L.A. Girl Pro Coverage H.D Long Wear Illuminating Foundation

The L.A. Girl Pro Coverage H.D Long Wear Illuminating Foundation has become my current favorite foundation. This foundation has a dewy finish, is full coverage and is very light weight. I can wear it all day, and feel comfortable. I don't feel like I have a thick foundation on my face. I do have to mix a white foundation into the "fair" because it's too yellow for me and a little too dark. I would like to try the "Porcelain," I think it would be a better color match for me. I really like that this foundation has a pump and the bottle itself is very nice. The packaging reminds me alot of the Makeup Forever Ultra H.D foundation. I have no issues with my pump, and it has traveled well in the past.

I have normal to dry skin, and this foundation feels hydrating on my face. It's dewy, and I do set it because I don't like the tacky feel on my face. I normally set all foundations, I find it easier to blend my bronzer, blush and highlighter if I set my face.

August Monthly Favorites

Quo Contour Craze

I've had this Quo palette for awhile. I pulled it out of my collection and I've been loving it. I mix both shades together and bronze my face and it looks really nice on my skin. I struggle with finding a bronzer that  doesn't look muddy or too orange on my skin. I was pleasantly surprised and learned that shopping your stash can find some hidden gems. This palette comes from Shoppers Drug Mart and was limited edition.

Smashbox Pearl Palette

This pearl palette was in collaboration with Casey Holmes and it continues to be a "go to" highlight palette for me. I love the shades individually or all together. I tend to stick to the two lighter shades: "Turn it on" and "Light it Up"- mixed together they are beautiful.

YouTube and Blogging are two very influential avenues in the beauty community. I was thinking about blogging and how it fits into the beauty community today, with the rise of YouTube. In my opinion, blogging is still very influential and won't go anywhere. Traditional written media has been around for a long time, and when a consumer is out and about wanting a review -they will probably google an article before watching a YouTube video. I actually use the two avenues differently. I prefer YouTube for makeup tutorials, hauls, and "get ready with me" type videos but I look to blogging for product reviews, discussions posts, and product photos. If I really want to see a product, I don't feel like YouTube is sufficient. When I look at blogging, I don't feel like tutorials would be easily laid out.

Kara ES09 Eyeshadow Palette

ES07 Shimmer and Matte Swatches

I was nominated by Hannah from Floraful for this award, and was really happy to be tagged. I enjoyed reading her answers, and hope you enjoy this post and learning a little bit more about me.

Once you're nominated, here are the rules:

1. Thank who nominated you and answer the questions that were asked by your nominator.
2. Nominate 11 other bloggers.
3. Compile your own list of 11 questions for the tagged bloggers to answer.


Here are the questions from Hannah:

1. When did your love affair with makeup start?

In high school I loved makeup, but didn't really have a place to learn about it. I wasn't familiar with makeup products, and my mother didn't wear any. As I got older, I explored makeup more but didn't feel that comfortable with it. A few years ago, I discovered YouTube and fell in love because I felt like I knew what to do.

2. What scents do you lean towards? Floral, fruity, spicy, or earthy?

Fruity or sweet. I'm very sensitive with smells and have to be very selective.

3. What would be your last meal on Earth?

Pizza....I love a good pizza.

4. Matte, satin, or glossy lips?

Glossy Lip. To be truthful, I don't wear lip products every day to work.

B H Cosmetics Nude Rose Highlighter

The B H Cosmetics Nude Rose palette is a beautiful palette when you first open it, but overall it was a dud for me. I was so excited to receive this palette, I ordered it as soon as it launched. The tin packaging it very nice but the compliments stop there. I expected a similar formula to the Carli Bybel highlighters, but that was not the case. These highlighters are gritty and crumbly. They feel dry, and do not swatch well at all. I don't like the look of them on my face. They sit on the skin, and do not blend in well. There are so many affordable highlighters on the market, that I would not suggest this one.

Annabelle Cosmetics

Annabelle Cosmetics is a drugstore brand found in Canada. You can order from their site, if you live in the US. I haven't heard much about the brand, but decided to try them out.

The Chrome Eyeshadows are absolutely beautiful, and remind me alot of Colourpop Super Shock shadows. It has a wet consistency, but dries down to a powder finish. The Chrome single eyeshadow line have 5 eyeshadows in total and I purchased two- the Rose Gold and Geranium. I have no issues with these lasting on my eyes and will purchase more at some point. Since these are drugstore, you can find a deal on them. They retail for 8.95$ which is great for the quality.

Colourpop Yes, Please Palette Colourpop's Yes, Please palette is a warm eyeshadow lovers dream. This palette has been toted as a dupe for the Natasha Denona Sunset palette. I don't have that palette, I cannot compare but looking at the shades, they do have a similar look. I picked this one up on a restock, because it's constantly sold out and was very excited to get it. I recently tried the She palette (Review) and was pleasantly surprised. This palette is no different. The shadows are creamy, blend very well and the metallic shadows are so pretty!  The palette is 16$ US and has 12 eyeshadow shades. You have 8 matte shades and 4 metallic shades. I like the range of colours, especially that yellow. If you are someone who likes the build your look with matte shades, you get a great selection. The palette itself is small, the shades are smaller than a single eyeshadow pan but I still feel like it's a great buy. It's hard to get through an eyeshadow palette, and for 16$ you can't go wrong.  Colourpop has released two pressed eyeshadow palettes and both have been very well loved by me. I will continue to pick these up. They are powdery, but less than the single Colourpop shadows I've tried. Kickup doesn't bother me, I really like to take my time and build my transition/crease. If you've picked up this palette, what did you think? Are you planning on buying this palette?

Yes, Please Swatches

This palette can be purchased at Ulta Beauty.


*This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting Mrs Q Beauty.

BH Cosmetics Wishlist

Studio Pro Dual Effect Wet/Dry Eyeshadow Palette: Titanium

Beauty blogging on a budget can be hard but I think it's important to remember that blogging is not a competition. It's very easy to give into the temptation, and think you need to have all these things to enable your blog to grow and succeed. In truth, you do not have to buy all the newest products, you do not have to only write product reviews and you can do your own thing. Blogging is personal, you don't have to follow any rules.

Temptation

When you're really involved in the beauty community, and up to date on the newest releases it's very easy to want all these new items and feel tempted. At the end of the day, beauty companies are releasing new items at such a fast pace that it is really hard to stay on top of all these new releases. I need to keep in mind that I'm buying these products, and I need to prioritize and stay within a reasonable budget. I can not use my blog as an excuse to buy ALL THE THINGS. I would love to, but I'm an adult. Don't buy something because you think everyone else is reviewing it, make sure you really want to try it. I'm not at a point where I will receive PR and that's okay. I don't know if I ever will be. New bloggers shouldn't expect or rely on free products.

Follow Your Own Rules

Coastal Scents Blush and Bronzer Palette

Product Description: Everything for a beautiful face... all in one place! Bronzers for amazing overall skin tone, contouring tones for well-defined cheekbones, and blushes for just the right finishing touch. Mix and match combinations... blend colors together! It’s all about your creativity. It’s all about your look. 

Dimensions: Palette: 7.25" x 7.25" x .5" (18.415cm x 18.415cm x 1.27cm) Thoughts: I'm not a big contour person, but I do like bronzer and adding color to my face. 

Thoughts: The bronzers in this palette allow me to add some warmth to my skin, and I like to mix and match the blushes. The highlighter is great on my fair skin. The highlighter actually surprised me, it's more than a "natural" highlighter. It reminds me to the Mary Loumanizer. This is a great palette to reach for when you want an all in one face palette. You have your bronzer, blush and highlighter all together to

These are my current "go to" products that are always available and ready for me to use. These products never fail me, and I know I can count on them.

Eye Products

The first product I want to mention is my Gorgeous Cosmetics Ever Matte palette. I really like this matte palette because it ranges from warm to cool, and it has a black that isn't too pigmented. If I want to use a palette that is missing a matte shade, I will go to this palette. The pan sizes are huge, and the packaging is very sturdy. I would love if it had a darker chocolate brown, but the black works for me. My Mac Paint Pot in Painterly is my favorite eye primer. The Paint Pot doesn't budge, and

Boxy Charm August 2017

This was my second Boxy Charm and I was so excited to get this box. Subscription boxes are the adult version of children's surprise bags. I saw a sneak peak  that this Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II palette would be in the box, and it was! Tarte is one of my favorite brands, and this palette is so pretty. It does leak a bit cool toned, which is refreshing from all the warm tones I've been wearing lately. We also received a pair of Pur Cosmetics lashes, mine are in the style Diva. They look beautiful. In addition, we received a 2 piece brush set from Royal and Langnickel. There is a blush brush, and contour brush and a crease brush. They are very soft, and the handles have a rubber texture. I tried the blush brush and was very impressed. There is a Bella Pierre Gel Eyeliner in Ebony, and a GRL Power liquid lipstick in Date Night. I've seen Bella Pierre products at my local Winners/TJ Maxx but I have never tried anything by the brand. GRL Power was a completely new brand to me.

I love Boxy Charm because the products are worth more than the subscription service. Since I live in Canada, I don't have all of these brands available to me, and it gives me a chance to try them out. My Boxy Charm was delivered very quickly considering i'm not in the US. I will continue to keep this subscription. Did you receive a Boxy Charm this month? Did we get the same things?

Confession: I’ve never tried a real Beauty Blender. I would love to try one, but there’s something about handing over 28$ dollars for a sponge that makes me cringe. My dog or my son can easily take that sponge, and it’s gone...

The first beauty sponge that I used was the Real Techniques one. It’s very easy to find in Canada and reasonably priced. The shape of the sponge allows you to use it for concealer or foundation. It does a very good job of blending both, and the colour makes it easy to wash.

The second sponge I used was by Quo Cosmetics (purple) and I realized that I really preferred the shape for foundation. It’s very easy to hold, and again affordable. The Quo sponge does soak up a lot of water, and I have to squeeze it in a towel before using it but it does a good job. It is also a bit more stiffer when comparing all the sponges. Quo is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix in Canada.

Jaclyn Hill Morphe Palette

The blendability and pigmentation were both very impressive. I had no issues with any shades.

The Mac Power Hungry palette consists of 8 shades in various pan sizes, and a highlighter. I purchased this in a Mac store and took a look at all of the new palettes, and decided on this one. It's very neutral, leaning towards cool tones. I've been purchasing so many warm toned palettes that I wanted to try something else. I initially thought I would pick up the Mischief Minx, but I decided on the Power Hungry palette.

She Palette

I purchased a few Coloupop items recently and wanted to share them. They released two Pressed powder eyeshadow palettes recently, and they sell out VERY quickly. I managed to get my hands on both, but I will review the Yes, Please palette once I've had more time to use it.

Gimme More Highlighter

Top to Bottom (Tam Beauty I Heart Chocolate Palette, Coastal Scents Revealed Matte Palette, and Morphe 35A)

When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, I really like both affordable and high end palettes. I really like a palette that doesn't have to be paired with another palette to do a complete look. I like to have my brow bone shades, transition shades, lid shade and darker shades all together. I like a pigmented palette, but not a palette that is so pigmented I can quickly mess up.

The first palette is Tam Beauty's dupe of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, it's called I Heart Chocolate palette. I have alot of Tam Beauty's Chocolate palettes, and this one is a favorite of mine. Both the matte and shimmer shades are easy to work with. This palette is very neutral and great for people who don't want those really warm palettes.

The second palette is a newer palette from Coastal Scents. It's the Revealed Matte Palette that resembles the Urban Decay Ultimate Basics palette. I don't normally go for an all matte look, but if I'm looking for mattes, this is a palette I like to take out. If you do like just mattes, I think this will also be perfect. I like the gradient colors in the palette, and they blend very well.

The third palette is the Morphe 35A, and I was hesitant to add this one because Morphe is not always affordable. I live in Canada, and their shipping is expensive, with added custom fees- it really adds up quickly. However, I really like Morphe's palettes. I need to really pick and choose what I purchase from them. The 35A has every thing I want in a palette, except a matte white shade. When a palette doesn't have it, I'll use my face powder and it does the trick. I really like the warmth of this palette and the copper shades.

These three palettes are some of my favorite palettes. They are great for beginners and makeup collectors alike. If you're in the market for a neutral palette, these are recommended by me. If you've tried these palettes, let me know which one is your favorite.

Boxy Charm July 2017

I've been wanting to subscribe to Boxycharm for awhile, I never really looked into it because I thought shipping to Canada would be too much. In July, I finally decided to try it out. It cost me 33.98 with shipping and exchange and I received 5 products worth over a hundred dollars. I'm subscribed for August and so excited about the sneak peaks that I have seen.

Bareminerals Translucent Powder Duo (42$ Can) Bare Minerals

This duo has a matte side, great for setting the face or under the eyes and a glow side that offers a "natural" glow to the skin. I've actually mixed the two and set my face that was not too glowy and nice. The powder doesn't offer any brightening to the under eye, but it's very light and does a great job.

Blinc Eyeshadow Palette (45$ US) Blinc

I initially thought this was a Boxy Charm exclusive, but I did find it on the Blinc website. These shades are stunning, and I've worn them a few times. I like that it's a small palette, and I can pull out another small matte palette and it won't be too much on my vanity. I love all 5 shades, they really are stunning.

Pur Cosmetics Soirée Diaries Eyeshadow Palette

Did I really need another neutral palette? No....but I wanted it.

This palette consists 12 eyeshadows- 8 matte and 4 metallic shades. These shadows are very smooth. The matte shadows build and blend very easily, and the shimmer shades are BEAUTIFUL! There's a mix of neutral, copper and bronze shades. The color selection is right up my alley. It's perfect for a day or night look. I was impressed by the matte shades, and shocked at how good the metallic shades were. The packaging looks like marble and it's pretty heavy for a cardboard package. It does have a mirror and will travel well.

I haven't been seeing this palette around Youtube or blogs very much. Maybe I just didn't notice it, but when I saw it on twitter, I had to have it. I really do love this palette and would like to try more Pur Cosmetics products. These shadows really impressed me, it was the first eye shadow palette I've tried from Pur. We don't have a great selection in Canada. I checked our Shopper Drug Mart/Pharmaprix and it wasn't in stores. I'm not sure if it will be, but I ordered online.

Pur Cosmetics* Site




*Indicates affiliate link used

Blow Me Away, Aquarius, Here Comes the Sun

Colourpop Cosmetics has been launching new products constantly. They're very trendy, very affordable and I decided to pick up some items. Since I live in Canada, I look for affordable shipping when buying internationally. Colourpop does fit the bill, and I was happy with their shipping price, and timing.

I have some of their Super Shock Shadows, that has a bouncy consistency. They're not really a cream and not really a shadow. You kinds have to try them yourself to see what they're like. I do like the look of them but I don't like applying a shadow with my finger. I have small lid space, and I feel like it gets messy really fast, if i'm not careful. I really wanted to try their pressed shadows and Ultra Satin lipstick. I purchased the Blow Me Away shadows, the Here Comes the Sun Blush and Highlighter duo and the Aquarius Ultra Satin Lipstick.

The Blow Me Away palette has four shades that can be removed from the palette. I believe you can take out the cardboard section and use the magnetic box like a z palette. It has one shimmer shade, and 3 matte shades.

Take a Break- Metallic
Issues- Matte
Centerfold- Matte
Slim Fit- Matte

Sephora Warm Palette, Kat Von D Glimmer, Subculture

I'm eyeshadow palette obsessed. I love buying them, using them and looking at them but these are three palettes that I'm not planning to buy. As much as I would love to buy all of them, I have to be practical and budget friendly.

Revlon Eye Art Cream Shadow and Liner

I discovered these when the Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow eyeshadows were launched. I saw these at the drugstore and decided to try them out. These shadows have coordinating shadow duos. One side has a cream shadow, and the other has a glitter liner/topper. I have the Burnished Bling and Prism Peach duos.

In all honestly, I'm not a cream shadow lover. I find them harder to work with because I have smaller lids that are slightly hooded. These worked for me. I thought they dried down fast and built well. I had to be careful not to put too much product on my lids with the doe-foot applicator, but it was pigmented and went on well. I didn't have any issues with creasing, which is something that I don't usually have issues with. I actually think these are more wearable for every day compared to my Stila Glitter shadow. These glitters don't fall all over my face.

In Canada, I purchased mine at Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix but I noticed they're gone. I'm not sure if these are being discontinued. If you see them, and are interested. Don't wait too long.

This blog was born when I felt very uninspired with my 8+ year book blog. In the 8 years since I started blogging, my life changed. I had a son, and reading didn't happen as often. When I did have a chance to read, I didn't feel like reviewing the books. After I had my son, I really started getting back into makeup. It was ten minutes in the morning when I did something for myself. Something that made me feel better.

I use to never want to take pictures that had me in them. When I did look at pictures, I noticed how tried and worn out I looked. My son was a horrible sleeper, and he's just now starting to not wake up during night. He's almost four... Those early years were rough, when I returned to work after my year maternity leave. I was a mess! I was so tired, I didn't know what to do with myself. I would be crying, and not know why. I suddenly had alot of anxiety and knew I had to take control and organize myself. I turned to makeup as a form of self care. It was my creative outlet and something that I could do for myself. It has honestly changed me for the better. I like taking pictures with me in it again. I love when my son is scrolling through my Instagram and he sees a picture of us. I see someone who is much more happier, much more in control, and balanced.

Makeup has become a passion for me. I'm not a makeup artist, I'm just a 32 year old woman who loves to do her makeup in the morning. I love testing out products, and learning about the industry. This blog is a way for me to connect with other makeup lovers, and maybe mother's and wives. I hope to build a supportive community. I'm so happy to be blogging again, because I really missed it. It's exciting and I love seeing my blog grow. Thank you for all of those that have been commenting and reaching out.