Review L.A. Girl Pro Coverage H.D Long Wear Illuminating Foundation

L.A. Girl Pro Coverage H.D Long Wear Illuminating Foundation
L.A. Girl Pro Coverage H.D Long Wear Illuminating Foundation

The L.A. Girl Pro Coverage H.D Long Wear Illuminating Foundation has become my current favorite foundation. This foundation has a dewy finish, is full coverage and is very light weight. I can wear it all day, and feel comfortable. I don't feel like I have a thick foundation on my face. I do have to mix a white foundation into the "fair" because it's too yellow for me and a little too dark. I would like to try the "Porcelain," I think it would be a better color match for me. I really like that this foundation has a pump and the bottle itself is very nice. The packaging reminds me alot of the Makeup Forever Ultra H.D foundation. I have no issues with my pump, and it has traveled well in the past.

I have normal to dry skin, and this foundation feels hydrating on my face. It's dewy, and I do set it because I don't like the tacky feel on my face. I normally set all foundations, I find it easier to blend my bronzer, blush and highlighter if I set my face.

August Monthly Makeup Favorites

Monthly Makeup Favorites
August Monthly Favorites

Colourpop She Palette
 

This palette has been a standout palette for me this month. I love the rose and mauve colors. It's very different from alot of my newer palettes that lean more red and orange. The metallics are beautiful and the mattes blend effortlessly on my skin. I think I will continue to pull this palette out in the fall. I do have a full review, that can be found here.

Quo Contour Craze

I've had this Quo palette for awhile. I pulled it out of my collection and I've been loving it. I mix both shades together and bronze my face and it looks really nice on my skin. I struggle with finding a bronzer that  doesn't look muddy or too orange on my skin. I was pleasantly surprised and learned that shopping your stash can find some hidden gems. This palette comes from Shoppers Drug Mart and was limited edition.

Smashbox Pearl Palette

This pearl palette was in collaboration with Casey Holmes and it continues to be a "go to" highlight palette for me. I love the shades individually or all together. I tend to stick to the two lighter shades: "Turn it on" and "Light it Up"- mixed together they are beautiful.

Blogging and Youtube in the Beauty Community



Blogging and YouTube in the Beauty Community





YouTube and Blogging are two very influential avenues in the beauty community. I was thinking about blogging and how it fits into the beauty community today, with the rise of YouTube. In my opinion, blogging is still very influential and won't go anywhere. Traditional written media has been around for a long time, and when a consumer is out and about wanting a review -they will probably google an article before watching a YouTube video. I actually use the two avenues differently. I prefer YouTube for makeup tutorials, hauls, and "get ready with me" type videos but I look to blogging for product reviews, discussions posts, and product photos. If I really want to see a product, I don't feel like YouTube is sufficient. When I look at blogging, I don't feel like tutorials would be easily laid out.

Blogging works better for me, because I don't have the ability to make videos. I don't have the space or the time to set aside. Blogging is different because I can take a break from my job to work on my blog, I can sit down and write in the evenings at home. I feel like it is more flexible. It works best for me. I'm not new to blogging. I know how it works, and I love all aspects of it. I love the writing, the promoting, the social media, and I'm learning to love the photography. I have a lot to learn but I'm looking forward to it.

Kara Eyeshadow Palette ES09 Review and Swatches

Kara IKatehouse Palette
Kara ES09 Eyeshadow Palette

The Kara ES09 Palette has 35 eyeshadows with a nice range of matte and shimmers shades. They swatch very nicely, and apply well to the eyes. The mattes are not the best quality, but I had no issues applying or wearing them. I always wear a primer and set the primer with a light shadow. The shadows had great lasting power, and the shimmer shades really stood out. You don't have to spray them with a setting spray, they are very metallic on their own. The ES09 has a unique color scheme that drew me in. It's not your typical warm orangey/red palette.

I picked up this palette from IKatehouse and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the palette. The quality is similar to Morphe's 35 pan palettes, if you're familiar with Morphe. It is housed in a sturdy black plastic case, it has a mirror and the name is printed on the front, which is really nice. This will travel well in a suitcase. Overall, I was very impressed with this Kara palette. I find myself reaching for it quite a bit. I recently ordered the ES07 which reminded me of the Subculture palette. I'll have a review soon.

If you haven't checked out IKatehouse, take a look at their site. they have a wide variety of beauty products at very affordable prices. This palette was 14.99$ and shipping to Canada was affordable and quick. 

ES07 Shimmer and Matte Swatches

Liebster Award (Get To Know Me)




I was nominated by Hannah from Floraful for this award, and was really happy to be tagged. I enjoyed reading her answers, and hope you enjoy this post and learning a little bit more about me.

Once you're nominated, here are the rules:

1. Thank who nominated you and answer the questions that were asked by your nominator.
2. Nominate 11 other bloggers.
3. Compile your own list of 11 questions for the tagged bloggers to answer.



Here are the questions from Hannah:

1. When did your love affair with makeup start?

In high school I loved makeup, but didn't really have a place to learn about it. I wasn't familiar with makeup products, and my mother didn't wear any. As I got older, I explored makeup more but didn't feel that comfortable with it. A few years ago, I discovered YouTube and fell in love because I felt like I knew what to do.

2. What scents do you lean towards? Floral, fruity, spicy, or earthy?

Fruity or sweet. I'm very sensitive with smells and have to be very selective.

3. What would be your last meal on Earth?

Pizza....I love a good pizza.

4. Matte, satin, or glossy lips?

Glossy Lip. To be truthful, I don't wear lip products every day to work.

BH Cosmetics Nude Rose Highlighter Review and Swatches

Affordable Highlighter
B H Cosmetics Nude Rose Highlighter

The B H Cosmetics Nude Rose palette is a beautiful palette when you first open it, but overall it was a dud for me. I was so excited to receive this palette, I ordered it as soon as it launched. The tin packaging it very nice but the compliments stop there. I expected a similar formula to the Carli Bybel highlighters, but that was not the case. These highlighters are gritty and crumbly. They feel dry, and do not swatch well at all. I don't like the look of them on my face. They sit on the skin, and do not blend in well. There are so many affordable highlighters on the market, that I would not suggest this one.

If you are looking for a highlighter from B H Cosmetics, I would recommend their Spotlight palette or the Carli Bybel Deluxe Palette. Both of these palettes have very good quality highlighters. Writing negative reviews is not my favorite, but I think it's important to understand that a brand can have hit or miss products and this is one of them for me. I wouldn't recommend the Nude Rose highlighter palette.



Annabelle Cosmetics (Canadian Drugstore Brand) Review and Swatches

Chrome Collection
Annabelle Cosmetics
Annabelle Cosmetics is a drugstore brand found in Canada. You can order from their site, if you live in the US. I haven't heard much about the brand, but decided to try them out.

The Chrome Eyeshadows are absolutely beautiful, and remind me alot of Colourpop Super Shock shadows. It has a wet consistency, but dries down to a powder finish. The Chrome single eyeshadow line have 5 eyeshadows in total and I purchased two- the Rose Gold and Geranium. I have no issues with these lasting on my eyes and will purchase more at some point. Since these are drugstore, you can find a deal on them. They retail for 8.95$ which is great for the quality.

Colourpop Yes, Please Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

Affordable Eyeshadow
Colourpop Yes, Please Palette

Colourpop's Yes, Please palette is a warm eyeshadow lovers dream. This palette has been toted as a dupe for the Natasha Denona Sunset palette. I don't have that palette, I cannot compare but looking at the shades, they do have a similar look. I picked this one up on a restock, because it's constantly sold out and was very excited to get it. I recently tried the She palette (Review) and was pleasantly surprised. This palette is no different. The shadows are creamy, blend very well and the metallic shadows are so pretty! 

The palette is 16$ US and has 12 eyeshadow shades. You have 8 matte shades and 4 metallic shades. I like the range of colours, especially that yellow. If you are someone who likes the build your look with matte shades, you get a great selection. The palette itself is small, the shades are smaller than a single eyeshadow pan but I still feel like it's a great buy. It's hard to get through an eyeshadow palette, and for 16$ you can't go wrong. 

Colourpop has released two pressed eyeshadow palettes and both have been very well loved by me. I will continue to pick these up. They are powdery, but less than the single Colourpop shadows I've tried. Kickup doesn't bother me, I really like to take my time and build my transition/crease.

If you've picked up this palette, what did you think? Are you planning on buying this palette?


Yes Please Swatches
Yes, Please Swatches
This palette can be purchased at Ulta Beauty.


*This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting Mrs Q Beauty.

Brand Wishlist B H Cosmetics

Affordable Cosmetic Brand
BH Cosmetics Wishlist

B H Cosmetics is one of my favorite affordable brands. They've been a favorite brand of mine for years.They have some of my favorite products that I still use today, and choose over some high end brands. I want to explore some  of my wishlist items from B H Cosmetics. 

Studio Pro HD Brown Pencil

I would really like to try this pencil again. I remember it being easy to work with and not too waxy. It was a little hard but worked well. The spoolie was very stiff and I loved it. It's been awhile, and I would like to compare it to my current favorite which is the Maybelline Brow Precise.

Studio Pro Total Coverage Concealer

I love this full coverage concealer, and I would really like to try this in one shade lighter than the color I currently have. The only gripe I have with this product is the packaging. When I first received this concealer it would squirt out without me pressing it. I hope B H Cosmetics corrected this issue. I still managed to go through my entire tube, and I need to repurchase.

Studio Pro Dual Effect Wet/Dry Eyeshadow Palette: Titanium


Beauty Blogging on a Budget (Tips for New Beauty Bloggers)

Tips For New Beauty Bloggers
Beauty blogging on a budget can be hard but I think it's important to remember that blogging is not a competition. It's very easy to give into the temptation, and think you need to have all these things to enable your blog to grow and succeed. In truth, you do not have to buy all the newest products, you do not have to only write product reviews and you can do your own thing. Blogging is personal, you don't have to follow any rules.

Temptation

When you're really involved in the beauty community, and up to date on the newest releases it's very easy to want all these new items and feel tempted. At the end of the day, beauty companies are releasing new items at such a fast pace that it is really hard to stay on top of all these new releases. I need to keep in mind that I'm buying these products, and I need to prioritize and stay within a reasonable budget. I can not use my blog as an excuse to buy ALL THE THINGS. I would love to, but I'm an adult. Don't buy something because you think everyone else is reviewing it, make sure you really want to try it. I'm not at a point where I will receive PR and that's okay. I don't know if I ever will be. New bloggers shouldn't expect or rely on free products.

Follow Your Own Rules

Coastal Scents Blush and Bronzer Palette Review

Too Faced Book of Bronzer
Coastal Scents Blush and Bronzer Palette

Product Description: Everything for a beautiful face... all in one place! Bronzers for amazing overall skin tone, contouring tones for well-defined cheekbones, and blushes for just the right finishing touch. Mix and match combinations... blend colors together! It’s all about your creativity. It’s all about your look. 

Dimensions: Palette: 7.25" x 7.25" x .5" (18.415cm x 18.415cm x 1.27cm) Thoughts: I'm not a big contour person, but I do like bronzer and adding color to my face. 

Thoughts: The bronzers in this palette allow me to add some warmth to my skin, and I like to mix and match the blushes. The highlighter is great on my fair skin. The highlighter actually surprised me, it's more than a "natural" highlighter. It reminds me to the Mary Loumanizer. This is a great palette to reach for when you want an all in one face palette. You have your bronzer, blush and highlighter all together to

Current "Go To" Makeup Products

Favourite Makeup products

These are my current "go to" products that are always available and ready for me to use. These products never fail me, and I know I can count on them.

Eye Products

The first product I want to mention is my Gorgeous Cosmetics Ever Matte palette. I really like this matte palette because it ranges from warm to cool, and it has a black that isn't too pigmented. If I want to use a palette that is missing a matte shade, I will go to this palette. The pan sizes are huge, and the packaging is very sturdy. I would love if it had a darker chocolate brown, but the black works for me. My Mac Paint Pot in Painterly is my favorite eye primer. The Paint Pot doesn't budge, and

Boxy Charm Unboxing (August 2017)

Subscription Box
Boxy Charm August 2017


This was my second Boxy Charm and I was so excited to get this box. Subscription boxes are the adult version of children's surprise bags. I saw a sneak peak  that this Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II palette would be in the box, and it was! Tarte is one of my favorite brands, and this palette is so pretty. It does leak a bit cool toned, which is refreshing from all the warm tones I've been wearing lately. We also received a pair of Pur Cosmetics lashes, mine are in the style Diva. They look beautiful. In addition, we received a 2 piece brush set from Royal and Langnickel. There is a blush brush, and contour brush and a crease brush. They are very soft, and the handles have a rubber texture. I tried the blush brush and was very impressed. There is a Bella Pierre Gel Eyeliner in Ebony, and a GRL Power liquid lipstick in Date Night. I've seen Bella Pierre products at my local Winners/TJ Maxx but I have never tried anything by the brand. GRL Power was a completely new brand to me.

I love Boxy Charm because the products are worth more than the subscription service. Since I live in Canada, I don't have all of these brands available to me, and it gives me a chance to try them out. My Boxy Charm was delivered very quickly considering i'm not in the US. I will continue to keep this subscription. Did you receive a Boxy Charm this month? Did we get the same things?

Affordable Beauty Sponges

Beauty Blender Dupes

(Pink- L'Oreal, Purple- Quo, Red- Morphe, Orange-Real Techniques)


Confession: I’ve never tried a real Beauty Blender. I would love to try one, but there’s something about handing over 28$ dollars for a sponge that makes me cringe. My dog or my son can easily take that sponge, and it’s gone...

The first beauty sponge that I used was the Real Techniques one. It’s very easy to find in Canada and reasonably priced. The shape of the sponge allows you to use it for concealer or foundation. It does a very good job of blending both, and the colour makes it easy to wash.

The second sponge I used was by Quo Cosmetics (purple) and I realized that I really preferred the shape for foundation. It’s very easy to hold, and again affordable. The Quo sponge does soak up a lot of water, and I have to squeeze it in a towel before using it but it does a good job. It is also a bit more stiffer when comparing all the sponges. Quo is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix in Canada.

Jaclyn Hill X Morphe Palette Review

Jaclyn Hill Palette
Jaclyn Hill Morphe Palette 


I purchased the Jaclyn Hill X Morphe palette during the first launch date. It was stressful, but so rewarding. The palette consists of 35 original Morphe shades, varying from warm to cool tones. The collaboration was two years in the making and the colour selection screams Jaclyn Hill. Jaclyn Hill had full creative control over the palette, and was very hands on during the process. It has a mix of matte, metallic and shimmer shades. 

The palette did not disappoint, the shades are absolutely gorgeous. It has every thing that I look for in a palette, except a matte cream brow bone shade. This is something that I can overlook but would have preferred to have one in here. Jaclyn is known for her shimmery brow bone and that’s what you get in this palette. While the palette is predominately warm tones, it has a few pops of colours and cool tones. In my opinion it is a great well rounded palette, if you’re a warm tone lover.
The blendability and pigmentation were both very impressive. I had no issues with any shades.

The packaging is a sturdy white cardboard, that does easily get dirty. It does not have a mirror but I'm okay with that. I'm not a stickler for mirror's in palettes. I prefer the white cardboard over the black plastic packaging that Morphe normally uses. I do not consider this palette travel friendly. Atleast for me it's not, because it is limited edition and not easy to replace. Also, with the cost of the palette, shipping and customs- it wasn't all that affordable. I was disappointed with the fact that the names are not on the palette itself. You get a small cardboard with the names listed, but nothing on the palette. In my opinion there was place to put it somewhere on the palette.

If you're thinking about picking up this palette, I think it is definitely worth it if you live in the US. Since I live in Canada the cost of the palette, shipping and customs ran me about 100$. I'm still happy with the palette, I don't regret the purchase- it just wasn't that affordable for me. I also wouldn't replace it, if it broke. 

The palette will be restocking on August 22, if you're interested.



Mac Power Hungry Palette (New Release)


Power Hungry Palette
Mac Power Hungry Palette


The Mac Power Hungry palette consists of 8 shades in various pan sizes, and a highlighter. I purchased this in a Mac store and took a look at all of the new palettes, and decided on this one. It's very neutral, leaning towards cool tones. I've been purchasing so many warm toned palettes that I wanted to try something else. I initially thought I would pick up the Mischief Minx, but I decided on the Power Hungry palette.

Pigmentation

These shadows are buildable and easy to work with, but those expecting a highly pigmented palette will probably be disappointed. You really do have to layer the mattes up, and I'm fair skinned. While I was at the store, I was told the shimmers apply really well with your finger. I've used both a small concealer brush and my finger and I have no issues. I do tend to use a glitter glue as a base, since I don't like glittery shades to transfer to my crease. When it comes to Mac, I do get a little confused with their finishes. A shadow will look like it has a sheen but when swatched I realize it will be fine in the crease.


Packaging

This palette comes in sturdy cardboard packaging, it feels very nice and has a mirror closure. The names come on a clear sheet, and I would have much preferred to have them printed on the palette. The overall size was a little smaller than I expected from online pictures, but it's still a nice size. I have no issues with the smaller pans when it comes to brushes.

Highlighter

The highlighter was a part of why I chose this palette. Some of the other palettes had a darker highlight that I knew wouldn't work for me. This highlighter is very nice- not blinding, but very nice. It looks very natural on my skin which I do like.

Swatches


Weekly Blog Train- Add Your Favorite Post From The Week (8/12/2017)





As I've mentioned before, I'm an old school book blogger, and I thought it would be fun to have a blog Link-Up where we can post our favorite post that we published that week. This will give us an opportunity to comment on favorite posts, and find some new blogs. I'll probably try this for a few weeks, and see if there's an interest. I will post it weekly on Saturday.


(I'm not aware of any other bloggers who have this Link-Up. If you are aware, I can take this post down.)







An InLinkz Link-up

Colourpop She Palette and Gimme More Highlighter Palette Review

Colourpop Cosmetics Eyeshadow
She Palette

I purchased a few Coloupop items recently and wanted to share them. They released two Pressed powder eyeshadow palettes recently, and they sell out VERY quickly. I managed to get my hands on both, but I will review the Yes, Please palette once I've had more time to use it.

The She Palette is gorgeous! I love, love, love the colors and both the mattes and shimmers blend so well. Honestly, I was shocked. I felt like it was smoother than the few single Colourpop shades that I have. I was really impressed with this palette. The shadows are smaller than a single shadow pan, they're more like a 10 cent coin. However, my brush fits in fine - I use a Sigma E40. I have no issues with the size. The palette was smaller than I expected but it was very affordable and a great purchase. The packaging was also very well done. I will say that my palette came a little scuffed up, you can see this in the picture along the bottom. 

Colourpop Gimme More Highlight
Gimme More Highlighter

The Gimme More highlighter palette was tempting for me. This looked similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Nicole Guerriero highlighter palette, but I chose not to pick that one up because the shades looked too dark for my fair skin. The Colourpop palette has similar shades but was more affordable. The first four shades work really well when I mix the lighter shades with the medium shades. The last two shades seem too dark, but I will try them as eyeshadows. These highlighters look really nice on my face, and don't sit on my skin. They're not chunky or glittery. I am not a fan of glitter on my face. If you were interested in this one, I think it was worth it.  They also have single highlighters on sale, that look pretty. 

Swatches
Swatched bottom going up, topwo 3 shades followed by bottom 3 shades. 

Our Beauty Cult has swatches of the two palettes, if you're interested.

3 Affordable Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes (Great for Beginners)

Affordable Neutral Eyeshadow
Top to Bottom (Tam Beauty I Heart Chocolate Palette, Coastal Scents Revealed Matte Palette, and Morphe 35A)


When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, I really like both affordable and high end palettes. I really like a palette that doesn't have to be paired with another palette to do a complete look. I like to have my brow bone shades, transition shades, lid shade and darker shades all together. I like a pigmented palette, but not a palette that is so pigmented I can quickly mess up.

The first palette is Tam Beauty's dupe of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, it's called I Heart Chocolate palette. I have alot of Tam Beauty's Chocolate palettes, and this one is a favorite of mine. Both the matte and shimmer shades are easy to work with. This palette is very neutral and great for people who don't want those really warm palettes.

The second palette is a newer palette from Coastal Scents. It's the Revealed Matte Palette that resembles the Urban Decay Ultimate Basics palette. I don't normally go for an all matte look, but if I'm looking for mattes, this is a palette I like to take out. If you do like just mattes, I think this will also be perfect. I like the gradient colors in the palette, and they blend very well.

The third palette is the Morphe 35A, and I was hesitant to add this one because Morphe is not always affordable. I live in Canada, and their shipping is expensive, with added custom fees- it really adds up quickly. However, I really like Morphe's palettes. I need to really pick and choose what I purchase from them. The 35A has every thing I want in a palette, except a matte white shade. When a palette doesn't have it, I'll use my face powder and it does the trick. I really like the warmth of this palette and the copper shades.

These three palettes are some of my favorite palettes. They are great for beginners and makeup collectors alike. If you're in the market for a neutral palette, these are recommended by me. If you've tried these palettes, let me know which one is your favorite.

Boxy Charm Review (July 2017) Canadian Subscriber

Subscription Box
Boxy Charm July 2017

I've been wanting to subscribe to Boxycharm for awhile, I never really looked into it because I thought shipping to Canada would be too much. In July, I finally decided to try it out. It cost me 33.98 with shipping and exchange and I received 5 products worth over a hundred dollars. I'm subscribed for August and so excited about the sneak peaks that I have seen.

Bareminerals Translucent Powder Duo (42$ Can) Bare Minerals

This duo has a matte side, great for setting the face or under the eyes and a glow side that offers a "natural" glow to the skin. I've actually mixed the two and set my face that was not too glowy and nice. The powder doesn't offer any brightening to the under eye, but it's very light and does a great job.

Blinc Eyeshadow Palette (45$ US) Blinc

I initially thought this was a Boxy Charm exclusive, but I did find it on the Blinc website. These shades are stunning, and I've worn them a few times. I like that it's a small palette, and I can pull out another small matte palette and it won't be too much on my vanity. I love all 5 shades, they really are stunning.

Exploring The Balm Cosmetics (Nude Beach, Batter Up, Upcoming Trio, Instain Blush and Liquid Lipstick)

Balm Cosmetics

I'm going to have a new series on my blog where I explore brands and list items that I have on my radar. I can't possibly buy every item that i'm interested in, but I still want to discuss them and promote them on my blog. Wouldn't it be wonderful, if I could just buy them all? Yeah, not going to happen...

The first item is the Batter Up Eyeshadow Stick. I've read positive reviews, and I think this could be great for a quick, "one and done" eyeshadow look. The Balm has 8 colors, and they have very wearable shades.  This claims to be long lasting and very pigmented. 

The Blush Trio above is a sneak peak from Trendmood. I don't know when this will be released but I thought it looked very interesting. I love palettes, I feel like I have more variety and it's more cost effective. It looks like two blushes and a bronzer. I'm interested, I'll keep checking online for information.

The Nude Beach looks lovely. It's reminiscent of the Naked Heat by Urban Decay but it has it's own unique shades. This palette has those bronze and gold shades that I would have loved in the Urban Decay palette. I have one of the other Nude palettes, and I really like the formula. 

The Balm's Instain Blushes are also on my radar. They claim to be a "long wearing powder staining blush." I'm interested because blush is one of the first products to fade on my face. Blush really brings life to your look and this claim to "stain" seems interesting. 

The last product I wanted to mention was their Meet Matt Hughes set of 6 Long Lasting Liquid Lipsticks. Believe it or not, I don't have that many lipsticks. I don't wear lipstick day to day and that is something I would like to change in my routine. These sets would give me a chance to experiment with the colors and the formula. 

Do you have any favorite products from The Balm? 

Pur Cosmetics Soiree Diaries Eyeshadow Palette Review

Pur Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette
Pur Cosmetics Soirée Diaries Eyeshadow Palette

Did I really need another neutral palette? No....but I wanted it.

This palette consists 12 eyeshadows- 8 matte and 4 metallic shades. These shadows are very smooth. The matte shadows build and blend very easily, and the shimmer shades are BEAUTIFUL! There's a mix of neutral, copper and bronze shades. The color selection is right up my alley. It's perfect for a day or night look. I was impressed by the matte shades, and shocked at how good the metallic shades were. The packaging looks like marble and it's pretty heavy for a cardboard package. It does have a mirror and will travel well.

I haven't been seeing this palette around Youtube or blogs very much. Maybe I just didn't notice it, but when I saw it on twitter, I had to have it. I really do love this palette and would like to try more Pur Cosmetics products. These shadows really impressed me, it was the first eye shadow palette I've tried from Pur. We don't have a great selection in Canada. I checked our Shopper Drug Mart/Pharmaprix and it wasn't in stores. I'm not sure if it will be, but I ordered online.

Pur Cosmetics* Site




*Indicates affiliate link used

Colourpop Haul and Review (Here Comes the Sun, Aquarius, Blow Me Away)

Blow Me Away, Aquarius, Here Comes the Sun
Blow Me Away, Aquarius, Here Comes the Sun



Colourpop Cosmetics has been launching new products constantly. They're very trendy, very affordable and I decided to pick up some items. Since I live in Canada, I look for affordable shipping when buying internationally. Colourpop does fit the bill, and I was happy with their shipping price, and timing.

I have some of their Super Shock Shadows, that has a bouncy consistency. They're not really a cream and not really a shadow. You kinds have to try them yourself to see what they're like. I do like the look of them but I don't like applying a shadow with my finger. I have small lid space, and I feel like it gets messy really fast, if i'm not careful. I really wanted to try their pressed shadows and Ultra Satin lipstick. I purchased the Blow Me Away shadows, the Here Comes the Sun Blush and Highlighter duo and the Aquarius Ultra Satin Lipstick.

The Blow Me Away palette has four shades that can be removed from the palette. I believe you can take out the cardboard section and use the magnetic box like a z palette. It has one shimmer shade, and 3 matte shades.

Take a Break- Metallic
Issues- Matte
Centerfold- Matte
Slim Fit- Matte

Eyeshadow Palettes I'm Not Going To Buy (Sephora Pro, Kat Von D Glimmer, ABH Subculture)

Anti Haul
Sephora Warm Palette, Kat Von D Glimmer, Subculture

I'm eyeshadow palette obsessed. I love buying them, using them and looking at them but these are three palettes that I'm not planning to buy. As much as I would love to buy all of them, I have to be practical and budget friendly.

The Sephora Pro Warm palette is beautiful! I really had to talk myself out of buying this one, because it's 85$ Canadian. I just can't justify paying that much for a palette that I won't use every day. I have so many palettes that I rotate through, I know I REALLY want this palette, but it's expensive. I really hope, I can keep talking myself out of this one.

Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Glimmer palette is another palette that looks beautiful, but I don't wear all shimmer shades. I also don't like to use two palettes when trying to create one eye look. I have the Shade and Light matte palette and it's not one I use often, because I like a shimmer shade on my lid. I work full time, and I'm usually putting my makeup on in the morning, trying to get out the door. I want easy, and I want a palette to have everything I'm looking for- matte brow bown, transition shades, darker color for outter V and liner. I think this is a great palette, but I know I can't have them all.

The Anastasia Subculture palette is hot right now, and reviews are very mixed. I'm not buying this one because the colors don't really speak to me. If this palette is harder to use than the Modern Renaissance, I'm not interested. Sometimes shadows are too pigmented and it's hard to use. I'm not a professional, and I want palettes that are easy to use. I don't want to be intimidated by a palette. I will wait on this one, if the palette issues are worked out and I suddenly get inspired by tutorials.


Revlon Photoready Eye Art Cream Shadow and Liner

Cream Eyeshadow
Revlon Eye Art Cream Shadow and Liner

I discovered these when the Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow eyeshadows were launched. I saw these at the drugstore and decided to try them out. These shadows have coordinating shadow duos. One side has a cream shadow, and the other has a glitter liner/topper. I have the Burnished Bling and Prism Peach duos.

In all honestly, I'm not a cream shadow lover. I find them harder to work with because I have smaller lids that are slightly hooded. These worked for me. I thought they dried down fast and built well. I had to be careful not to put too much product on my lids with the doe-foot applicator, but it was pigmented and went on well. I didn't have any issues with creasing, which is something that I don't usually have issues with. I actually think these are more wearable for every day compared to my Stila Glitter shadow. These glitters don't fall all over my face.

In Canada, I purchased mine at Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix but I noticed they're gone. I'm not sure if these are being discontinued. If you see them, and are interested. Don't wait too long.

My Blog Story


Mrs Q Beauty

This blog was born when I felt very uninspired with my 8+ year book blog. In the 8 years since I started blogging, my life changed. I had a son, and reading didn't happen as often. When I did have a chance to read, I didn't feel like reviewing the books. After I had my son, I really started getting back into makeup. It was ten minutes in the morning when I did something for myself. Something that made me feel better.

I use to never want to take pictures that had me in them. When I did look at pictures, I noticed how tried and worn out I looked. My son was a horrible sleeper, and he's just now starting to not wake up during night. He's almost four... Those early years were rough, when I returned to work after my year maternity leave. I was a mess! I was so tired, I didn't know what to do with myself. I would be crying, and not know why. I suddenly had alot of anxiety and knew I had to take control and organize myself. I turned to makeup as a form of self care. It was my creative outlet and something that I could do for myself. It has honestly changed me for the better. I like taking pictures with me in it again. I love when my son is scrolling through my Instagram and he sees a picture of us. I see someone who is much more happier, much more in control, and balanced.

Makeup has become a passion for me. I'm not a makeup artist, I'm just a 32 year old woman who loves to do her makeup in the morning. I love testing out products, and learning about the industry. This blog is a way for me to connect with other makeup lovers, and maybe mother's and wives. I hope to build a supportive community. I'm so happy to be blogging again, because I really missed it. It's exciting and I love seeing my blog grow. Thank you for all of those that have been commenting and reaching out.