Over the summer months, I really took the time to try some Korean Beauty products. I like the affordable price tag and the great quality products that I was discovering. This Missha Paint Liner has been a "go-to" product for me in the last month or so. It has a gel-cream texture, dries matte and it's so easy to use. You simply squeeze a bit of product to the top and use the tip of the packaging to coat your brush and take off any excess product. It's also very easy to clean up, and I would think this packaging would help to keep it fresh longer without worrying about the gel drying up. We've all been there. It doesn't smudge and it claims to be waterproof.

Hello Fall! I'm a few days early but my makeup has been all about reds and oranges lately. When I saw this Morphe 9D Painted Desert palette was at my local Sephora I couldn't wait to pick it up. I also picked up the new 9T Neutral Territory palette, and a review will be coming. This is a great fall palette and the shades really drew me in. It has a nice range of light, medium and there is a brown that can help to add dimension.

Colourpop is one of those brands that keeps pumping out the releases, and these 9 pan monochromatic eyeshadow palettes have been really popular over the summer. I'm not a huge colourful eyeshadow lover but my heart belongs with reds and oranges.  When I saw this palette release, it didn't take me long to place an order. The Main Squeeze palette is just gorgeous, and it's unique as far as a red eyeshadow palette. It has 5 mattes and 4 shimmer shades with a range of medium to darker tones. The shade Red Bottoms will have to be built up if you want a really dark matte but it does work to add dimension.

Goodreads Description:

The New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular MacLean Curse series crafts a charming and evocative story about a picturesque Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a magical friendship that will change their lives forever. 

The residents of Dove Pond, North Carolina, know three things: they have the finest bar-b-que this side of Atlanta, their Apple Festival is the best that ever was, and the town has phenomenal good luck whenever the Dove family has seven daughters. Fortunately, that time is now, because Dove Pond desperately needs a miracle.

The seventh daughter, Sarah Dove, believes in all things magical. Books have whispered their secrets to her since she was a child. Now the town librarian, she makes sure every book finds the reader who most needs it. But recently the books have been whispering something different—that change is about to come to Dove Pond. Sarah is soon convinced that the legendary Dove Pond good luck has arrived in the form of new resident, Grace Wheeler.

If you haven't noticed; I've been taking this blog a lot slower in recent months. Mrs Q Beauty has been a hobby of mine for a few years and before this blog, I was a book blogger for 8 years. I really do enjoy blogging and I don't intend to stop blogging but I want to incorporate more than beauty product after beauty product. My main reason is that I've been overwhelmed with all the products I'm bringing into my home. I don't feel like I can really be grateful and enjoy what I have because I'm always looking for the next product to add to my collection. While I do get some PR products, I buy most of these products on my own. My son also started Kindergarten and my morning routine has been busier, I've found some core products that I use almost every day and it's been so much easier than testing out new products all the time. My son is also in a lot of extracurriculars and my time has become pretty limited.

I've also been focusing on a lot of financial goals and keeping my spending on track. Christmas is not an emergency, so I have a goal to save a certain amount before December. I also want to beef up our emergency fund. I've gone through a lot of life changes since my Mom passed away and having an emergency fund that we can fall back on is really important. It's become a big priority. We don't have a lot of family in the city that we live in, and if something happened I want to be financially free to deal with the situation without worrying about money.  If you want to succeed when it comes to money, I believe you need to set goals and get excited. We're excited and focused.

Where do I see this blog moving? I want it to be more of me. I'm not a professional blogger, and I don't see this becoming a full-time job. I want to enjoy what I'm sharing with you and put more of myself into it. I love reading and will incorporate some book reviews as well. I'm more than just beauty products and I will continue to share beauty but it won't be the whole focus of this blog. I want to be more creative in this space.

Let's talk about the beauty community and the constant beauty products that are released. The holiday season is almost here and we will start to see even more products released. Before you impulse purchase you're next beauty item, you might want to stop and think about it. Personally, I can get caught up in the new releases and I've really put the brakes on what I'm choosing to purchase. There's only so much makeup and beauty items that you can realistically use. Here are some tips to put the brakes on impulse spending and decide if that new item is something that you really should purchase. Let's be honest, those small purchases still add up to a lot of money spent on products.

Why do you want it?

Is this a product you do want and will use or is it something you'll buy and forget about? Why do you really want it? Makeup does expire. Maybe wait a few weeks and check back in to see if you still want it. I've had items on my list and when I go back it doesn't seem as exciting to me and I remove them from my list. It's amazing how quickly you will forget about items when you put on a list and come back to it.

The Lise Watier V Element Fiber mascara was recently sent to me and I didn't know what to think about it. Mascara is one of those products that can be very hit or miss. It really depends on your lashes. Let's take a look at the product description "formulated with volcanic water that is loaded with minerals, this mascara is enriched with fibers for extreme length and explosive volume. The microfibers cling to the lashes to instantly create a lash extension effect. The fortifying formula helps to revitalize and protect eyelashes from external aggressors thanks to its calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and silica content. No clumping or flaking" Doesn't that sound impressive? I was pretty curious about this mascara. I wasn't sure how it would perform on my short, thin lashes but I was excited to try it out.

Have you heard of the panning community? There's a small sector of the beauty community that sets out to actually use up their products. There's an emphasis to use up your collection, and not buy into all the new hyped up products that are constantly releasing. I thought it would be fun to try because seeing their progress picture has really piqued my interest. How long would it take to use up a palette? I'm starting small with one eyeshadow palette that I really like. I actually have a backup of this palette because one of the highlighters broke when I first ordered it and BH Cosmetics sent me a new one. I was able to press back the highlighter and still use the first palette, so now I have two.

This summer I discovered some Korean Beauty brands and I've been on a mission to try new BB creams and lightweight base products. Previously, I reviewed the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream which has been raved about and I also reviewed the Peripera Skin Tint which has been compared to Glossier skin tint. Now, I want to talk to you about the Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura Fabric BB Cream. Is that a long name? Yes, it is... This BB Cream has quickly become a fast favourite.

Cheekbone Beauty Earth (Discount Code JennR66 for 10% off)

I've raved about Cheekbone Beauty plenty and I'm back with a review of the contour palette. You can read my introduction to the brand here. I found the brand in 2017 and have followed since. The Stardust (review) highlighting palette is a staple in my collection and I quickly added the contour palette as well. It has three matte powders; a highlight, bronzer and contour powder. When I first opened this palette I was a bit nervous that it wouldn't work for my fair skin, but I found that it did actually work with a light hand. If you are darker this would work great for you.

The NYX Fill and Fluff Eyebrow Pomade Pencil is a new brow product in my collection. It's a retractable pencil, available in 8 shades and has a unique blending paddle brush. When it comes to my brows I prefer to use affordable products but I still need them to perform well. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this pencil and the lack of a spoolie really had me questioning this product.

The Huda Beauty 9 pan palettes have been quite popular since they started releasing them. The brand recently released three new palettes in this format that are neon themed. The Ruby palette is limited edition and part of the Precious Stone collection which launched in 2018. It's the second palette that I own, I previously reviewed the Mauve palette here. While these palettes do seem smaller, they still offer a good quantity of product and they're priced fair. I like that the palettes offer both mattes and shimmers, and have a nice range of shades to complete a look.

Happy National Lipstick Day! Today I wanted to mention three Canadian brands that are under the same umbrella group. These are three brands that I would also like to explore more as a Candian makeup enthusiast. The three brands are Lise Watier, Marcelle and Annabelle Cosmetics. They all fall under the Groupe Marcelle.

Lise Watier is a brand I've had my eye on for a while This is a more prestige Candian brand and their collections always seem really well thought out and curated but I haven't taken the plunge yet. I was sent this Rouge Fondant Supreme Lipstick and the packaging alone is really nice. This lipstick is very hydrating, lightweight and it has a shiny finish; available in 40 shades. It has concentrated labrador tea extract and is rich in antioxidants. They also quite a few nude shades available in this range and I would like to try out more shades.

The Peripera Ink Skin Tint is a new favourite of mine. This product provides a light, natural coverage that is very easy to work with and while I've been loving it in the summers, I'm sure it'll be a great fit in the winter too. When I first saw this product online I thought of the Glossier Skin Tint and Mac Face and Body. I recently saw a video from The Beauty Breakdown where she used Korean Beauty products to dupe Glossier products and this was in her video.

This gorgeous vibrant palette is a second collaboration between Tammi Clark (Youtuber and Instagram Influencer) and Makeup Revolution. It's released in the spring, and it's perfect for summer. While I believe this palette had the colourful eyeshadow wearer in mind, it's also great for those who want a "pop of colour" or those who are enjoying the trend this summer of having a wash of colour. This palette has 18 shades; 7 shimmers and 11 mattes and retails for 15$.

It's Boxycharm unboxing time on the blog. I look forward to this each month, and I normally can't wait to see spoilers and variations that will be in the boxes. This month the theme is "Au Naturale" and for the most part, I think my items match the theme. Boxycharm is a monthly subscription service and costs 21$ US, as a Canadian, I pay around 35$ which includes the shipping and exchange rate. The value of items in the box always surpasses the price of the box itself.  I like the box because it's a surprise to see what's inside each month, it gives me an opportunity to try new items I wouldn't necessarily buy myself, and the value is amazing. Let's get into the items, and I'll tell you my thoughts.

Butter London Natural Goddess Eyeshadow Palette MSPR 32$

When I saw this would be in each box, I wasn't that excited to get this palette but now that I have it. It really is pretty and I'm looking forward to trying it out. This is a sleek little palette with 6 shades and I've never tried a Butter London palette.

Makeup Geek is a brand that I want to explore a bit more when I was first started watching Youtube the brand was pretty big but I've always preferred palettes over single shadows and for that reason I didn't really purchase much from them. Recently, Makeup Geek can be found in some Target stores and they've released more palette versions. This particular palette is the Peach Bellini, a very warm palette. For those who prefer cooler toned palettes, you can check out the Champagne and Roses palette. This is currently 19$ on the Makeup Geek site.

Alamar Cosmetics is a smaller Indie brand founded by Gabriela Trujillo, you may have seen her on the Boxy Charm social media before she left to pursue Alamar Cosmetics. She is also a friend of Kathleen Lights and worked as a makeup artist for her. Before living in Miami, Gabby lived in a housing project in Cuba called Alamar. Alamar actually means "stay close to the sea" which to Gabby meant staying closing to your culture. It's clear that her culture shines through in her brand. The brand launched in 2018 and currently has a range of eye shadow palettes, blush palettes, lip gloss and blush trios. This blush trio was in a recent Boxycharm and I was really excited to try the brand.

"Inspired by the warm glow of a morning sunrise, this impeccable palette contains Shades of warm sunny yellows, crimson corals, earthy browns and powerful pinks and fuchsias, all made to melt together in perfect harmony." This colour story really caught my attention when I saw sneak peaks and while the Natasha Denona Sunset palette has been on my wishlist since it launched in 2017, I'm glad I waited because this Sunrise palette is warmer and more versatile. The Sunset palette is much more neutral. 

Sunset Palette Launched in 2017

My Boxycharm box arrived and I always feel like a kid receiving a surprise bag. June offered an upgrade luxe box and I decided to opt in. As a Canadian subscriber, I really do feel like this is a great way to try products for a great price. I paid about 80$ for the entire box, shipping included and the total value is worth much more. I will break it down as I explain what I received. This month Boxycharm sent out a form that you can customize a few details to add on your wishlist, I remember asking for the Tarte Blush palette over the eyeshadow palette but I don't remember what other customization were offered. It was sent out at the beginning of May.  I did see some spoilers around social media, but you never know exactly what's in your box until you open it, since there's a lot of variations to the box.

Let's get into the box:

Wet N Wild's My Glamour Squad palette without a doubt resembles the Anastasia Beverly Hill Soft Glam Palette. It has those same warm rusty shades and very similar shimmer shades. If you're looking for a palette that's more affordable this might be one for you. Going into this palette I was hoping to like it more than my "Not a Basic Peach" palette which I didn't like as much as I wanted to. This palette has six matte shades, and 4 shimmers. If I'm comparing it to the previous Wet n Wild palette that I didn't like, I will say this one was better.

I've enjoyed Real Techniques for many years and I recently picked up the Enhanced Eye set. An affordable brush set is great for building your brush collection and I always try to keep in mind makeup beginners. When I first started buying brushes as a beginner I was very imitated by all the shapes and sizes and wondering what to do with each brush. In my opinion this set and great for beginners and experienced makeup enthusiasts alike.  It comes with four brushes, a mascara comb and a clear brush holder. These synthetic brushes can be used for powder or cream shadow.

The Kaja Eyeshadow Trio in Sparkling Rose was a trio I thought I would love. They're described as "a stacked, creamy, powdered eyeshadow in curated trios of shimmer or combinations of matte and shimmer." I picked up this one which had all shimmers. Typically, I love wine coloured eyeshadows and I really thought these would be really sparkly but they really fell short for me.

Dewy, glowy skin is what I'm always looking for; summer or winter. I picked up the L'Oreal Lumi Shake & Glow Dew mist at my local drugstore and was a bit skeptical. This cost 20$ which I thought was a little high for drugstore but I did take note on the amount of product and thought it would last awhile. I had also seen a few reviews online and this mist seemed to be getting good reviews which prompted me to give it a try myself. This product claims to "prime, set and refresh makeup for a natural, healthy glow."

The NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil is part of a new collection. The collection tag line is "Feels Like Nothing, and Looks Like Nothing" which was intriguing to me since I've been loving sheer coverage products. In this collection, there is also a multitasking spray, hydrating jelly primer, and cheek tints. I was sent a few of these products to review, and I'll start with the skin veil.  If you're wondering if it's a BB Cream, I would say it's more of a tinted moisturizer. It is available in twelve shades, vegan, and delivers up to 8 hrs of hydration. As a person with dry skin, I'm always looking for hydrating. This product has a satin finish which looks very natural and healthy on the skin.

The Essence Metal Shock Shadows really surprised me and I think they're hidden gems at the drugstore. Cream/Liquid shadows are a fun way to play with eyeshadow. These particular shadows come in seven different shades, they're very easy to work with and very shimmery. I initially bought three shades and had to go back and pick up the rest of the shadows because I was so impressed. You are probably familiar with the Stila Glitter and Glow shadows and I want to tell you they're not as reflective with the glitter particles. I don't feel like they're dupes, but the Essence shadows stand on their own and I find them easy to wear every day.

The Stila Lingerie Souffle is a newer product from Stila and I was excited to try this mousse-like complexion product. This was sent to me for review purposes and claims to be a  "lightweight, delicately tinted skin perfector. Advanced pigments and light refracting particles smooth, blur and even skin tone creating the optimal illusion- skin that looks naturally fresh and perfected." Lately, I've preferred light coverage and I thought this sounded like something I would really enjoy. The Lingerie Souffle has 8 shades available and comes in a glass luxurious jar.

If you like quick makeup looks in the morning, and you like to have everything in one palette, take a look at these It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow palettes. They've quickly become my "go to" palettes when I want a quick makeup look. The nude palette does look a little more peachy in real life, the other rosy palette is the natural palette. Both of these are gradient/ombre palettes with a highlighter, blush and bronzer section. You can also buy the One Sweep Wonder brush that is designed to pick up all three products and apply them on your face; if you're wondering how that works here is a video by Youtuber Leesha that will give you a better understanding of the concept. I will give my thoughts on the brush too.

Wet N Wild 'Not a Basic Peach' is one of the many 10 pan palettes available through the brand. When I think of summer, I think of peachy eyeshadow looks. I recently took this palette out and realized I didn't have a review posted and decided to post a review and swatches. These 10 pan palettes seem to have a nice range of shades with both matte and shimmers with two larger pans marked for 'transition.'

My May Boxycharm showed up and I was so excited to get into the box. Throughout the month I keep an eye on spoilers and possible variations in the boxes, and this month there seemed to be a lot of variations and it was truly a surprise when I got mine. Each month Boxycharm gives you 4 or 5 full-size products, you will find some products that every charmer receives and some products are variations; so not every subscriber will receive it. Each month the boxes are also given a theme and this month was 'Make Waves." Let's get into the box...

Glamglow Gentlebubble Cleanser MSRP 28.00$

I've never tried any products from Glamglow and I do enjoy trying new cleansers. This product claims to effectively cleanse the skin and dissolve your makeup. It's recommended for all skin types, and will apparently bubble up when deep cleaning the skin. I'm interested to see if this will be a "one and done" makeup remover and cleanser. I usually double cleanse my skin. This was a product that every subscriber received.

I've been wanting to try The Ordinary's foundation for a while, and recently decided to give it a try. I've been enjoying trying new complexion products and with spring and summer, I like lighter coverage. Lately, I've been preferring lightweight natural foundations, especially with my current allergies. The Ordinary has this Serum foundation and the Coverage foundation which has more coverage. I decided to give the Serum Foundation a try since they are known to be lightweight products. The foundation does come in 21 shades and was less than 7$ in Canada. It does come with a pump which is always appreciated, and it has 30 ml of product.

It;'s been a few months since I resubscribed to Boxy Charm's monthly subscription box. I had tried it a few years ago and chose not to stay subscribed due to the fact that many of the products received weren't being used. In recent months Boxy Charm tempted me with the boxes I was seeing. One of the boxes I would have liked to receive was the month that they included the Ace Beauty Grandiose palette and the Luxie Beauty Luminous Eye Set. The palette has the colour story that I love, and those detail brushes are right up my alley. I subscribed not long after that box, and when I saw the April FOMO box could be purchased separately for already subscribed users, I decided to go ahead and get it. As a Canadian, I pay 35$ including shipping but the value far exceeds what I pay.

Let's look at what I received in the box:

Ace Beauty Grandiose Palette featuring 4 shimmer shades and 4 mattes. I've been wanting to try this palette and the brand and this was a great way to get my hands on the palette. The pan sizes are pretty big and I'm excited to give this a try. MSPR 24.99$

Urban Decay retired the iconic Naked palette and we all knew they would release an updated version. It was just a matter of time. When the Naked Reloaded was announced I was really happy with the shade selection and knew I would end up purchasing the palette. I didn't think this palette was groundbreaking but I did think it would be a great palette to grab for every day. These are the shades that I would use and love. It would allow me to have a variety and have what I need in a palette.