#TeeezBeauty | A Dave Lackie Event Recap

Last Wednesday night I was honoured to attend the official launch of the Teeez Cosmetics counter at the Hudson's Bay flagship store on Queen St W in downtown Toronto. The new counter hosts all kinds of interactive beauty fun, but before I get into that, I'd like to introduce you to the brand.

Teeez Cosmetics is a fashion forward, edgy brand from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Rooted in fashion, their collections are anything but boring. Their packaging boasts brightly coloured skull motifs and has an eccentric flair that you can't help but love. The products themselves are high quality, pigmented and long wearing. Often compared to M.A.C, this is a brand that you don't want to sleep on!

The creativity doesn't stop with the products either. Meet the new Teeez counter!

It looks like a regular counter right? Wrong! This high tech, interactive space is like nothing you've seen before.  Boasting the latest technology, not only can you look at and swatch beautiful products, you can scan them to get a step by step tutorial with their new iOS app. The fun doesn't stop there either!

Do you want to try on a new lipstick but cringe at the thought of putting a tester to your lips? Instead of grinning and bearing or holding a swatched finger to your lips, you can now scan your face and digitally try it on. Pretty neat right! The screen scans your face and then allows you to 'try' on products without actually 'trying' them on.

And if that isn't enough, wait til you hear about this! Have you ever gone for a makeover, purchased the products and brought them home only to forget how to use them? Or maybe you don't remember what shade of eye shadow went in the crease and what went on the lid. Even the most talented of us have trouble recreating our makeovers. Well that's no longer a problem thanks to this handy dandy video recording station aptly named VanityVid.  While getting a makeover you can opt to have it recorded and emailed to you.  It's like having your own personaliazed YouTube tutorial. Amazing!

VANITYVID

After our tour of the new counter we were brought upstairs to the Arcadian Lofts for cocktails, gourmet meal, presentation and gift bag.  The signature cocktail was very unique and also super tasty!

Dinner was absolutely scrumptious and dessert was amazing. These meals never disappoint, believe me!

During dessert Dave interviewed our surprise guest of honour Paul van der Wall, Senior Global Makeup Artist for Teeez Cosmetics. Paul is the man behind the collections, hand picking the shades and infusing his love of fashion into it all. He's also a super fun and an incredibly down to earth guy. It was a pleasure meeting him!

Not only did we receive an amazing gift bag but our own handmade bracelet and key chain thanks to the super talented Daniel aka @djdrm1972 of Earth Elements. Each bracelet is unique in its own way and you can really feel the love that got put into making them. Daniel has some stunning pieces and if you're into jewellery (who isn't?) I highly recommend visiting his Facebook page here to see some of his creations.

Myself, Grieta, Connie and Jenn (photo cred to @griechux) 

Thanks again to Dave Lackie, Teeez Cosmetics Canada, Daniel and the Hudson's Bay ❤❤❤

September's Topbox | Review

Septembers topbox

I just realized that I forgot to post about last months box..oops! I'm not going to go over it, because well, it's old news. But if you're curious about what I received last month, you can view my post on instagram here. Moving forward, let's talk about this months box and the delay in shipping that saw it arrive on the 20th instead of the 15th. Apparently one of the items I was receiving in my box was delayed. It happens. What confused me a bit was that I saw other subscribers posting on IG the exact same box that I was to received but on the 15th. Odd...

Anyways, they threw in a Unilever box for free which was nice and if I'm being honest, made up for the fact that this months box sucked. Yup, I said it. It sucks. Out of 5 items there was only one that I like, and sadly it's a sample that I could get for free from Sephora. If you guessed it's the Makeup For Ever Ultra HD, you're correct.

Bonus Unilever box

So this is what I received this month!

• MUFE Ultra HD foundation in the shade 127=Y335 5ml
• Boo Bamboo shampoo 15ml
• Boo Bamboo conditioner 15ml
• BVspa by Bon Vital body lotion 30ml
• Delectable everything balm 7ml

As I mentioned earlier, I like the foundation. This shade is a perfect match for me and I will never complain about getting makeup in my topbox, especially if it's from MUFE! The shampoo and conditioner are OK, but I'm sick of getting teeny little bottles of it. I have thin, medium length hair and i'll be lucky if I can get a second use out of these bottles. The body lotion is just meh. It's not horrible but it's not good either. It smells cheap and performs like any other lotion out there. I will use up the sample but i'm not going to purchase it. Lastly, the everything balm by delectable.

First of all, what the hell is an everything balm? It says you can use it from tips to toes and after opening it and discovering that it looks and feels like runny Vaseline, I decided to put it on my lips. OMG no. This stuff tastes horrible. It tastes like 10 year old lipstick. Gross. It doesn't smell much better either. Needless to say that I wont be purchasing this anytime soon.

So there you have it. This months box was a fail for me and i'm hoping that next month will be better. Do any of you subscribe to topbox? Would you like to? Feel free to use my referral link here!

Fruits & Passion Moisturizing Lip Patches | Review

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posts,  our family got hit hard with a cold last week and I have been trying to recover.  I'm back now and I'm working on some more detailed reviews but in the meantime I'd like to share a quick review of Fruits & Passion's Moisturizing Lip Patch.

These lip patches are from the targeted solutions line and are sold individually or in packs of four. Similar to a sheet mask, they come in single use packets. They claim to hydrate dry lips and restore silky softness. The instructions say to remove the film from the patch,  apply to lips and leave on for 10-20 minutes.  Sounds easy enough right? Wrong!

First of all these patches are very oddly shaped and too large (at least for my thin lips).  They're also very wet and clingy, making them hard to apply. Once on,  oh my god are they ever uncomfortable. Imagine a sheet mask, but on your lips. No thanks. Forget eating, drinking or talking while wearing them. Even while doing absolutely nothing, the patch slipped and slid around. Don't even get me started on how awful they taste.  I managed to wear it for the bare minimum of 10 minutes. As per the instructions, I gently tapped the remaining solution onto my lips.

So were my lips restored to silky softness? In a word, no. Sure they felt better than they did, but in no way were they repaired. In my opinion, these are not worth the hassle. I'd rather religious apply my lip balm and lay off the matte lipsticks for a few days.

Have you tried these patches before? Did they work for you. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Mom Loves Makeup Is Celebrating It's One Year Blogiversay With A Giveaway!!!

Wow! I can't believe this little blog of mine is turning one today! My very first post was exactly one year ago today. Time flies when you're having fun amiright?!

I've always been very opinionated and naturally product reviews came easy to me. After reading and following so many blogs, I decided to start my own.  I was already doing third party reviews so it seemed like a natural fit.

As I have mentioned before, I plan to revamp this blog and grow it into something great! With the support of my followers and friends I know that I can do it.  I appreciate each and every one of you, so as a token of my appreciation I decided to host a giveaway. Both old and new followers alike are allowed to enter!

As this is my first giveaway,  it's open to CANADA ONLY.  Sorry international friends, I will try to put something together for you in the future!

ONE winner will receive the products in the photo and maybe even a surprise or two ;)

Please read and follow the directions to a T or else your entry/entries will become invalid.

Please note that if you follow to unfollow you will be blocked and removed from any and all future giveaways. I have apps to check. Don't be that person. Also note that giveaway only accounts will be disqualified. Sorry, not sorry.

Mandatory Entries are:

• Follow my blog via email
• Follow me on Twitter
• Follow me on Instagram

All other entries are optional, but will increase your chance of winning! With the exception of the pure and simple duo (I got an extra freebie for you) all items were purchased either directly by me or indirectly through subscription boxes. All products are new and unopened with the exception of the Mirabella Lip Pencil. I opened the box for photo purposes but rest assured it hasn't been used!

Good luck to all who enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Cat Walk Beauty Trends #HBCBeauty

This past Thursday I attended Dave Lackie's Fall Cat Walk Beauty Trends event. It was held in the cosmetics department at the Hudson's Bay flagship store located at 176 Yonge St in beautiful downtown Toronto. This is the oldest Bay store in Toronto and it's also my favourite location to shop at. This iconic building was constructed in 1892 and has a very rich history you can read about right here!

We learned about the hottest beauty trends on the cat walk. Fashion and beauty go hand-in-hand and many of the trends that are seen on the runway become the 'in' styles for modern beauty. Not only did Dave let us in on the upcoming trends, he told us stories about celebrities he's interviewed and worked with. Some were very funny! The best piece of advice he gave was to do what you love. If you love your job it won't feel like a chore.  Follow your passion,  money will come later!

One huge trend that's coming is red lips. Designers such as Gucci, Roksanda, Versace and Charlotte Olympia had their models wearing bold red lips. Shiseido has released a fabulous collection of red-based lipsticks aptly named Rouge Rouge. Dick Page created this 16 shade collection with the idea that all women can wear a red-based lipstick. With 16 shades, all skin tones can find a red to suit them. Dior has also released a rich, red collection: 50 Rouge Dior. With 5 colour families there truly is a red for everyone!

Another fall trend is the vampy, modern gothic look.  Lots of black eyeliner,  Smokey eyes and black lips took the stage with designers such as Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and Dsquared.  A very dramatic and dark look is in this fall.  The best advice is to pick one direction for your look.  Play up your eyes while keeping lips subtle or go for natural eye makeup, minimal brows and a gothic lip. Deep, blackened red and full on black lips are very much in this fall!

Dave also had a gift for us at the end of the presentation. We all received a beautiful laptop bag and an assortment of beauty goodies.  We also received a face chart that we can bring to any makeup counter at the bay to get our own custom look.  So cool!

With so many exciting launches this fall, I am ready to say goodbye to summer! To keep up with the latest beauty trends make sure to follow @davelackie and read Beauty The Guide magazine. You can find it on the Hudson's Bay website or click this link.

To purchase items from the collections I wrote about (and many more!) pop into your local Bay or shop online at www.thebay.com.

I had such a wonderful time and can't thank Dave and the Bay enough <3

Relive My Experience At #CityLineBeauty

Has it been a week since I last posted? How time flies when you're having fun! Or in my case, busy preparing for back to school...

Anyways, today I'm sharing with you my amazing experience at City Line! Thanks to the fabulous Dave Lackie, I was able to attend a live taping of Fashion Fridays. It also happened to be a Twitter party! I've been a fan of City Line for years and have always wanted to attend a taping. Spoiler alert, it's so much fun!

Upon arrival and check in, we were ushered upstairs to the green room where we had a vast selection of baked goods, fresh fruit and coffee to feast on courtesy of Coty Prestige. I wasn't able to get many photos of the delicious breakfast (too busy posing for photos lol) but I did manage to snap a pic of these mini bagels!  Aren't they adorable?!

Myself, Chantal, Nicci and Cat

A few of us lucky ladies were given a tour of the control/production room. It was so neat to see how the show comes together. I didn't realize just how much work actually goes into live tapings.  It's truly incredible!

Not long after we were brought downstairs to the set. City Line even hired a DJ for us. So fun! Since it was fashion Friday we got to see a live fashion show by the one and only Lynn Spence. Unfortunately, my pictures aren't as clear as they could be because I was seated at the back.

My favourite part of the show? You guessed it! Dave's segments! Everyone's favourite beauty editor brought some of the best new fall makeup and fragrances. There's some really great launches from Dior, Teeez cosmetics, Clarins, Shiseido and M.A.C (to name a few) that you don't want to miss. Not to mention some wonderful, warm fragrances to keep the summer heat alive.

At the end of the show we were invited to have our photos taken with Dave, Tracy and Lynne Spence. I didn't get a photo with Tracy but I did get one with Dave, Lynne and Candy Signorini (City Line's Senior Director).

Last but certainly not least, we received an EPIC gift bag valued at $1400 dollars. It is truly amazing and incredibly generous.

This was a once in a lifetime experience that I won't soon forget. Many thanks go to Dave, City Line and the sponsors <3

Tune in tomorrow at 9 A.M. on City to watch the show and don't forget to follow the party along on Twitter with the hashtag #CityLineBeauty  for a chance to win one of those fabulous gift bags!

COVERGIRL's The Super Sizer Fibers Mascara | #FastAndFresh

This is my second experience with COVERGIRL'S The Super Sizer mascara. You can read my review of the original formula here but today I'm going to tell you all about the newest formula which includes fibers!

The packaging and wand are the same as the original The Super Sizer and personally I'm not a fan of them. I find the tube to be quite large and the handle is slightly awkward at first. I have gotten used to it, although I would prefer a slimmer tube. The brush is also quite different than your traditional brush. It's slimmer and not as dense. As odd as it looks, it does work well if you use the proper technique.

In order to coat your lashes correctly you need to roll the wand from the base of your lashes up opposed to brushing through them. While challenging at first, after a few tries it's actually quite easy to do. Since it's fairly difficult to explain,  I'm going to go ahead and post video to show you how it's done ;)

The main difference between this mascara and the original is the formula. This one contains fibers which are said to lengthen and add tons volume. Truthfully, I've never used a fiber mascara before so I can't compare it to a similar product. I can however compare it to the original and I must admit I prefer this one better.

With the original I had a lot of issues with flaking. It didn't matter how many coats I applied it would flake off. More coats equalled more flakes.  With this formula I haven't experienced that problem. Thank goodness, there's nothing worse than flaky mascara!  I also found this formula to be more buildable than the previous one.  One coat looks good and two looks better. You can even go for third if you really wanted to, but for me two is perfect.

Two coats of The Super Sizer

As far as living up to its claims go, I'd say it does. You certainly get a ton of volume and length. It's not the same as false lashes but it's pretty darn close. The only downside to this mascara is that after awhile the formula starts to thicken up which can lead to clumping.

All in all this mascara is worth the price and saves you the hassle of applying (or trying to apply) fake lashes.

*I received this mascara courtesy of the brand via BzzAgent. As always, my opinions are my own!