Thursday, February 21, 2019

My First Beauty Loves

This month the Canadian Beauty Bloggers group picked the theme "First Beauty Loves" and I thought it was so fun! I have some stand out products that made me really fall in love with specific beauty categories and I'm excited to share them! 


My First Beauty Loves

Really, my love of makeup goes back a long way - I can remember taking a "modelling" course in grade 8 and a component of the program including makeup fundamentals and it just made me fall in love with makeup! I was always the person who did their friends makeup throughout high school and I've changed my nails weekly for as long as I can remember - so my love and passion for make up goes back a long way!

I've recently made a big effort to start using up the products in my collection or declutter them, so there are lots of categories of products that were my "first loves" that I don't have pictures of; but, I will try and share them at the end of this post! 


My First Beauty Loves

These Lit Cosmetics glitters are one of my strongest makeup memories ever! They are $16.00 each; but, will last you forever. I've had these all for well over 10 years (that's why my containers are different than what they have now!) Lit Cosmetics started here in Calgary, and they used to have this tiny little shop in the basement of a consignment store that I loved! They used to keep track of the glitters you bought in a little index card box, this was before they even put name labels on some! But, the glitters are amazing, long lasting and high impact, whether you are adding a touch to a liner or all over the lid, they are great!  

I started picking these up and they were my look in my bar days - I did not go anywhere without glitter liner always! I'm not kidding - so, I loved reading that the company was started when the founder could not find good glitter to wear while working in a bar! So, I just have such a love for this company and these glitters - I still have the glitter adhesive from them that I picked up at this time and it's still working great. It's really amazing to see this Calgary start up get so far and I really need to pick up a new glitter and add it to my little collection! 


My First Beauty Loves

These Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear polishes should almost come as no surprise on here - up until 2018 when I started expanding my polish collection, I almost exclusively used these Sally Hansen polishes for my manicures, and they still hold such a big stake in my collection. I really can't remember when I started buying these; but, it's been well over 6 or 7 years... could very well be longer - I've basically been using these for as long as I can remember. 

They are so affordable - usually between $2 and $4 Canadian depending on where you get it, and the coverage is always great - most shades are fully opaque in 2 coats and they have a huge shade selection! 


My First Beauty Loves

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed - Champagne Pop ~ $46.00 CAN. BECCA’s bestselling shade—a soft gold with pinky-peach pearl.

I have tried a couple of highlighters prior to trying this one, and one of them was this super weird pink loose highlighter. But, this was the first highlighter that really made me realize why everyone loves highlighters - I really just added highlighter before because I had them. But, this one really my cheeks pop and provided the right amount of sheen and glow to improve the look of my makeup!

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel ~ $17 - $32.00 CAN. A brow-volumizing tinted gel with tiny microfibers that create natural-looking fullness and definition. 

Benefit has since repackaged this Gimme Brow; but, this was a stand out for me when I finally started using brow products about 2014 or 2015. I think prior to trying this I had exclusively used a pencil, which were fine for my brows, but using a gel was a game changer on my daily makeup routine. 

I don't really need to fill in my brows on a daily basis for work - I do if I'm doing a bold makeup look or going out somewhere; but, daily they just need a quick darken, and this was so fabulous for that! I personally have still tried other brow gels and they do not work as well as this. I will also use this over top of filling in my brows to deepen or set as well - this is still a great gel! 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment "Rose" ~ sample size (full size is $29.00). A bestselling lip treatment—and a cult-favorite among all who try it, including Hollywood’s elite—that moisturizes, protects, and smooths the lips.

Tinted lip balms are the greatest lip products ever - I still wear this product every day at work. I love the hint of colour this adds and it just make the lips not look flat and I do not wear lip products at work. It's incredibly moisturizing and lasts a long time with just a sheer berry rose shade on the lips! I sadly just had to wear regular lip balm before I discovered this years ago! 



Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in "Black" ~ $22.00. This easy-glide, quick-dry precision liner stays in place until you say when—no smudges, feathering, or running. The thin, marker-like tip is easy to use, even for the beauty beginner, and delivers any look—from a thin line to a bold, dramatic stroke. It goes on smoothly without skipping, smudging, or pulling, and lasts all day.

I have easily been using this almost exclusively since 2014 and potentially earlier - it certainly showed up in My First Sephora Orders and I do not purchase another liner. If i'm using another liner it's because it's been sent in a subscription or something else. This is hands down a holy grail - it truly is waterproof, pigmented and incredibly long wearing. Ugh, it's just the best - what could I have ever used before I discovered this?! 


The Makeup Finishing Spray Bridal ~ 8 oz for $39 (or 4 oz for $29). Kiss-proof, cry-proof and sweat-proof, Skindinavia’s ultra-fine spray is specially designed to resist the effects of excess moisture and helps keep makeup looking flawless. Our award-winning mist controls stress-induced shine and keeps makeup photo-ready for up to 16 hours. Recommended for all skin types.

I had tried setting sprays before this one and never really got the hype or found the ones I had tried so alcoholy - not great to use. But, this one is so amazing - it is setting and really extends the life of your makeup without having a strong alcohol scent or base to it. It really gives a natural finish to the face and it really made me realize that there was setting sprays that worked well! 


My First Beauty Loves
I have never been a really big lip product person - I can look back at my makeup over years and years and I'm always rocking a pretty eye look and a clear lip with lip balm or gloss. I just never found a formula I liked wearing or wouldn't smear all over the place. Then I tried the ColourPop Lippie Stix a couple of years ago and fell in love. They are $5.50 US each and have a variety of formulas - glossy, matte, matte x, and sheer. I have tried all of them and enjoy them - the sheer ones are beautiful and I even wore one (Juice Bar) as my wedding lipstick touch up colour, so that's when you know it's good. The matte ones wear well too, and I've even picked up a black in this formula!

And, a few honourable mentions that I no longer have! The Urban Decay Naked 3 palette was my first "high end" palette purchase and I absoultely loved it - it really started my spiral in to the palette world! It was rosy neutral and I loved it. I only recently decluttered it because it was getting old and I have a lot more palettes now! And, my first mascara love that I can recall is the Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara - I haven't repurchased this in probably 6 years; but, it's still sitting in my Sephora Loves cart and I almost have to pick it up again to see if it lives up to my thoughts on it. I just remember it giving me these amazing long and full lashes and I bought it exclusively for years! 

My First Beauty Loves
What are some your First Loves that still stand out to you?? 

2 comments :

  1. Oh my god! I was so confused by those Lit Glitters. I'm like... but *I've* been a huge fan for ages and NEVER seen that packaging!?!? That's so cool that they started in Calgary! I knew they were Canadian, but I had no idea where. What a GREAT story! I loved reading that. :)

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    1. Hahaha - I know these Lit Glitters are ancient; but, I feel like I can never get rid of them because they are so good and really started my glitter love!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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