Essence Get BIG! Lashes Triple Black Mascara

I love finding little hidden gems at affordable prices, and that's exactly what the Essence Get Big Lashes Triple Black Mascara is. Not only the bright purple packaging stood out to me but the name was intriguing. I love big lashes and extra black is always the way to go. It was in my shopping basket immediately.

The applicator wand is a large bristle brush, which I find really easy to use. It creates really nice volume and length and no matter how much I've used, I never get clumpy lashes. It separates the lashes, making my eyes look really open and almost gives a false lash effect. I just love the way this stuff looks and at $3.99, it's definitely not breaking the bank.

I'm dying to try some more of Essence's mascaras aswell as their other products. Have you tried this, or maybe some other Essence products you recommend? Let me know below.

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Current Makeup Staples

As a beauty lover, I tend to use different lip colours and eyeshadows everyday, but there are a few staples that I use everyday without fail. I thought I would share with you a few of those things.

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Definer 
I have been loving this lately to fill in the sparse parts of my brows, which is very different for me as I typically used a powder or tinted gel. I love that it has a spoolie brush on one end, and the actual liner is very fine and soft to use. I use the dark shade and its perfect.

Smashbox Primer Water
I'm still not 100% sure on this one, but I have been using it almost everyday. I like how simple it is to use- a few spritzes over my face, let it dry and continue on with my usual routine. I tend to use it more over top of my makeup, as I feel it helps everything to settle down and last longer throughout the day.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
I actually kinda hated this when I first got it, but after a few uses it really grew on me, and now it's actually one of my favourites. Weird how these things happen. It's a great concealer for everything. I like it under my eyes to brighten, to cover discolouration around my mouth- anything. It has a velverty texture that's easily blended in and doesn't settle into fine lines. I just love this stuff.

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Powder 01
I have a deluxe sample size of this that came in a Sephora favourites set and while I've been using it almost everyday, I have yet to make a dent in it. This is the perfect everyday highlighter for me because it's not super shimmery and in your face. It gives a really pretty but natural looking glow to
the skin.


Those are my current makeup staples. What have you been loving lately?

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Nivea Express Makeup Remover

You may remember a few months ago I was raving about another makeup remover from Clarins (which I still love), but this one is virtually the same thing at a fraction of the price.

This bi-phase remover contains cornflower to remove even the toughest of mascara without any irritation. Just shake the two layers together to make a cloudy blue colour, pour onto a cotton pad and hold onto your eyes for a few seconds and swipe away. It really is that easy and really does work. It does not irritate my eyes whatsoever, and I do tend to be sensitive to some eye makeup remover products, so no worries there. The best part for me is that its really easily accessible and is under $10.

Have you tried the Nivea Express Remover? Let me know your thoughts, or what you use to remove your eye makeup below!

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L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation

I'm a littla late on the bandwaggon with this one, but honestly I was unsure whether it would be a good foundation for me. Plus, it wasn't exactly cheap for a drugstore product. I've seen it as high as $22.99, but found it in walmart for $16 which is a little more reasonable to me.

L'Oreal claim this foundation to be a demi-matte finish. I usually steer clear of the word matte as I have drier skin and dewy, glowing skin is usually what I need. I saw so many people that didn't have oily skin use and love this foundation though, so I was very interested in seeing what it's like. I got the shade 104 Shell Beige, which is actually a shade too dark for me but with a little fake tan on, I can make it work. It blends really nicely and has good coverage, but still feels lightweight on the skin. It covered redness and discolouration around my mouth, which I normally need concealer for.

My skin isn't at it's best at the moment, being dry and having a breakout on my forehead, yet it still looked quite nice and didn't cling to any dry spots. I even got a compliment from my boyfriend who asked if something was different with my face. It took me a minute to realize he meant my skin looked nice and of course it was from this foundation. I wish there was more of a glow to the finish, but I am pleasantly surprised with this one. I wouldn't say it was a new favourite, but it is a good option from the drugstore if you want a foundation with some coverage.

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Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

If you're looking to for a hydrating dewy base, this is one for you. The Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream is a bb, cc and tinted moisturizer in one. It has the benefits of hydrating skincare with dewy, sheer to medium coverage.

As someone with dry skin and always in search of glowing products, I was interested in giving this a try. Bare Minerals claim it will provide increased skin hydration after one week. I don't know if my skin is more hydrated after using this, but it definitely looks smoother, and has a nice natural glow to it. Most importantly, my skin doesn't look like it's flaking off like it does with heavier foundations. This isn't always enough coverage for me, so I do mix in a bit of a heavier coverage foundation and still find it gives a great appearance to the skin.

This has become a favourite of mine and think it's a great everyday base as someone who doesn't need a lot of coverage. I can see myself using this a ton in the warmer months coming up for sure. There is a great shade selection and won't break the bank considering it's a high end makeup brand.

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What's In My Shower

I haven't shared my current shower products in a while, so I thought I would do so today. This is forever changing as I'm always trying new things, but here's the current line up.

Redken Smooth Lock Shampoo and Conditioner
These are aimed to smooth frizz dry, unruly hair. With macademia oil it helps to keep a long-lasting smooth, moisturized finish to the hair. I like the Butter Silk Conditioner, and find it helps with frizz and leaves my hair really soft.

Matrix Total Results So Silver Purple Shampoo
Since hilighting my hair, I like to use purple shampoo every other wash or so. This works as a toner to rid any brassy tones in the hair. I don't really like this particular one as i find it really drying on my hair. I tend to use a little squirt with the redken shampoo to help keep my hair from feeling like straw.

Its a 10 Five Minute Repair Mask For Blondes
I've only recently got this one, but so far so good. This is a conditioning treatment targeted towards blondes with a purple tint. It only needs to be left on five minutes, though I leave it a little longer sometimes for extra moisture. I dont think this does a lot to enhance the colour, but it does make my hair feel really soft after. Also it smells really nice.

Be Better Dusk To Dawn Body Wash
This has a nice warm scent of golden amber and precious myrrh. nothing overly special about this one but it smells nice and doesnt dry my skin out.

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Clarins Makeup Remover

Clarins isn't a brand I've tried too many products from, but they have a few hidden gems, their Instant Eye Makeup Remover being one of them. I never would have tried this if I hadn't gotten a mini bottle in Clarins advent calendar. This was definitely my favourite thing in there.

This is the best makeup remover I've ever used. It's name is very fitting as it removes all my eyeliner and heavy mascara in no time at all. Its very gentle on the eyes and doesn't dry out my skin, which is of course very important. It's formulated with calming organic plant extracts to help do so. It is a dual phase formula, which is why you see two colours in the bottle. You shake the bottle to mix the two together, apply to a cotton pad and gently sweep across the eye. It takes all my makeup off, including my mascara, which usually takes a few tries with other products like cleansing oils.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how well this stuff works. It's quick and efficient and I've yet to find something that works as well as this. It is a bit higher on the price tag at $29, but it is definitely worth it as you dont need a lot to get good results. I would highly recommend giving this a try if you're a heavy makeup wearer in need of a makeup remover. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

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