MAC Technakohl Eyeliner

This is another one of my cousins MAC splurges. I tried this eyeliner in Graphblack.

MAC describes this liner as being "a mechanical pencil-style liner. In formula, soft and creamy, with an intense, rich, colour deposit. Blends on application: dries quickly to a long-wear, non-smudge finish. Versatile. An easy way to line the top and lower lash line of the eye. When applied at a 90 degree angle, provides a thin precision line. For thicker application, apply at a flat angle"

My first impression of this eyeliner is that it was well pigmented however it doesn't smudge or blend easily, but the staying power is very good. I didn't find the formula particularly creamy and it dries pretty quickly so there's not really much play time. It also stays really well on my waterline. This eyeliner is black, not super deep black, but not a steely gray like I find other liners can be. 

I found this eyeliner pretty easy to apply, however it would be nicer if you could get a much thinner. This liner has a tendency to flatten out on the tip which makes getting a thin line very hard.

I would recommend this liner as the staying power is better than some other brands that I've tried.

Blackfly Long Island Iced Tea

Last weekend I picked up this new product at the LCBO. Blackfly Long Island Iced Tea is described by the LCBO as a "Beautiful ice tea color with slightly hazy appearance; aromas of lemon/orange, green tea, cranberry nose; sweet with brisk acidity, light to medium bodied, with flavors of iced tea , candied lemon and a sweet/tangy finish". It claims to have a "Not Too Sweet" taste, is a "classic cocktail that is made with real lemon juice, vodka, tequila, notes of gin, rum and cola" and comes in a pack of 4 - 400 ml plastic bottles. It also has 7% alcohol volume.

At first I didn't really like the taste of this drink. I thought it tasted too much like alcohol, but after a few sips the alcohol wasn't that noticeable and the actual iced tea came to the forefront. The iced tea reminds me a lot of Lipton Brisk, but it definitely has a stronger undertone of lemon. There is also a touch of sweetness, but nothing too overpowering or sickeningly sweet. I think the lack of syrupy sweetness makes this drink more refreshing than a lot of iced tea based drinks I've had.

The 4 individual bottles are very convenient and great for sharing. The resealable top is great if you're having an outdoor barbecue.

This is something that I would purchase again and may become my go-to drink for the summer!

Rimmel Sexy Curves Waterproof Mascara

My sister was raving about the non-waterproof formula of this mascara so I decided that I would try the waterproof formula.

This product promised to make your lashes look "70% curlier". I found that although this mascara added a bit of length there wasn't much, if any, curl to my lashes beyond their natural curl. It also promises to give you  lashes that are “lusciously curled, plumped and defined" with 7 times your natural curl, but I found that this mascara performed pretty average when compared to other drug store brands. An eyelash curler is definitely a must with this mascara. I also didn't find that the pigment in this mascara was as dark or as rich as I like.

The brush that comes with this mascara is actually fairly decent and separates lashes well and keeps them from clumping, even with numerous coats of mascara. It is also relatively easy to use.

I'm sorry to say that the packaging was my favorite part of this mascara. The metallic teal tube was quite attractive.

I'm happy to say that this product was on sale when I purchased it so I didn't pay full price! It's definitely not worth more that the $4.00 that I paid for it.

Dr. Feelgood from Benefit Cosmetics

Dr.Feelgood promises to "mattify shine with our invisible, weightless balm that leaves skin feeling silky-soft. Fabulous for mid-day touch-ups... this makeup artist fave can be worn alone, under or on top of makeup. Contains Vitamins A, C & E to help smooth away the appearance of fine lines". 

I generally use this product as a primer on a clean face before I apply my foundation. The key to this product is to only apply a light layer, if you apply it too thickly you will both see and feel it (which is super gross because if applied too thick it becomes flaky and no one wants to look like a shedding snake!). When applied properly, Dr. Feelgood is a great base for foundation or even to wear on it's own. The product itself is clear when applied but the vitamin A, C and E leave your face feeling silky smooth. The smell of this product is a little lemony with just a hint of baby powder and it comes in an uber cute vintage tin!

This is a product that I would recommend. It definitely takes away the oiliness and shininess from my face and leaves it soft and touchable. I have heard some people complain that this product makes them break out, but everyone's skin is different.

Depending on where you purchase this product it can be a little expensive, however a little bit goes a long way and a single tin will seem to last forever.

Biosilk Silk Therapy

This is one of my favorite hair treatments. My hairdresser was the one who introduced me to this product as I tend to color my hair every few months and it gets quite damaged. This product is great at treating damaged hair, leaving it soft, smooth and shiny.

BioSilk Silk Therapy is a silky, lightweight treatment that dehydrates and protects hair with silk proteins and shine producing botanicals. 

I love using this product on damp hair prior to drying. It is also great to use prior to and after flat ironing. The smell is also very pleasant and I always have people complimenting me on how great my hair smells.

 

This product lives up to the saying "less is more". My hair is about 6" past my shoulder and a dime size amount will cover all of my hair, if you use too much your hair will look greasy and there's pretty much no fix if you use too much other than a slick ponytail or re-washing your hair.

This product can seem pretty pricey (approx. $15.00 for a 5.64 fl. oz - 150 ml - bottle, depending on where you buy it), but the bottle will last you a year or more if you don't overdo it.

This is a product I would recommend to almost everyone, however if you have protein sensitive hair you may want to skip this product as it can make your hair dry and brittle.

L'Oreal Everstrong Reconstruct Shampoo

This product was another one of my Shoppers Drug Mart bill buffers from the sales table.

This shampoo is sulfate-free with a rosemary juniper scent, so if you're looking for a more natural shampoo that also smells nice you may want to try this shampoo. The shampoo is very creamy so you only have to use a small amount to build up a rich lather with a nice smell. 

I have thick, color treated hair that can get dry and damaged at the ends. Many of the other shampoos I have tried do more damage than good but this shampoo has helped to keep my hair smooth, shiny and healthy. I also find that this shampoo makes my hair easier to style and doesn't weigh down my hair.

The only problem I have found with this shampoo is that when you get down to the end of the tube it can be a little difficult to get the last bit out of the tube.

L'Oreal EverStrong Hydrate Conditioner

My sister and I found this conditioner on the sale table at Shoppers Drug Mart. We needed a few more dollars to make our bill high enough to get the bonus Optimum Points so at $3.49 on sale this wasn't a bad deal.

This conditioner has a rosemary and mint scent that smells slightly of rosemary but the mint is the stronger of the two scents. The mint is definitely a welcome scent in the morning, very refreshing and leaves me feeling wide awake! The scent does tend to linger for about and hour after I have dried my hair, but it's not overpowering and doesn't conflict with other scents like perfume.

I've had great results with this conditioner. The conditioner itself leaves my hair hydrated and very soft, which on my color treated hair can be hard for even the most expensive conditioners to do. Even with flat ironing on nearly a daily basis my hair stays smooth, soft and hydrated. I generally shampoo and then leave the conditioner on for a few minutes before I rinse it out. Nothing too special, just everyday maintenance.

This conditioner is definitely worth a try if you have dry or color treated hair and need something to rehydrate your hair.

MAC False Lashes Mascara

Here is one more of my cousin's buys. MAC False Lashes Mascara in Extreme Black. I have to admit that I love the tube that this product comes in, the top reminds me of a chess piece!

Aside from the pretty tube, there aren't any bells or whistles with this mascara. The brush is a straight-forward traditional mascara brush and doesn't need any fancy tricks for application. The formula of the mascara is very light weight so there isn't a problem with clumping when trying to build layers.

I found that this mascara separated, lengthened and curled my lashes very well without clumping or flaking (especially my lower lashes). However, I didn't find that it gave much volume to my lashes. I also found that it wasn't very waterproof and would bleed with just a little moisture.The black color also tended to soften as the day went on instead of staying a dark, jet black.

 

This mascara definaitely won't give you dramatic lashes or that false lash look, but if you're looking for a mascara that will give you length and seperation with a more natural look and don't necessarily need a waterproof mascara then this mascara is worth a try

MAC Penultimate Eye Liner

This is another one of my cousins buys. I got this liquid eye liner in the color "Rapidblack". 

When I received this eye liner pen I loved it. It wasn't as intense in color as some other eye liners that I've used but it went on easily and was also great for getting the perfect cat eye. It's basically a tube of Eye Liner for Dummies, very hard to mess up when applying. 

However after a few hours this eye liner smudged pretty badly and faded to a nearly grey color. It would also bleed horribly if it got water anywhere near it, so forget about using this product on your water line. After a few irregular uses the felt tip would start to dry out halfway through my eyes and would only work if I shook it really hard multiple times.

I guess I would only recommend this product if you can't really get any other eye liner to work, other than that it's not really worth the price.

Wendy's BLT Cobb Salad

Yesterday I decided to try Wendy's BLT Cobb salad.This salad has the standard BLT ingredients: Bacon, lettuce and tomatoes as well as chicken, blue cheese and hard boiled egg. It also comes with an avocado ranch dressing.

At first glance this salad was packed with toppings, all neatly separated on the top of the salad. There were quite a few chunks of blue cheese and chicken as well as 2 strips of bacon. The salad itself was a mixture of iceberg lettuce and leafy greens.

The avocado ranch dressing (which they give you two packets of) paired nicely with the blue cheese and egg, not too overpowering but strong enough to hold it's own.The salad was fresh and all of the flavors blended well together.

The only negative comment I can give this salad is that I would have preferred the bacon to have been cut into smaller pieces and not just two strips laid on the top.

This salad is very filling and comes in two sizes: Full - if you want to have the salad as a main course, and Half - if you want a side salad.

Whichever size you choose, I'm sure the BTL Cobb won't disappoint you.

MAC Matte

This is another one of my cousin's purchases. After running out of my Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer, I started looking around for a new primer. My cousin bought this one for me to try.

This product is described as "A matte-ifying cream that acts like a powder, M·A·C Matte adds a sheer, no-shine matte texture in one smooth layer. May be used on bare or made-up skin. Use a latex sponge or a 252 Large Shader Brush to apply over the entire face or in the T-zone to reduce the appearance of shine. Apply M·A·C Matte after moisturizer, but before foundation to prime the skin for makeup. Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation applies smoothly and effortlessly over top of M·A·C Matte"

This product comes in a flexible clear plastic tube, which makes it very easy to get all of the product out of the tube. It's also small enough to fit in any purse or makeup bag.

Although this product is described as a cream it is actually a gel. This product can be used over bare skin or skin with makeup. I chose to use it over bare skin. The application is very smooth and not a lot of product is required. It did manage to keep the shine down, especially in my T-zone, for most of the day and my makeup went on smoothly over it. I also found that my makeup lasted longer when I used this product and it did not cause my makeup to crease, everything stayed very smooth.

The one draw back that I found is that if I was using a powder foundation on top of this, it cause my applicator sponge to get a little gunked up and left a film on my pressed powder which had to be scratched away.

MAC Plush Lash Mascara

My cousin knows how much I love mascara and she loves MAC products, so she decided to buy MAC Plush Lash in Plush Black for me on a recent shopping trip.

At first I was a little skeptical. This mascara doesn't look like much package-wise and the brush is medium sized but fairly dense and thick. I tend to lean more towards a thinner brush for my mascara.

I used three coats on my lashes and the results were pretty good. There was a little bit of clumping after three coats, but nothing major. It also provided a minimal amount of curl (if you want a lot of curl you would defiantly have to use a lash curler). The thing that I really like about this mascara is that it gave great length. The volume wasn't quite as much as some other products that I've tried, but if you're not looking for super thick lashes then this mascara will do just fine.

The only downside to this mascara would be the brush. It can be a little difficult to use, but once you get the hang of it there should be no problem.

All in all I would use this mascara again, I just wish there was a waterproof option available.