Tag Archives: Maybelline

Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil Swatches & Quick Look

Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Eye PencilsEyeliner is a staple for me, and I wear it on a daily basis. It defines your eyes, bringing the focus to the ‘windows of the soul,’ as they say.

Ever since grade 10, I’ve been sporting eyeliner. That’s probably why I could give up all my other makeup if I was forced to, but eyeliner would be the one product I’d cling onto.

I love the ease of using a pencil, but I’ve also enjoyed the drama and lasting power of gel liner in a pot form. But with the latter, you need to use a brush, which isn’t exactly travel-friendly or I-need-to-rush-and-get-ready-for-work-but-I-have-to-clean-my-brush-first-friendly. 😉

So when PR provided me with several shades of the new Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil that hits Canadian stores in July, I was thrilled!

My standards for a pencil eyeliner are very high because I’m set on what I like and what I don’t like. And I’ve had many years to see what works for me and what doesn’t.

(Black eyeliner is a staple for me, but I love adding a pop of colour along my lower lash line. The black and the blue gel pencils work very nicely together!)

I’ve already worn all of these Maybelline gel eyeliners several times, so you can expect an in-depth review of at least one of these.

For now, I’ve done a Quick Look post to show you swatches of all five colours, and I have the official press release, should you require further information.

P.S. Today is the LAST DAY to enter my China Glaze Baby Beats Micro Mini Set worldwide giveaway! (Ends tonight at 11:59 pm EDT)

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Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencil Swatches & Quick Look

Maybelline Color Blur Matte PencilAs a fan of bold, matte lipsticks, I was incredibly excited to receive a surprise package from PR featuring the new Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils by Lip Studio!

The Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils hit stores across Canada in August, but I am too excited to wait until then to share photos and quick swatches, so I’m showing you now!

What appeals to me is that the Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencil is a slender stick that’s narrower than a traditional lipstick, but it’s not as thin as a lip liner. This makes it easier to have more control during application, which is very important, especially when using bright or vampy shades that aren’t as forgiving as nudes.

Right off the bat, I like the packaging because it has that modern-and-clean look, and the tube is a nice size that can easily fit into your purse without being overly chunky.

It’s retractable. By twisting the bottom of the tube (near the smudger), it pushes more product up. This is great because you won’t have to bother with a pencil sharpener.

There are lids on either end. One covers the lip colour, and the other houses the smudger. The smudger feels rubbery and soft, much like an eraser. (P.S. When I was little, I used to collect novelty erasers of ones that were shaped like grapes, houses, butterflies, soccer balls, basketballs, rainbows, etc.)

The smudger can be used to blur the lip colour, and you can create an ombre effect. (Later in this post, I tested it out by combining two colours in a swatch.)

P.S. In case you missed it, I’m having a worldwide giveaway until June 19th, 2015! Enter for your chance to win the China Glaze Baby Beats Micro Mini Set!

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Maybelline New York Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary

Maybelline 100th AnniversaryGuess what? Maybelline New York Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary!

To commemorate this milestone, they’re releasing limited-edition Maybelline makeup and a nail polish with special packaging.

The Maybelline 100 Anniversary Collection will be available on May 12th in drugstores and mass market retailers across Canada.

PR kindly provided me with a thoughtful gift bag full of goodies on Friday. 🙂 Needless to say, it was a fun way to usher in the weekend!

They also provided four postcards featuring vintage Maybelline ads, which I find especially interesting. Over the years, marketing campaigns for makeup have changed, and you can learn more about a society by studying them.

In this post, I show you a closer look at the makeup plus nail polish, and I swatch the lipstick, eye shadow, and nail polish.

Edit (Sunday May 3 at 11:15 am): I wanted to share the official press release provided to me about Maybelline’s history, what it stands for, and their inspirational journey in the makeup world. You can find it at the very bottom of this post.

It’s lengthy, but I’m sure that you’ll learn something new about the brand that you didn’t already know, which is worth the effort.

So far, out of all the press releases that have been provided to me for blogging purposes, this was my favourite to read because it went into depth about the brand’s history through a social lens and how Maybelline built up its empire to amplify its message that women are smart, strong, and beautiful.

Yes, the press release at the bottom is long (my fingers know all too well as I was typing it up to share with you! Thank goodness my typing speed is 95-100 words per minute), but I think you’ll find Maybelline’s story to be impressive and inspiring!

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World MasterCard Fashion Week Recap: Day 1 (Mikhael Kale)

Mikhael Kale WMCFW 2015 ShowHere’s my second blog post for today – a fun recap! 🙂

Yesterday at David Pecaut Square in Toronto, fierce models were strutting their stuff in the upcoming Mikhael Kale Fall/Winter 2015 fashion featuring dresses with intricate beading, retro-circle mod themes, and lots of textures for Day 1 of World MasterCard Fashion Week!

In this show, he sought inspiration from eras with memorable looks: the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Mikhael Kale started his own label in 2007 and has been featured in numerous prestigious publications including The New York Times Style Magazine, Nylon, and Wallpaper. He has also dressed A-list celebrities such as Beyonce and JLo!

The creative philosophy behind Mikhael Kale fashion is that garments move and breathe, acting like an extension of the person who wears the clothes. They flatter the body’s silhouette and express its strength and delicate nature.

Grace Lee is Maybelline’s Lead Makeup Artist, and she whipped up a fun look that incorporated a fun and unexpected bright pop of colour.

She gave the inner corner of the eye that “Wow Factor” by using an everyday product in a novel way. Grace Lee used a lipstick to create that brilliant orange that graced each model that walked the runway.

First, she started with a smoky eye using Eye Studio Color Molten Eyeshadow Duo in Midnight Morph and Eye Studio 24hr Color Tattoo in Barely Branded for a neutral tone.

Lashes were coated with Lash Sensational Mascara for a dramatic effect, and brows were shaped using Eye Studio Brow Drama (the clear version).

To add that punch of colour to the inner corner of the eyes, Grace Lee used Color Sensational Vivids Lip Color in Electric Orange. This created an unforgettable, head-turning look!

Since the orange accent was the focal point, she kept the lips simple and fresh with Color Sensational The Buffs Lip Color in Nude Lust.

On the face, she used Face Studio Master Prime to create a wonderful glow, followed by the Fit Me! Foundation Stick and Fit Me! Powder. Then, she highlighted skin with Baby Lips in Quenched and Eye Studio 24hr Color Tattoo in Barely Branded.

Mikhael Kale WMCFW Day 1 2015

On nails, Rita Remark, Essie Canada’s Lead Nail Artist used Sand Tropez and Blanc.

Rita Remark said, “I sought to redefine the typical ‘nude’, utilizing neutral polish colours to make a statement nail look. The result is versatile, yet strikingly unique at the same time.”

Mikhael Kale WMCFW 2015 Essie

Check out the rest of this post for tons of photos of the Mikhael Kale fashion, as well as the makeup and nail looks!

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Marsala: Pantone’s Colour of the Year

Maybelline Essie MarsalaPantone’s Colour of the Year is Marsala, and no matter how many times people write about it, I always misread Marsala as Masala. (Perhaps it’s because I’m absolutely in love with Indian food.) 😉

Marsala is described as an earthy reddish brown that’s flattering on a variety of skin tones.

While dramatic, it’s also grounding because of its warmth and sophistication. This is why Marsala is a shade that’s so appealing to many people.

(I have been watching 90210 episodes, and I’m loving it! To clarify, I’m talking about the original 90210 episodes that I grew up with when I was in elementary school, not the new version. So while watching 90210, I’m more into the 1990s vibe than ever before.)

As I get older, I’m learning to appreciate classic hues that withstand the test of time. Marsala is definitely a shade that can be sported any time and anywhere.

Yes, I’m a green fiend, so I loved it when the colour of year was emerald, but surprisingly, I’m more into the Marsala trend. Why? More people can comfortably sport it, and there’s a wide arena of colour interpretation.

Marsala can be dark or neutral, which means that if you’re going for a vampy or natural look, it fits the bill.

In this post, I highlight a few makeup items that fall within the Marsala colour scheme.

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Maybelline at New York Fashion Week 2015 (Marissa Webb & Jonathan Simkhai Shows)

Maybelline NYFW 2015Today, I have something cool to share with you. (Happy Valentine’s Day, by the way!)

If you’re into fashion, you know what NYFW stands for! 😉

In this post, I include photos and information about the makeup inspiration and the fashion for the Marissa Webb and Jonathan Simkhai shows.

The Maybelline makeup artists whipped up the looks for both of the designers during New York Fashion Week 2015, which demonstrates that drugstore makeup can take you from the sidewalk to the catwalk in style.

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Gigi Hadid Is the New Face of Maybelline New York (Plus Q&A!)

Gigi-Hadid-MaybellineYou know that I’m a nail and beauty junkie, but my interest goes beyond just cosmetics.

I love learning more about the people behind a brand and those who represent it because they add the human perspective that can help you better relate to a company.

But, if the people leading the company aren’t good, that can leave a sour note and take away from whatever they’re marketing.

Yesterday, I received some interesting news in my inbox – information about Maybelline’s newest spokesperson, Gigi Hadid(Pictured left)

I never knew much about 19-year-old Gigi Hadid before, so I Googled her and ended up finding lots of bikini photos. Haha! But after doing some Wikipedia research and also reading the official press release (included in this post), I realized that there’s more to her than just her good looks.

She began modelling for Guess Baby and was discovered by Paul Marciano when she was only 2 years old! When she got older, she also modelled for Guess and then began strutting on the catwalk of several big designers including Marc Jacobs, Chanel, and Jean Paul Gaultier. She also won the First Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards’ Model of the Year for 2015.

Although her major career achievements show that she’s hard-working and savvy at seizing opportunities, what I found more interesting was that she’s currently studying criminal psychology. Also, back in high school, she was a competitive horseback rider and the captain of her varsity volleyball team.

Later in this post, I also share an interview with Gigi Hadid. She dishes her thoughts on fashion, beauty, Maybelline, and more!

In particular, I loved her answer about what Maybelline’s tagline, “Born with it” means to her because I also believe that everyone is beautiful. More specifically, I believe that everyone’s soul is beautiful. Physical attributes are just things that fade over time, but the soul is eternal and radiates from each person.

With insecurities picking away at us like pigeons on sidewalk crumbs, even the most confident people can find it challenging to appreciate their unique beauty and get suckered into thinking that there’s only a singular definition of ‘beautiful’.

On this blog, I constantly harp about my life philosophy of “happiness over perfection”. Not only am I reminding you, but also reminding myself that if we make the effort to see the positive in ourselves and others instead of ‘what it should be’ or ‘how to be perfect all the time’, we might begin living life in a carefree way that speaks to our soul.

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