YOUTUBE DEBUT

My long awaited (by me) debut to youtube is finally here. I've uploaded 6 videos so far...and counting. I'm crazy excited to be doing it. I still am not quite sure what will be on it yet. So far, its mainly beauty related (product reviews, tutorials, tips and tricks, etc) but I'd also like to do some cooking, random vlogs and anything fun that I feel like making. We will just have to see where it takes me, and in the meantime, check it out, rate, add and subscribe :)
www.youtube.com/user/theglammonster

Hard Candy Primer

I just had to take a second out of my schedule to write this blog. I've honestly never bothered to use an eyeshadow primer before because I guess I've just been content refreshing my make-up throughout the day. Today I wanted to wear a particularly vibrant and detailed look on my eyes...and I didn't want it to fade or smudge so I tested out the Hard Candy Eyeshadow Primer and I have to say that I loved it. My eyeshadow stayed in place all day, it didn't run, smudge, fade or blend together. I was kind of surprised because I have an oily complexion and I didn't think anything would stop my make-up from wearing off throughout the day, but this is the product that did. I was impressed and relieved to know I didn't have to carry my make-up and brushes around with me all day (even though I did anyway)...I know for next time I won't need to.

It is just a small tube, it came with the eyeshadow that I got. I thought it was a good deal, it was 6 or 7 dollars for both together.

Overall this primer did the job, but it is a clear primer, so it won't cover any flaws on the skin around your eyes. Pigmented primers will help cover veins and discolouration, so if thats the type of primer you are looking for this one wouldn't be for you.

So about these nails.....

I really wanted to write a blog that focused on nails because theres a ton of nail products I want to try: one being the nail art pen by Sally Hanson, I only have two so far...In gold and a light pink, I believe. I didn't want to buy that many in case I didn't like them. The second would be Nic's Stix by Nicole by OPI, I also bought a few polishes from that brand that I haven't used yet! Anyways, I haven't even been able to paint my nails because I'm not allowed to have them done at my job and I don't want to be removing my polish every time I work. I'll paint when I get a few days off and I'll let you guys know what the longest lasting nail polishes are. I wish there was such thing as completely chip-free nail polish!

Upcoming: Perfect Hands & Nails

If you ever have problems with your nails, like peeling, thin/brittleness or dry cuticles I will be posting a blog soon about the nail care that has been working for me. Since it's winter and the air is dry, it's a bad time of year for nails and hands, which seriously sucks because it's impossible to hide your hands if you have dry skin, chipped nail polish or something that just doesn't look pretty. Anyways, so I'm also going to do a nail polish experiment and find out which ones hold out the longest without chipping, hopefully my sister will help me out with it.

So that's coming up soon! I will hopefully get started on it tomorrow.

P.S. Hope everyone had a perfect Valentine's day :)

elle & blair

I've just recently been introduced to the online world of beauty gurus and with this post I just wanted to direct you to the YouTube channels of sisters Elle (allthatglitters21) and Blair (juicystar07). They both have tons and tons of beauty vids to look through. Some are tutorials, some are reviews, some are just fun and random...but I guarantee you will learn something new from them, and who doesn't love learning new things?!

If you've been living under a rock and somehow haven't heard about them already, go take a peek. Believe me you will love their stuff.

How Hard Candy saved my life

I haven't had much luck buying concealers the past few times I've tried. Either they weren't the right colour or I lost them or it just didn't give me the coverage I needed. I have sensitive skin and I am really prone to break outs, so its always a challenge to find products that won't cause problems. It wasn't until I discovered the Hard Candy Nobody's Perfect Concealer Pallette for fair skin that I finally felt satisfied.

It comes with 6 colours, including a pale pink and a pale green to cover up the most challenging red spots. If you don't have an even skin tone, this palette is perfect to even it out and give you great coverage (at least it did for me). This product didn't contribute to break outs (yet) and isn't too thick or cakey. At about 7 bucks, I was really pleased with this purchase and I never go anywhere without it. Not only are the concealers great but it also comes with a mini applicator brush, which is attached so you never have to worry about not having it with you. (I hate putting my fingers in my products...it just seems unhygeinic to me.) Anyways, overall I love this palette. I've been using it for about two weeks, and so far so good. Having the right concealer for your skin really helps your confidence and at this point I can definitely say that I would purchase it again.

MASCARA REVIEW (Rimmel vs. Rimmel)

There are about a million different kinds of mascara available with many styles of brushes. I've never really taken the time to check out the differences between different brush styles. Rimmel is one of my favourite brands so I decided to test two different mascaras by them:

1) NAME: Rimmel LASHMAXXX
CLAIM: 3X Lash Multiplying Effect with 'zero clump applicator'

I think the point of this mascara is to make it look like you have more eyelashes than you really do...and it does. The comb-style applicator is great, it separates your lashes without clumping and (Seriously it never clumps!) At first glance, I thought the applicator would make my lashes look flat, but I was surprised to find that this wasn't the case at all. I liked the fact that this is an extremely light mascara, making it easy to remove, and doesn't weigh your lashes down. But if it's a dramatic look you want, you might be disappointed as the LashMAXXX mascara will give your lashes a more natural enhancement.

This is how it looked on me:


The applicator:


VERDICT: I like this mascara. I'd give it a 9/10 for doing what it is supposed to do, but wouldn't use it for dramaticized lashes.

2) NAME: Rimmel SexyCurves (Waterproof)
CLAIM: Full Volume & Curve Mascara

I bought this mascara mainly because of the alluring brush. I had to find out if it was as cool as it looked. Maybe it's just my eye lashes but this applicator did not work for me. It gave my lashes a spidery effect. It is an inconsistent mascara. I found it to be a little clumpy. It went on really thick on some of my lashes and thin on others, which didn't look good on me. The curved part of the brush hit my lashes in the wrong place and made a few of them look bent in the wrong direction..somehow. Maybe for someone with more eyelashes, the applicator would work better. But, I do like waterproof formulas. It's less likely to run even while working out or laying on the beach. Also, if you have oily skin, waterproof might solve your running-mascara woes.

How it looked:



The applicator:


VERDICT: This mascara is OK. I'll finish using it, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.