Sothys Spring/Summer Collection ~ Review + Swatches

Hello beauties! It's been a hot minute since I posted and I think an explanation is needed. I wish I had an exciting excuse (ahem reason) but I don't. I've been feeling uninspired and it's been crazy hot so I haven't worn much makeup lately. I've also done the unthinkable and have been spending more time offline - yes you read that right.  I've been enjoying the real world and sorry, not sorry. Sometimes a girls gotta stop and smell the roses, swim in all the pools and just soak up the sun (with sunscreen on, obviously).

But as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I've missed you all. As I ease my way back into regular posting, I thought I would share a short and sweet review of Sothys Spring/Summer Collection.

Sothys Spring/Summer Collection takes inspiration from Sothys garden and the super greens trend that showcases lush nature and an invitation to freshness. Personally I don't see the connection, but I must admit I do like the shade choices!

Ombre Sothys - Eye Quartette ($68.50) contains four new complimentary shades that can be used dry or moist, separately or in harmony. Each shade is iridescent and they are easily buildable and blendable. Although I like the shades, I don't find them to be the most exciting. I really wish that there were a matte transition shade because without it, this quad just feels incomplete. The shadows are quite nice and they wear well with minimal creasing or fading which is super important.

Sothys has two lipsticks in this collection, one satin and one matte. They look very similar in swatches and in real life as well. The main difference is that Rouge Intense Sothys 235 Rouge Roseraie ($35.95) has a semi opaque, satin finish whereas Rouge Mat Sothys 330 Orange Escapade Velours ($35.95) is more opaque, kind of matte and a touch warmer. The tone difference is super subtle so I wouldn't focus too much on it. For those who aren't makeup addicted, I recommend picking your finish preference as they are so similar in colour. Both wear well and are definitely comfortable. Sothys does lipstick well. Really well. They taste good, glide on and feel so amazing plus they wear for hours.

There are a few other items in this collection that are not included in my review; The Calligraphy Eyeliner ($33.50), Sun Glow Bronzing Powder ($61.50) and a Nail Lacquer ($19). Although I haven't tried these particular items, I will say that from experience,  Sothys nail polish is quite good (review here).

Sothys Spring/Summer Collection can be found in Institute and Spas throughout Canada. To find the location nearest you, call toll-free 1-800-361-3004

*Press samples were generously provided to me for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own.

wet n wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Quads ~ Review + Swatches

It's wet n wild Wednesday, so today I'm sharing a short and sweet post about the newly reformulated Color Icon Eyeshadow Quads.

Wet n wild (somewhat) recently improved their eyeshadow by upping the ante on the pigment. In all honesty, I never tried the old formula, so I can't personally compare it. From what I've heard and read, it's apparently an improvement. These quads feature a transition shade, brow shade, eyelid shade and a crease shade. Long story short, they're complementary shades meant to be worn together.

There are 6 wet n wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Quads available and I'm going to share my thoughts on the 4 that I was gifted. These quads are very similar in the fact that the mattes and the light shimmer shades need to be built up. They're all pretty blendable, and wear for most of the day when worn on top of primer. I always wear these with a base or primer because I find that they lack that wow factor without it.

Silent Treatment 337 is a neutral quad that is great for day looks, although you could certainly smoke it out for night looks. This is probably the most universally flattering of the 4 I have.

Walking On Eggshells 340B is by far my favourite of the four. This quad features warm nudes that would suit a variety of skintones. I'm particularly fond of the crease and eyelid shades, often wearing them solo on my lids. I love the romantic vibes this quad gives me, and I can totally see myself reaching for it year round.

Hooked On Vinyl 343B was the first quad that caught my eye and I was so excited to use it. Until I did. The warm orangy tones are gorgeous, but I just can't with the green crease shade. I like it, but not with the other shades in the palette. It's too deep, dark and intense to be worn with such soft shades. These are supposed to be complete quads, and this one isn't (for me). That's just my personal opinion.

Petalette 344B was another miss for me. This quad features some seriously pretty pink and mauve shades, but I just don't suit cool toned mauves. The transition shade shows up like a bruise on me and the brow bone shade lacks pigment. The eyelid shade is ok, and I can see myself wearing it with other shadows from my collection.


Quality wise, these quads are decent enough and the price is more than affordable. I'm not crazy about the colour combos on some of them, but that's just personal preference.  I prefer wet n wild's 10 pan palettes (review on those here) but these are still pretty good.

You can find these products in store at Rexall, online at well.ca and wetnwildbeauty.com

*pr samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Wet n Wild Color Icon 10 Pan Palettes ~ Review + Swatches

I'm going to preface this by saying that I've been purposely late to the wet n wild party. Why? Let's just say I remember when wet n wild was comparable to dollar store makeup, and I refused to believe it could have changed that much. Well here I am. I can admit when I'm wrong, so here it goes. I was WRONG about wet n wild. So, so wrong!

I've been testing out a lot of wet n wild products so there will be a ton of reviews coming your way 😉 Today I'm kicking it off with the coveted Coloricon 10 Pan Palettes. There are 4 available and I currently own 3 of them - Rosé in the Air, Not a Basic Peach, and Comfort Zone.

Rosé in the Air is often compared to a very popular, prestige palette. I happen to own it, and I will be doing a dupe post for it real soon. In the meantime, let's just take a look at this beauty. There's a good mix of mattes and shimmers and the shade selection is perfect. You can go bold and daring or dial it back for the office. The mattes are buildable and blendable, but they aren't overly pigmented. You will need to build them to achieve opacity and they need to be applied over primer. Same with the shimmers, although they pack a bit more pigment. I do find that the lighter shades need to be built up more than the deeper shades.

Not a Basic Peach is my favourite of the three. There's an awesome mix of neutral and peach shades with a blue thrown in for good measure. The mattes in here are a smidgen more pigmented than Rosé in the Air, but they still need to be built up. The shimmers are pretty great and look best when applied on primer. I am currently living for the orange, coral and blue shade.

Comfort Zone is a pretty palette that's perfect for evening looks. There are more shimmers than mattes and the shade range is deeper and smokier. I love the earthy vibes and how a lot of the shades have colour shifts to them. I didn't even notice that blue had a brown shift until I swatched it (it looks so basic in the pan haha). These shades are absolutely stunning and you need them in your life!

All in all I'm pretty impressed with the quality of these palettes. They wear well and last most of the day with primer. Do they feel like high end eyeshadow? No, they don't. But you can't beat the price and the quality is pretty darn good for drugstore makeup.

You can find these palettes at Rexall, Walmart, online at well.ca and wetnwildbeauty.com



*pr samples were provided for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own.

Ready. Set. Holidays! Shoppers Drug Mart Holiday Gift Guide

One of my favourite things to do is browse the aisles at Shoppers Drug Mart during the holiday season. I can always find something for everyone on my wishlist (myself included) and even better, the gifts are affordable!

Every year Quo releases a selection of gift sets with varied tastes in mind. From lipstick to brow products and brushes, there's something for every beauty lover!

The Matte Lipstick Bar ($20 CAD) is sure to be a hit with lipstick lovers! You get 8 deluxe-sized samples of liquid lipstick, ranging from nudes to bolds with a matte finish. The lipsticks are pigmented and long wearing, however, they're not transfer proof. They do feel a bit sticky until they dry down, so it's a good idea to blot after application. Alternatively, you can dust your lips with translucent powder.

Quo Beauty On The Go ($35) is perfect for the traveller in your life. This set contains 3 palettes that cover all the basics! You get an eyeshadow palette with 6 neutral shadows in shimmer and matte finishes, a palette with two highlight shades plus a blush, and a lip gloss palette containing 6 pigmented lip glosses ranging from nude to bolder. The only thing missing from this set is applicators. It would have been nice to get a brush for the gloss, but I'm sure we all have tons of those already 😜

The Quo All About Eyes Shadow Palette ($22) contains two matte base shades, 7 mattes and 5 shimmery shades. This palette is great for day-to-day looks as well as smokey eyes. This palette pairs very well with a nice bold lip. I recommend pairing it with the red liquid lipstick from the Matte Lipstick Bar for a classic Christmas look.

Contouring isn't going anywhere, so why not gift someone a chiseled complexion this year. The Quo Face Sculpting Palette ($22) has 3 highlighting shades and 3 sculpting shades in a mix of warm and cool tones. The powders are creamy, pigmented and blendable. I personally find it hard to get a contour palette that isn't too dark for my fair complexion, so I'm happy to see that this one is quite light. I'm also glad that it's a completely matte palette. If you're fair to light skinned, you're seriously going to loooove this palette!

Another fabulous stocking stuffer is the Quo Brow Essentials Kit ($10). It contains a dual ended pencil to shape and fill in sparse brows, a highlighting pencil and a brow gel. I am absolutely, positively, smitten with this set! The pencils are sooo creamy, pigmented and they blend so well! The shades are perfect in every way possible and look really natural (well the Brow pencil does lol). I'm seriously considering clearing out the stock at my local SDM 💸

Quo by ORLY Breathable 12 Days Of Colorful Healthy Nails Advent Calendar ($40) is a must-have for any beauty lover. This grown-up version of an advent calendar features 11 polishes and 1 treatment product. This is my first beauty advent calendar, and I want to savour it. Which means no spoilers! If you want to see what's inside, be sure to keep an eye on my insta stories in December 😉

If you're looking for a stocking stuffer, you should check out Quo by ORLY Marvelous Minis ($16). You get 4 colours that compliment each other beautifully. When you do the math, it works out to cost only $4 per polish which is a great deal. Fairy Godmother is such a gorgeous shade and I seriously can't get enough!

Last, but certainly not least, is the Quo Lip Gloss Ornament ($5). This cute little lip gloss comes housed in a small box that you can hang off of your tree (or put in a stocking). I'm seriously considering decorating my tree with makeup and this would be a great start 😉

Quo has 30 limited edition holiday items this year, so you're sure to find something to appease the makeup lover in your life. And don't forget, Shoppers carries all sorts of products ranging from food to electronics. You might just be surprised at how much of your holiday shopping you can get done there.

Have you picked up anything from Quo's Holiday Collection? Which items tickle your fancy? Lets chat in the comment section below 👇



*Press samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow ~ Comex Copper

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow, older sister of the crowd favourite Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow, is an insanely beautiful foil-finish eyeshadow that will glam up any eye look.

"Create metal eyes that mesmerize with our Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow, a striking cream-to-powder shadow with a multidimensional metallic finish. Inspired by the runway, our one-of-a-kind formula is packed with rock-and-roll sparkle to achieve a variety of effects, from a light wash of shimmer to an opaque metallic finish. It also comes with a mini Stay All Day® Liquid Eye Primer & handy mixing tray... simply prime, combine and shine!" /source/ 

Each Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow ($42) comes in a kit that includes (almost) everything you need to create beautiful foiled eye looks. In the kit you receive 1 shadow, 2 mixing plates and a mini Stay All Day Liquid Eye Primer. The only thing that's missing is a little spatula to remove the shadow from the pan. I usually use my nail or the end of a brush.

To make the shadow useable, simply add a dab of shadow, drop of primer and mix. The consistency depends on the ratio of shadow to primer you use; I find it ends up more liquid-y. As you mix it, you will notice varying sizes of foiled glitter.

I like to apply it with my finger or an angled eye liner brush. I'm sure a sponge tip applicator would work well too. It glides on easily and dries fairly quickly. Sometimes it will crease but it usually doesn't. It wears well and the fallout is minimal and to be expected - it's heavy on the glitter!

Although the price seems steep, the amount of shadow you use is so minimal, it will last quite a long time. I can foresee myself running out of the primer before the shadow.  I suspect that you could use Inglot's Duraline as a mixing medium if needed.

You can find Stila's Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in-store at Beauty BOUTIQUE and online at beautyBOUTIQUE.ca

Have you tried Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow? Are you a fan of foiled eyeshadow? Let's chat in the comment section below 👇

*This post features press samples sent to me for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own.