I Tried 3 Products From the Selena La Reina Collection – By Marisa Chiorello

Hey beautiful souls!

Recently, MAC introduced The Selena La Reina collection to honour 25 years of Selena Quintanilla’s legacy in music and Mexican culture. Thanks to Selena’s sister, Suzette this incredible collection is available online. While many shades of lipstick, lip gloss, and the eye shadow palette sold out within minutes, I was able to snag a few goodies! Let me just say, I am in love!

First, I purchased the “lipglass” in the shades of “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “Hey Dad Pizza!” I was a little apprehensive when it came to these shades. “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” is a bubblegum pink with a shimmer of silver. I was uncertain if this shade would compliment my skin tone. But, I thought I’d give it a try. “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” surprisingly complimented my tan skin tone with yellow undertones very well! The pink shade isn’t overpowering, like a Barbie pink; instead it’s subtle. I like the shimmer this gloss has, too!

The “lipglass” “Hey Dad Pizza!” is a brown, almost golden shade. At first, I believed this shade would look too much like my skin tone (I try to stay away from nudes and browns for that reason), but again I was pleasantly surprised! My lips were so shiny and golden; this may be my go-to shade! It’s the perfect shade for the summertime.

I have to say, I loved the packaging each “lipglass” came in! It’s holographic, with a pop of colour, and Selena’s signature. It’s such special packaging that I’m going to be keeping it forever, lol!

The last product I was able to purchase was the highlighter in the shade, “La Leyenda.” The pigment of this highlighter is outstanding, to say the least! It’s a glowing rose gold, which compliments any skin tone! This highlighter is also really easy to blend. If you want your cheekbones and nose to glow beautifully, this is your highlighter. It’s actually my new favourite highlighter.

Also, Selena’s iconic gem-incrusted bustier inspired the packaging of this highlighter. It’s super cute!

Unfortunately, almost every product is currently sold out. But, I’ll certainly be buying more if it’s restocked!

Let me know which one is your favourite!

 

Until next time,

Marisa

Hourglass Ambient Lightening Palette Ghost Edit

I was SO pumped when they released this new palette since I’ve always want to try their Ambient Lighting Powders but couldn’t ever justify the costs for the full size! So when I saw this palette I knew I needed to have it. It comes with 6 different shades, the top row is powders that you can apply all over the face as a setting powder (with one mild highlighter) and the bottom is bronzers and blushes.

Top row from left to right : Ambient Lighting Powders in Dim Light, Diffused Light, Strobe Light

Bottom row from left to right: Eternal Bronze Light, Iridescent Rose, Sublime Flush.

I literally LOVE this palette, my favourite part of it is definitely the bronzer. It is such a pretty contour shade (meaning it’s not too orange and more on the brown side) and it doesn’t leave any harsh lines no matter what brush I decide to use. I will definitely pick up a full size of this bronzer if I ever run out of it.

The blushes are really soft and pretty too, they have a bit of shimmer in it without it being glittery (because we all know huge chunks of glitter on your face on a daily basis isn’t cute). I’ve been mixing them together for a rosie-pink blush.

The setting powders are nice but I wouldn’t solely use just this to set my liquid foundation. I still like to bake my face with a wet sponge and loose powder all over first because my skin gets super oily throughout the day, but then if I feel like I want an extra boost of radiance I will go in with either dim light or diffused light all over the face for a subtle extra glow. These won’t make you look shiny or greasy, it really brings a lit from within look.

The highlighter is good for days when you want something really subtle. But if anyone knows me subtle and natural really isn’t my vibe. I need to apply like 10 layers of it for it to be even worth it and even then it is still on the subtle side. Some days I really like that look but most days if I’m wearing makeup I’ll still reach for one of my Anastasia Beverly Hills Highlighter Palettes because you can literally see that shit from space. I think an Alien might be in love with me because of it and I’m cool with it 😛

This palette is still available on Sephora and I would encourage anyone who is interested to pick it up ASAP! I’ve waited too long for limited addition palettes in the past and I’ve missed out… Sad days lol.

I’ll insert a picture of some swatches of the shades in this palette from the Hourglass official website.

 

 

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah

The Body Shop Haul

I have an unhealthy obsession with body products that make you smell good…

If you read my last body shop haul you know that the Tahitian Tiare hand soap is one of the best smells in the world in my opinion. It was probably sent from the gods, it’s that good. It is one of my favourite smells ever and I found out that it comes in a body wash too, so I knew I had to get it.

And naturally when I was in the store I got distracted with face masks, and I picked up two more. The first one I picked up is the ‘British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask’ This is a gel like consistency with real rose flakes in it. It’s super hydrating and it smells really good (like roses obviously). I would say it’s a dupe for the Peter Thompson Roth Rose Stem Cell Repair Gel Mask. It’s nice for when my skin is feeling super tight and needs an extra boost of hydration before I carry on with the rest of my skincare routine.

The next one I picked up is the ‘Chinese Ginseng and Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask’. This mask is white and has the consistency of cottage cheese with some oats in it (appetizing I know…). The first thing I noticed about it is the smell SUCKS. The scent is not my jam but I wanted to try it to see if it did good things for my skin. It dries all the way like a clay mask would, and when you wash it off the grains in it exfoliate your skin to remove any dead skin. I did notice that my skin was pretty smooth after! However I don’t know if the smell is worth it since I have other polishing masks that pretty much do the same thing.

I love the body shop because the quality of ingredients is pretty solid and it’s a lot less expensive than going to Sephora for one. These sell for $28 CAD plus HST which is pretty good considering the average mask at Sephora is anywhere from $60-$80 depending on the brand.

I can’t wait to see what else the body shop has in store!

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo

Sarah

Pixi Tonic Waters

Hello again lovely readers!

I was in need of a new Glow Tonic from Pixi, so I went to Shoppers Drug Mart to pick it up, and then I saw this little value pack of minis that includes two others types of tonics. I thought this would be a fun and easy way to try the other ones without breaking the bank.

Each bottle contains 1.35 fl oz and it costs $33.00 CAD plus tax. I knew I loved the glow tonic so I was excited to try the other two. I wanted to give a mini review of each and explain how they do different things for my skin.

Glow Tonic: This is a 5% Glycolic Acid toner which is meant to chemically exfoliate all the dead skin off so you wake up with super smooth skin. The exfoliating properties also help to lighten dark marks. Truthfully sometimes I use this stuff instead of a face cleanser when I haven’t worn makeup all day, and I feel like it gets the dirt out of my face and I don’t wake up with pimples. It does sting a little bit when you first put it on, but that quickly subsides and eventually the redness does too. This is why I recommend to use this only at night, and use a strong SPF during the day.

Vitamin C Tonic: This tonic is infused with Vitamin C which helps to brighten the skin by reducing dark marks, and it also contains Aloe Vera and various fruit extracts to help hydrate the skin. It smells like lemons and it feels really hydrating on the skin. Vitamin C is a natural exfoliant so this also has exfoliating properties but without the burning sensation the glycolic acid gives you. After a few hours of putting this tonic on, I noticed my skin was a lot less red, the dark marks somehow magically looked less dark, and the rest of my skin just looked much whiter and brighter. I really like this tonic for the morning time, especially on days where I don’t wear makeup.

Rose Tonic: This tonic is infused with rose extracts which is known to hydrate and nourish the skin. Rose extract also has redness reducing properties because of the calming effect it has on the skin. I like this toner for when my skin feels extra tight after washing my face and I feel like I need an extra boost of hydration.

I love Pixi products and I really want to try more of them when I run out of all my other skincare items.

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah

Too Faced Peach Perfect Collection

A little while ago I noticed that whenever I wore makeup all day (for 8+ hours) I would breakout, and this never used to happen to me so I thought it may have been the product I was using. I was using the Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, and while I LOVE the way the finish looks, I can only seem to wear it for short events or shoots or I end up breaking out just because it’s such a full coverage foundation. I googled the best non comedogenic foundations for oily skin and this Too Faced line came up in numerous recommendations, so I thought I would give it a go.

I picked up the primer, foundation, and translucent powder. The whole collections smells just like peach candy and even tastes like it too? I know you’re not supposed to eat makeup LOL but sometimes you breathe in the powder and it’s like wait…this kind of tastes good!

The Primed and Peachy ‘Cooling Matte Skin Perfecting Primer’ is a thicker pink gel/cream and I feel like it has a similar consistency to the Benefit Pore-fessional but just a little more hydrating and it has a cooling effect that the Benefit one does not. I really like this primer, I think it fills in my pores well and it helps to wake me up in the mornings because of the cooling effect it has on the skin.

Next I got the Peach Perfect ‘Comfort Matte Foundation’ in light beige. I really like this foundation for everyday because it has a medium coverage and therefore doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a mask of makeup every day and it lets your skin breathe. Because of this, it doesn’t cover up everything so if you have a really big pimple or dark mark it won’t cover it up completely, but for an everyday look I think that’s okay. I can wear this foundation all day it doesn’t seem to break me out. I think this is because it is a mattifying foundation so my skin doesn’t produce as much oil throughout the day, and therefore it makes it less likely that my pores will clog. Below is a picture of swatches of all the shades of this foundation that I found on Pinterest. You can see what light beige looks like in comparison to the others.

And finally to complete the collection, I picked up the Peach Perfect Powder. This powder is super fine so it doesn’t sink into fine lines and wrinkles or look super powdery. I use this to bake my under eyes as well as all over the face. It keeps me looking matte and it is photo-friendly meaning you won’t get that white cast on your face in pictures whenever you take flash photography.

I love Too Faced (good quality and cute packaging, what’s not to like?) and I’m definitely going to pick up more products from them in the future. I’m thinking in the Summer I might pick up the Peach Perfect mattifying setting spray too to help combat my oil even more and add to the collection.

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah

 

I Tried Affordable Products Celebrities Swear By – By Marisa Chiorello

Hey beautiful souls!

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with trying different brands and types of makeup. For me, personally, makeup is just one of the many ways I express myself. So, I definitely do not wear makeup for other people, only for myself. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know that my makeup consists of liquid foundation, concealer, loose powder, bronzer, blush, mascara, highlighter, and a pop of colour on the lips. Recently, I ran out of some of my makeup staples, but I decided to do something different. Instead of purchasing my usual brands, I purchased some drugstore makeup and products that celebrities swear by. Yes, some celebrities are just like us! I couldn’t wait to try these affordable goodies.

L’Oréal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara ($9)

The first product I purchased was L’Oréal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara. The celebrity who swears by this drugstore mascara is Vanessa Hudgens. I thought it was fitting to begin with this actress and singer because many people say I look like her. According to Vanessa, “you can really layer [this mascara] on for tons of volume and length.” She was right about this! I used three coats of this mascara and loved how long and thick my lashes looked. They almost looked like fake lashes! I also love how affordable this mascara is and the fact that it’s waterproof. Thanks to Vanessa, I’ll be using this mascara everyday and purchasing more once I run out.

L’Oréal Paris Enchanted Paradise Blush, $13

I stayed with L’Oréal for my blush. The celebrity who uses this blush is Camila Cabello. I chose Camila because we have similar skin tones so I knew this product would look great on my skin. It sure did! I loved this blush because it’s easy to apply and really complimented my skin tone.  It wasn’t too pink, or too bright so I didn’t look like a clown, haha. Not to mention, it smells delicious!

 

Covergirl Katy Kat Matte Lipstick, $9

Recently, I’ve been using plumping gloss, butter gloss, and Kylie Cosmetics gloss in Cinnamon. However, I miss my lipstick, so I decided to pick one up. I went with Covergirl’s matte lipstick. The celebrity who uses this lipstick is Lorde. I’m not sure what shade Lorde uses, but I opted for Pink Paws. This lipstick is so worth it, especially for the price. It glides on smoothly and easily. I love the colour, the fact that it’s long lasting, and it’s comfortable. It doesn’t dry out your lips or become clumpy after wearing it for hours. The pop of colour was magical, too.

 

Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes, $5

The next product I purchased was makeup-removing wipes. Ariana Grande swears by these wipes and uses them everyday as part of her facial cleansing routine. I was very pleased with these makeup-removing wipes. They took off all of my makeup without making my face feel dry. Also, my face didn’t burn which is what normally happens with makeup-removing wipes. These wipes even smelled delicious.

 

Eco Style Gel Olive Oil, $3

 

I’ve recently been using Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Defining Lotion, but I noticed that this lotion does not fight against my curl’s frizz that well. Actress and activist, Yara Shahidi loves this gel. She said it’s “the most efficient,” gel and what helps her get her amazing curls. Not only is this gel super affordable, but also it’s lightweight and doesn’t make my curls hard and stiff. Instead, it fights frizz, hydrates my hair, and makes my curls soft. I have my best hair days with this gel!

 

Pacifica Super Green Detox Kale & Charcoal Detox Facial Mask, $4

Self-care is super important, and that includes taking care of your skin. When I think about skin care, I don’t think of just washing and moisturizing my face, I think of facemasks, too! I picked up a kale and charcoal detox facial mask. The celebrity who loves this mask is actress and singer, Lea Michele. After trying this mask, my face felt lighter, smooth, and moisturized. I love how affordable this mask is. It’s also cruelty-free and uses a lot of ingredients that are good for your skin, such as Vitamin C and Green tea.

Let me know which celebrity staple you want to try!

Until next time,

Marisa

Oops I bought 3 Kate Spade Purses in One Day

Happy Birthday to me I guess! Kate Spade had a major labour day sale and I went a tad crazy (that’s an understatement seeing as I spent like $700.00 CAD), but how could I not it was A SALE people!

After I dyed my hair purple (see post here https://livelifeintheflorallane.com/2019/09/16/playing-with-joico-hair-dye/) I was on a purple kick and wanted to get a purse to match. I ended up with this little guy right here.

This is called the “Margaux Mini Satchel” and although this particular colour may not be currently available, they have this style in fall colours right now.

Link to this product: https://www.katespade.com/products/margaux-mini-satchel/PXRUA540.html

Next I picked up some blue purses because I’ve never had that colour for a purse before and I was feeling adventurous.

This is a gorgeous pistachio blue colour and it is called the “Polly Medium Convertible Shoulder Bag”. They don’t have this colour anymore since it has very strong spring/summer vibes, but they have it in a gorgeous burgundy colour for the fall.

Link: https://www.katespade.com/products/polly-medium-convertible-shoulder-bag/PXRUA250.html

And finally because I clearly don’t know my limits, I bought one more for shits and gigs.

This is a very simply crossbody shoulder bag in a periwinkle blue shade. This is called the “Polly Medium Crossbody” however I just checked the website and I think it’s all sold out and no longer available. It’s a really simple style though so you can pick up something very similar! It’s really thin almost just like an envelope and there are a ton of styles like it on their website.

Now that I have all the colours of the rainbow, I think I’m done purse shopping for a while!

What is your favourite brand to buy purses from?

xoxo

Sarah

 

Makeup Haul!

I’m such a sucker for cute packaging…if it’s pink or has a cute design it’s highly likely that it will end up in my collection. I picked up a cute little eyeshadow palette from Too Faced (even though I barely wear eyeshadow?) and a cheek palette alongside some highlighters. I’m so excited that The Balm cosmetics finally made its way into my Canadian drugstores because I’ve been hearing about it for years and now I finally get to try!

The first thing I got from The Balm is this ‘Grl Pwdr’ Cheek palette! It’s a blush/bronzer palette with a variety of matte and shimmery shades. I love love love the packaging it’s so creative and perfect for gals on the go. I’ve only tried one shade but it was pretty opaque and sat well on the skin.

Next I picked up two highlighters. I got the famous Mary-Lou Manizer that everyone and their mother seems to have and I also picked up the Bonnie-Lou Manizer which is very similar just a slightly darker glow.

Last but not least I got the Too Faced ‘Shake Your Palm Palm’s’ eyeshadow palette. I’ve used this palette a few times and it’s honestly okay, I wish some of the colours were a little more pigmented. It doesn’t really matter though I just bought it because it looks adorable in my collection LOL.

That’s it for now my loves!

xoxo

Sarah

The Body Shop Haul

Another day another haul LOL (idk why I’m laughing because my bank account is not… oh well hehe).

The Body Shop has really upped their game in terms of skincare recently so I really wanted to try a couple of things.

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The first thing was the ‘Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil’. I picked this up because I’ve always been interested in a shimmery body product like this and I’ve been looking at ones from Nars, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Fenty Beauty, but this was by far the cheapest option. I’ve used it a few times and it’s not sticky nor does it transfer onto your clothing or sheets, so it’s a pretty good product in my eyes but I can’t compare it to the other brand’s formulas.

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Next up is another body oil. I picked up the ‘Coconut Nourishing Dry Oil for Body and Hair’ and I’ve been using it after every shower to moisturize my skin. Just like the honey bronze, it sinks in to your skin almost right away and doesn’t leave any sticky feelings. I just love the smell of coconuts especially in the winter because it reminds me of the summer and helps with my winter time blues. I haven’t used it on my hair yet since I use other treatments, but I might give that a go sometime soon.

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The Body Shop has come out with some newer face masks in the last little bit and two of them really caught my eye. The first is ‘Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask’. I reaalllyy like this mask. It has a fluffy consistency almost like whipped cream, and it looks just like mint chocolate chip ice cream! I apply a really thin layer onto my face and leave it on for about 15-20 minutes. It tingles on the face and has a cooling sensations so it feels really refreshing. When you wash it off there are tiny beads in the mask that help exfoliate your face as you remove it. Afterwards my skin feels soft, clean and refreshed. This is definitely one of my new favourites!

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The next mask I picked up was the ‘Nicaraguan Coffee Intense Awakening Mask’.  This mask has a much thicker consistency than the Matcha one. I apply it with my fingers and let it sit for 20 minutes. It doesn’t completely dry on the face like a clay mask would. Similar to the Matcha mask, this one also has exfoliating beads (coffee grinds) in it that helps smooth out your skin as you wash it off. I do like this mask just not as much as the other one, but the smell of it is amazing!! Perfect to wake up to on a weekend morning.

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And finally, since my order was above a certain amount of money (I forget I think it was if you spend over $45.00) I got a free hand soap! I picked up the Tahitian Tiare scent and it is honestly to die for! I didn’t think I was going to end up loving it so much since I just picked it up and random, but it is honestly one of my new favourite scents and I will forever buy this for my bathroom.

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That’s it for now! I highly recommend that you try some of these items!

xoxo

Sarah

Trying The Ordinary Skincare

As if I seriously needed more skincare…but I did it anyways  LOL! I couldn’t pass it up, The Ordinary is just so cheap and it’s finally available on Sephora online. I literally picked up every bottle that could benefit my skin type, which is oily and prone to breakouts and hyper-pigmentation. That left me with a whole 9 items in my cart! Like what am I supposed to do with all this! I’ve only been using 4 of them so far, and I don’t want to layer too many products on my skin at one time because then I’ll never know what product is actually helping my skin. So I guess I’m just going to alternate products on different weeks? Not sure I haven’t figured it out yet lol.

I’ll start with the products I got, then I’ll review a few that I’ve tried so far.

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From left to right:

• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
• The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
• The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA

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• The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane
• The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%
• The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA
• The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%

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• The Ordinary Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% Hydrating Cream

 

Now, I’ve only gotten a chance to try 4 of them. So far my routine has been the two blemish treatments both morning and night (these would be the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, and the Salicylic Acid 2% Solution). I then use the 1% Retinol in Squalene every night, which is supposed to increase cell turnover and help reduce the look of dark marks. Then I’ve been using the 10% lactic acid solution as a peeling treatment a few nights a week. Lactic acid is a strong chemical exfoliant so it gets rid of all the dead skin cells over night and you wake up with shiny new skin.

All of these products are geared towards blemished and scarred/uneven skin, and I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in my skin since I’ve started using these products. I barely get pimples anymore, just the odd one here and there. In addition, everyone has been saying that I look so glowy and poreless lately and I just couldn’t be happier with the way it’s been looking over the past few weeks. I genuinely think that The Ordinary products play a huge part in that.

With all these products, it can get a little confusing on how to layer them, so I found a really helpful guide online which I will link here:

How To Layer The Ordinary

I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the products I haven’t tried yet, but if they’re anything like what I’ve been using so far, I know I’ll love it.

Thanks for reading!!

Sarah