Author Archives: Mary S.

KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit

KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit

Hit the summer festival in style with your favourite sunglasses, a fab choker, and stylish nail art!

The KISS Festival Beauty Survival Kit shimmied its way over to Swatch And Learn’s headquarters yesterday.

It contained the following:

  • imPRESS Gel Manicure Press-on Nails
  • KISS Polish Pop Nail Stickers
  • KISS Waterless Nail Tattoos
  • KISS Fix It Up! Silk Wrap Repair Kit

Out of all the items, I am the most excited about the nautical-themed stickers! Not only are they easy to apply, but they’re way faster than nail stamping or painting a freehand design.

Also, the nail repair kit will come in handy if I break a nail. (Even though I’m fortunate to have strong nails, I tend to be very hard on my nails, so it’s only a matter of time before I pull this puppy out!)

See the rest of this post for a closer look at each item and where you can find them.

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Hard Candy Look Pro! Illuminate & Strobing Mix-in Drops Review

Hard Candy Look Pro Illuminate and Strobing Mix-in Drops

When I attended the Hard Candy event back in March, one of the goodies I received in my swag bag to test out was the Hard Candy Look Pro! Illuminate & Strobing Mix-in Drops!

It’s one of the first liquid highlighters that I’ve ever tried, and its selling point is the multiple ways you can incorporate it into your beauty routine.

Customize the effect to your taste by adding as many or as few drops to your favourite foundation or moisturizer.

It can also be used at its full potency and blended directly onto your cheekbones with the warmth of your fingertips or a damp beautyblender.

How did this affordable liquid highlighter perform? There’s only one way to find out!

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OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection Swatches

OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection Swatches

New to the OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection are six soft neutrals that coordinate with virtually anything in your wardrobe and lend an easy elegance to your style!

With different undertones and shades that venture from fair to tan, there will be a neutral that you’ll feel the most comfortable wearing.

I tend to lean towards nail polishes that are loud and fun, but there are many times when quieter, more sophisticated colours come in handy. Sometimes, you need a palate cleanser to help you appreciate vivid shades again.

The ones I enjoy the most on me are Staying Neutral on This One (the lightest) and No Strings Attached (the second lightest) because they make my fingers appear clean, fresh, and modern.

I’m not doing the darkest shade any justice. No Stopping Zone makes my fingers look dirty, but I can picture someone with a richer skin tone than me rocking this iced-coffee shade!

The formula on all of these was on the milky side. The initial coat was streaky, but by the second or third thin coat, you can get full coverage. (In this post, I used three coats and no top or base coat.)

If you want a refresher and to learn the inspiration behind the collection, check out the official OPI Infinite Shine Summer 2016 Collection press release.

Help Me Decide on the Nail-Polish Prize for My Upcoming Giveaway!

Also, if you have a few seconds, please see the blog post I published yesterday evening.

My 6-year blogiversary is approaching later this month, and I’m planning a fun giveaway, but I’d love your input.

After logging into Twitter, you can vote in my Twitter poll for which nail-polish collection you’d want as the prize.

Don’t have Twitter? No problem! Check out the blog post I linked above for other ways to make your vote count.

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Nail Vote: Which Nail-Polish Collection Would You Want to Win?

My 6-year blogiversary is coming up later this month, and I’m making fun plans to treat my loyal readers with a giveaway.

Let me know which nail-polish collection you’d want to win by logging into Twitter and voting in the poll.

If you don’t have Twitter, reply to my question on Facebook, Google+, or Peach (username: swatchandlearn) to let me know your choice.

You can also vote by leaving a comment on this blog post.

Right now, I know that the giveaway will be open to Canadians, however, I may open it up worldwide. (Stay tuned for the details closer to the giveaway.)

https://twitter.com/SwatchAndLearn/status/752546463331127296

Edit: WordPress is acting up a bit. If you can’t see the poll, click here to go to the Twitter poll directly.

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Sephora Yonge-Eglinton Centre VIB Rouge Opening Party Recap

Sephora Yonge-Eglinton Centre

Image Credit: Zak Communications

On Thursday July 7th, because I was a Sephora VIB Rouge member, I was invited to the Sephora Yonge-Eglinton VIB Rouge Opening Party to preview the newest store located at Yonge-Eglinton Centre (2300 Yonge Street in Toronto).

The Sephora Yonge-Eglinton store opened to the public on Friday July 8th, and I highly recommend that you check it out, if you haven’t already.

Even with the crowds of people at the party, I still found it very spacious and large. Everything was set up beautifully, and if you take public transit, it’s extremely convenient.

This exclusive Opening Party allowed VIB Rouge members (and a guest) to shop for products, check out the displays and store layout, as well as enjoy appetizers, champagne, and marketing activations.

There was a professional photographer who went around the store and snapped candid photos. (The photo shown above was one I saw shared on Instagram on Friday.)

It’s so funny because, if you take this photo out of context, it looks like I just bring champagne to sip wherever I shop! 😉 Haha, I don’t. There were servers who came around and offered drinks and yummy food.

Even the champagne they offered us had raspberries in it! 🙂

On my nails: Zoya Logan (This is one of my all-time favourite green nail polishes.)

Read the rest of this post to hear more of my thoughts on the new Sephora Yonge-Eglinton store and more!

Sephora Yonge Eglinton Centre

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Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette Swatches & Review

Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Palette Review

Like magical gator wings, the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette has been flying off shelves, as it is easily one of the most sought-after makeup launches this summer.

The palette contains:

  • Nine eyeshadows
  • A bronzer
  • A blush
  • A highlighter
  • An eye-makeup brush

A powerhouse collaboration between YouTube personality, Bunny Meyer (aka Grav3yardgirl) and Tarte combine for makeup madness (in a good way)!

(Previously, I reviewed and swatched the Tarte Tarteist Texas Toast Lip Paint. Check out that blog post for my thoughts on Grav3yardgirl. I wrote quite a lot about her there, so I won’t be repeating it here.)

Those in the United States could find the Tarte Grav3ywardgirl Swamp Queen palette in some ULTA and Macy’s stores. My fellow Canadians were only able to track it down on Sephora’s website, however it’s now out of stock.

If you’re a Swamp Family member or a beauty junkie looking to add Tarte Swamp Queen to your makeup collection, don’t worry. You still have a shot of getting your hands on it, as it will officially debut in Sephora stores tomorrow (July 8)!

I decided to review the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette in-depth today in case it helps you decide whether or not this is something worth splurging on.

See the rest of this post for photos of the palette, close-ups of each colour, swatches of everything, and my thoughts on the formula and packaging.

EDIT (Monday November 28, 2016): The Tarte Cosmetics’ website has the Swamp Queen palette on sale for their Cyber Monday deal for just $30 CAD! One day only.

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Zoya UltraBrites Collection

Zoya UltraBrites Collection

Usher in the neon rainbow with the Zoya UltraBrites Collection, which features six shades that are ready for fun in the summer sun!

Each colour has a satin finish, but to get a glass-like shine, apply a glossy top coat.

Unleash maximum brightness by layering any of the shades from the Zoya UltraBrites Collection over a white nail polish, such as Zoya Purity.

The individual shades, 6-piece sampler set, and 12-piece display are available at Zoya.com for pre-order.

Based on the press release and promotional images, the colours that stand out the most to me are Evergreen (you know me and greens!), Juvia, and Mirajane.

Special Pre-Order Deal!

Use the coupon code “NEON” by July 12th (11:59 EDT) when you pre-order the Zoya UltraBrites Collection 6-piece set (the Neon Intro Sampler) to enjoy:

  • Free shipping
  • A free Zoya Purity and Naked Manicure Glossy Seal
  • The discounted price of $40 USD (regularly $60 USD)

See the rest of this post for more information on the collection and each colour.

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