Makeup Look: Christmas Day

Merry Christmas everyone! Here's my favourite holiday makeup look and what I will be wearing on Christmas Day!

Clinique 'super balanced' makeup in 32 Breeze

NARS 'radiant creamy concealer' in vanilla

Lise Watier 'double definition' automatic brow liner in brun universal

Lise Watier bronzing power in Havana light

Too Faced 'Candlelight glow' highlighting powder duo

Hourglass 'ambient lighting' blush in mood exposer

Clinique 'redness solution' powder

Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion in original

Urban Decay 'Naked 3 palette' (Trick all over the eyelid, Strange on the brow bone, and Liar in the crease blended out with Nooner)

Benefit 'they're real' mascara in black 

Smashbox 'always sharp' lip liner in Crimson 

Estēe Lauder 'Pure color envy' lipstick in 350 Vengeful Red

Brit

Room Update - 2015

To look at the before-shots of my room, click here.

I am SO happy with the final results of the room! Even though I can't say they are so final, I am always think of ways to improve the room and make it more me everyday as I change. We are all constantly changing and my room is one place were I want my personality to shine. When friends see my room for the first time they are all always so surprised by my room. Its so me and so different from what they expected, and that's the reaction I love. 

Thank you for sticking with me through this year and a bit long process, I hope I had inspired someone to re-decorate their room too!

Brittany Haines

Winter Blushes - 2015

A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about my favourite winter lipsticks (here) and through out the years my taste in makeup has definitely changed as I'm sure many of you could attest too.

My new favourite product is blush; I find it very versatile, in the way that you apply it, can change the way your face shape is expressed and bringing out certain features that might not be as recognizable otherwise.

Hourglass Ambient Light Blush in Mood Exposure 

This blush is for sure my all time favourite winter blush. It creates a beautiful natural but berry cheek that looks frosted but contoured at the same time. I will often just pop this on and forget about bronzer because it shapes my face in such a unique way.

NARS Blush in Deep Throat

An all time favourite for many, a little less sparkle then Orgasm by NARS but with the same everyday perfect colour. This is a blush that is always in my handbag.

Lise Watier Blush Fondant Supreme in Sand

Lastly, I've started having a small obsession for creme blushes and this is by far my favourite. I usually find creme products hard to apply, but after I dab a bit if this on to my finger and dab it onto my cheek bone it distributes the perfect amount of product and with a little bit of blending into the skin, it leaves a beautiful natural naked look.

I highly recommend all of these products, there a more then worth the money and they last you a life time and half, which is always a huge plus for me!

Brittany Haines

Review: Soap and Glory Fab Pore

While in Berlin, Germany for my research program with my University I made a constant effort to try out products that weren't offered in North America. One of these products was the Soap and Glory line from the UK (although, I didn't visit the UK). I picked it up in the beauty store Douglas, which heavily represents a Sephora in North America, and one of my favourite products I tried was the Fab Pore!

I have always had a huge complex with the blackheads on my nose, and although not very noticeable to others, they look like tiny little dirt mounds to me. We carry some Soap and Glory products in Canada and I have tried their body washes and loved them, so I assumed they could fix my pores too and I brought it back with me to Canada!

After washing my face with my normal Vichy gel cleanser, I applied this to my nose area (as seen in the photo above) and let it sit for the full 15 minutes (and maybe more, I sometimes forget about it). The product feels cold on your skin and it give you this sense of "Hey! I'm actually doing something good for you!". After washing it off I then follow up with a toner and my moisturizer.

I did this proceeder about twice a week for the last  3 and a half months I've been back and I have almost finished the product. After about a month I really noticed a difference in the size of my blackheads and whiteheads on my nose.

This is defiantly a product I would recommend and I'm really hoping I can find a way to get it to Canada soon, because I don't plan on going back to Europe for another 3 years and I can't imagine my life without it until then.

Brittany Haines

Italy - 2015

The Colosseum, Roma, Italy

The Spanish Steps, Roma, Italy

The Vatican, Vatican City, Italy

Pompeii, Napels, Italy

 After my trip to Berlin for the month of May (here), my best friend Ayla met up with me and we spent a week in Rome and Naples. In other words: Italy! The week was of course full of adventure and mishap, as it was our first trip alone with our our parents or some kind of supervision, but overall it was an amazing trip with a 4 star hotel for a night, train rides across the country side and climbing Mount Vesuvius, I really can't complain.

Brittany Haines

Berlin - 2015

Mauerpark, Berlin, Germany

Reminisce of the Berlin Wall ft. This guy with the cool hats and I

Berlin Wall Memorial

Sanssouci Park, Potsdam

Sanssouci Park, Potsdam ft. Hannah, Judy, Adam and Jacqueline

Leipzig, Germany ft. Martin, Taylor and Bozhena

Restaurant Pila, Germany ft. Sam Martin, Adam and Frank

Currywurst

Myself, Roselyn and Jaqueline

Berlin Summer School 2015

I spent a the month of May in Berlin, Germany on a group study program with my University. I have to say, this was one of the best decisions I ever made for myself. I met the most amazing group of people and well as learned a lot about myself and the world around me.

Whenever I travel I always get this sense that I am truly myself when away from home. By leaving behind a platform of how people have seen me as a person since I was a young girls and only being able to rely on the person I am in the moment. I think this feeling is what makes travelling truly special to me and helps foster my travel bug.

The group focused our academic attention on German film and media, taking a look at how Berlin was effected after WWII. It wasn't a lens I had looked through before, I didn't know much about East and West Berlin or the Stasi police really, and this opened me up to a whole other side of Germany that I never cared about. But the effect it has now had on me, remembering the Stasi Prison and remembering propaganda movies, its this dark unrelateable side of the world that needs to be remembered in order to allow it to never happen again.

The students on the trip with me were some of the most amazing and outgoing people I have ever meet. Through out my first year at University I made maybe two new friends I hadn't known before; and on May 1st, 2015, I made 25 new friends. These people helped me in so many ways, they made me laugh, made me think and made me smile and their is nothing more I could have asked from these amazing people.

I will always encourage people to travel, but if you can travel in a group, or meet people along the way. It makes such a different and it helps you discover the world in a new way when you allow them express their views along with your own. They take you to new places and help you in every way they can. In a way they become your family. My Berlin group is my family.

Brittany Haines

Mini Haul and Review: Simple, Olay Fresh Effects and More!

Recently I went a little crazy on skin care products, but it's totally okay! Right?

Being a university student means that I am generally broke, so I've been wanting to find products within my price range that will work for my in-between teen and young adult skin. For me this means an oily t-zone, but luckily no pimples. Recently my biggest skin concerns have been blackheads, the oily t-zone, and redness in my cheeks and chin.

I think skin care is one of the best things to try out and see what works for you and to see what gives you the results you want. I went to my local drugstore (London Drugs and Shoppers) and found a few too many things including skin care and hair, it's been a few weeks so I have tried them out, so I'll give a little review on the product and what I think!

Hair

Got 2b rockin' it Dry Shampoo

I've bought this product before and it is dry shampoo that I am in love with! It smells like Fruit Loops and matcha, and anything that smells like that must be good! But it actually is really amazing at getting rid of the oil in your hair and it only costs about $6!

Aveeno living colour "Colour Preserving Shine Glaze"

This was in the clearance section and I thought I would give it a try. I plan on dying my hair darker soon and I tried this a while ago and the colour faded very quickly so I thought if I use this after my shower it might help keep in some of that colour!

Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Intensive Repair Treatment

Also in clearance, I've heard great things about Orgnx, and the fact that it had coconut oil in it really drew me in. I've used it a couple time and so far I'm loving the way it feels in my hair and I do think I am starting to see my hair getting a little bit healthier.

Skin Care

Olay Fresh Effects SPF 15 Moisturizer

I wanted to try the Fresh Effects brand for awhile (those damn advertisements) so I choose three! This is just your average everyday cleanser with SPF, it was a fairly reasonable price (under $15) and if you need something simple for summer, this is a great product!

Olay Fresh Effects Shine Minimizing Cleanser

I find that this product doesn't really work for me (many shine minimizing products don't), but again, its a nice simple product that gets the job done as far and cleansing. 

Olay Fresh Effects Eye Awakening Cream

This Fresh Effects product has impressed me so far. I pop this on under my eyes when I wake up and I do see I change in my (you've been over studying) bags. So, so far this is a great product I want to finish!

Simple Soothing Facial Toner

Simple is also a brand I have recently learnt about (damn YouTube!) And we have recently been able to find Simple in stores in Canada, so again, I had to try it out! I am so far loving this toner. Its nothing special, just your every day toner, but its exactly what you want on an everyday basis. And I love the cold effect it leaves on your face, especially in the mornings when I'm trying to wake up!

Simple Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes

This have also been a hit so far, I don't wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis, so I wipe like this is perfect to take off what ever is left on my face at the end of the day (and then I tone and moisturize), and again, just like the name, a simple every day product!

I hope you all enjoyed this and maybe got some inspiration to try some of these products! Please tell me what you think and how you get on with them!

Brittany Haines

Review: The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Tissue

I have finally used these up which makes me very happy! I have to say I love the Face Shop, but this was not a product I would buy again. 

I found the formula of the makeup wipes to be very sticky on my skin, the lid broke on the package and the wipes started going dry and I found all they really did was take the makeup off and that's it, no brightening properties or anything. 

Nothing really special or anything, they were about $9, which I guess you get what you pay for..

Brittany Haines