There’s so much fun to be had with beauty products these days. There are so many choices and fun techniques to try. It’s truly an expressive art.
Although I’m definitely not an expert, I love taking part in the fun of beauty. What girl doesn’t want to have fun with their face, right?!
I personally don’t wear a lot of make up on a daily basis but I resent those who say that make up is a mask. It definitely can be, but if it helps an individual feel creative and confident about themselves, I think that’s awesome.
So here are some of the brands that are really stepping it up and giving us more to play with. I definitely had fun playing them – and that’s what beauty products is about… having fun!
NYX Canada
I had heard of NYX Canada quite a bit before. I knew they were the go-to choice for beauty gurus and Youtuber tutorial-ers alike. Their products were known for their strong pigments and cheap prices – basically music to my ears. Unfortunately they weren’t available in Canada, so I never got the chance to try it. That changed last year when they finally launched in Canada (woot woot #NYXinthe6) and opened their first flagship store in Toronto’s stylish Queen West.
I finally had the chance to try out their amazing products and it definitely lived up to the hype. Eye shadows were $5, lipsticks were under $10, and they literally have any beauty tool you can think of.
Given I was now exposed to everything beauty I could ever imagine, I decided to try out a different sort of look (ok, VERY different).
I loved trying this look. The purple lip colour went on so pigmented and smooth, it literally felt like I was painting a canvas. I used a light pink shadow on my lids to give it a bit of dimension, and dabbed this NYX vibrant sparkle shaker onto my fingertips before applying them to my eye lids and centre of my purple lips. And obviously, I couldn’t finish any make up look without a little winged liquid liner.
Basically, I transformed into a unicorn… and I loved it.
p.s. Excuse the lack of foundation and plucked eyebrows (y’all know I’m not a hard core beauty professional).
KISS Lashes
I’ve had eyelash extensions done on and off since I was about 16. I know I know, it’s really bad for my eyes – I love them though. I do, however, give my eyelids a break every chance I get. I let all the extensions fall off and live like regular folk with natural eyelashes (asian gals, you feel ma pain).
When I do this break though, I lean on falsies for special events and night-outs. I hadn’t found a brand I really liked – I tried mink lashes, Shoppers brands, everything under the sun. Typically I just chose whatever was convenient for me.
Recently, I came across KISS lashes. I had used their products in the past, but never their lashes. They’re sold in Walmart and are always out of stock, so I decided to try them out.
They’re amazing. Honestly, they look even more natural than my eyelash extensions. They’ve got this dual layer action, so no more prominent division between your falsies and your natural lashes. I’m wearing the Tulip version here, but all of their choices seriously make your lashes look AMAZEBALLS.
CK2 Fragrance
Although I’ve literally been using the same Chanel fragrance since I was 15, I’ve decided to open up my doors and try new things. New adventures, new me, new scent right? I normally find most perfumes way too sweet for my liking. Sometimes I’ll even use Dave’s cologne for a bit of a change.
Needless to say, I was a bit more skeptical trying out CK2, Calvin Klein’s new fragrance. It boasted the embodiment of thrill for live and diversity of connection, so it’s inspiration kind of got me. It’s also a gender-free (unisex) fragrance (woot woot for not using my boyfriend’s cologne anymore), so that definitely caught my attention too.
I tried it and it’s definitely giving my original scent a run for its money. I absolutely love how it feels urban, but still fresh. It actually has notes of wasabi, wet cobblestones, and sandalwood in it.
And it’s hard to ignore how incredibly cool this bottle looks. Let’s be honest, packaging definitely makes a big difference.
For Beloved One
For those who don’t know, I was born in Toronto, Canada (#proudCanadian), but my mom is actually from Hong Kong and my dad is from Taiwan. I’ve travelled to Hong Kong several times, but it was just this past October that I got the chance to finally visit Taiwan. I was immediately obsessed with the culture. Unlike popular knowledge, it’s very different from Chinese city-culture and is actually more reminiscent of Japan (one of my favourite places in the world).
So when this new Taiwanese skincare line, For Beloved One, launched here in Canada, I had to check it out. Asian skincare regimes aren’t a new thing and have been a huge trend recently, so it was great timing for them to launch in Canada. Their new hyaluronic acid technology promotes really deep hydration and treatment, and like most asian skincare lines, have really light and quick-absorbing qualities. I’m in absolute love with their hyaluronic masks. They’re gel-like material sticks and really works into your skin and my face feels automatically brighter and smoother. Although the masks have a bit more of a luxurious price point (approx. $20/mask), I see them as a little treat for my face!
Elizabeth Arden
Highlighter, primer, bronzer – Elizabeth Arden has a pretty full stack coming out for the spring-summer. Personally, I’m obsessed with the highlighter stick. It’s perfect for easy handling and I use it to highlight those “tricky” areas – the length of my nose, my cupid’s bow, and underneath my bottom lip.
I’m also in love with their new mascara. It’s got the perfect brush size to get those bottom lashes properly. I’m addicted to lash extensions and falsies, so I don’t use mascara on the top – but I layer this one up on the bottom. Its size ensures that it never leaves those smudges that thick brushes do.
The packaging, as always, is super on point. Something about beautiful packaging makes you want to purchase it, no?
I’ve also been using the Superstarter pre-serum for a couple seasons now, and it’s still a go-to for me. My serums change all the time, but my booster hasn’t.
Sahajan
I recently came across Sahajan and was curious to hear about what it offered the “holistic beauty” landscape. I wouldn’t say that I’m the most earth-conscious individual (admittedly), but I’ve been looking for an eye cream that works and its reviews caught my eye. Sahajan is actually a Canadian brand that uses ayurvedic and organic ingredients. It was founded by a woman named Lisa Mattam; and y’all know how I feel about females pursuing their passion 
And yes, I just learned what ayurveda was too 
Its products draw from “Mother Nature” and does it ethically. There are also no parabens, phthalates, sulphates, petroleum, BHT, DEA, and a whole bunch of other acronyms that sound pretty bad for you. I’ve been using the eye cream for about a week now and although I am still using concealer in the morning, it does seem like my dark circles are a bit brighter. The packaging, is also incredibly on point. Its true to its holistic brand. I love that.
There are so many other beauty brands I’ve been really impressed with recently; but these ones have found their way into my quick rotation. When spring rolls around, I feel like I want to try new things, test new ways to way my skin look radiant, and refresh my beauty routine.
New season, new me, right?
What are your beauty must-haves for spring? Give me recos!
