might refer to this as "stubbornness" & honestly, when someone calls me stubborn, I take that as a compliment, because I know that they're just referring to my persistence.

Be your best self!

Cheers,
Kait

25 things about me | 25th birthday post

So today is my 25th birthday! I've been blogging on & off on this site now for around 10 months & I've been quite happy doing so. I thought since I'm now a quarter of a century, I could probably share a few things about myself on here. I don't write very many personal things, but why not?

1. I live in rural Nova Scotia (that's in Canada, folks), in the same town in which I was born.

2. I'm married to a lovely man, we were married in July of 2014

3. We've just bought a house - which is a lot of work!

4. I'm a teacher

5. I have a cat named Dharma. She has a brother named Hugo - who can figure out the reference?

6. My favourite colour is Coral

7. Autumn is my favourite season

8. I took up Belly Dancing two years ago with one of my best friends for fun because we were bored & now we're both really good at it!

9. My favourite food is a fajita

10. Speaking of which, I love hand-held & bite-sized food of all varieties. 

11. I'm Acadian & quite proud of my heritage & culture

12. Because of this, I speak French...often.

13.  I'd rather be hot than cold. 

14.  I'm not a morning person.

15. But I'm not really a night owl either. 

16.  I love reading. I'll read anything - fiction, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, blogs...

17.  I also love to cook, but not baking. 

18.  I'm a fan of white wine, but not so much the reds. 

19.  I'm learning to let go of my need for perfection.

20. But I'm still quite particular about many things

21.  I'm always interested in world events & am always up-to-date on the latest happenings

22.  I'm also a history buff. I love it because no matter how much I learn & know, there's always more to discover. 

23.  I'm the chatty one, but I can also be quite shy in social situations that give me anxiety.

24.  I hate calling people, but if you call me I'll chat with you all day.

25. I never in a million years would have dreamed what my life would be like at 25, but I'm very happy with how far I've come & the direction in which I'm going.

Cheers,
Kait

Empties | July 2015

Another month, another empties post! I've not used as many products this month as usual, mostly due to the fact that I wear fewer products during the summer months. Example, I wear less makeup, thus not only do I use less of those products, but of the products used to remove them! So overall, this will be a shorter post than some months. Samples are marked with an asterisk < * >.

Makeup

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Watermelon - I have four of these...well three now. I love them! They hydrate & leave a little bit of colour behind. This one was great, it was a your lips but better kind of colour & if I ever used up my other ones, I would repurchase this one. It's my favourite one to just leave in my purse because it was a no-fuss way to add a little bit of gloss & colour.

Skincare

Garnier Face wipes - These worked fine & they smelled nice, but I only purchased them because I couldn't find any of my typical wipes. I haven't repurchased any face wipes for the moment because I'm trying to stop being lazy about my skincare, but I'm sure in the future I will buy more. I would buy these if I couldn't find my usual ones (simple or live clean).

Simple Makeup Remover - I switched to this makeup remover from the l'Oreal duo-tone remover because after using a couple bottles of that I realized that it stung my eyes pretty bad.  That's no fun, even though it was a great product in terms of effectiveness.  So I bought some Simple, because I've had pretty good luck with this brand. This works wonderfully & did not once hurt. It also left my eyelids feeling pretty normal & non-greasy - bonus! I will definitely buy this again. Unfortunately I was in a pinch & couldn't find it the other day, but fear not, I will find it again!!

Secret Deodorant in Pasion de tango - This was just alright. In fact I have a difficult time finding a deodorant that I actually enjoy & would repurchase. This falls into that category so I suppose the search continues. It did smell nice though!

Mamonde 7 days project sheet mask - This is only the second sheet mask I've ever tried & trust me, I could get behind the trend! I'm not sure that they do a whole lot for my skin (I also don't use them nearly enough, evidently) but they feel so nice! I love using them when I'm taking a bath. They keep my skin cool & refreshed feeling! I will definitely keep exploring the world of sheet masks.

Swisspers Make-offs cotton rounds - I usually purchase the Swisspers Organics cotton rounds, but I couldn't find them one day so I purchased this version instead. What can I say? They are cotton rounds. They work. I did however relocate my organic ones & will continue with those instead. But Swisspers is a pretty good, affordable brand!

**Not pictured
Lush Rose Jam shower gel - This stuff is my jam (no pun intended)! This is one of my two favourite scents that Lush makes. This product is only released at Christmas & that fact alone makes me sad, but because it does only come once a year, I'm quite happy that it lasted me this long...through frugal use. This smells quite rosy & softens the skin just right. The scent also lingers, which I love because who doesn't want to catch a whiff of themselves hours after you've done your showering & get that instant mood boost. I will absolutely buy this again. LUSH, please make this again!!

Hair

Tresesmme Keratin Smooth Shampoo & Conditiioner* - These were nice & I got a few uses out of these sample packs. I probably wouldn't buy a full size, but I have more sample packs of these & they will get used.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Foam Wash & Creme Rinse* - These were awesome! I loved this duo & it really did work in my favour when trying to achieve some beachy waves. I would definitely consider purchasing these, but I've resisted so far because of the price. Maybe next summer?!

That's it for this month! What have you been using up?

Cheers,
Kait