Review: Argan Oil; 2 Brands Compared. +Moving!!

For those of you interested in trying Argan Oil, which is all the rave in hair right now (google it,) Moroccan Oil is not your only option- though it probably is the best. It's quite expensive so I haven't had a chance to try it yet. What I have tried are two knock off brands.

Live Clean's Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Treatment (Walmart) ~vs~ One N' Only's Argan Oil (Sally Beauty Supply)

There's a clean winner here, folks. Live Clean's product is by far the worst crap I've ever put in my hair. I am seriously considering contacting them to complain. Don't get me wrong, the Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner are ffffabulous. So why is this oil so awful? Ughhh. Why *isn't* it? It feels like glue. It will seriously stick your fingers together and when you separate them there will be adhesive, gooey strings connecting them. It's clumpy and doesn't spread evenly throughout the hair, and of course very sticky! In addition to that it seems to cloud over any shine the hair may have, making it incredibly dull. It reminded me of how I imagine a dead person's hair to be. The only leg this crap has to stand on is the smell. It has a pleasant smell, kind of like My Little Pony's used to smell... and even so there is a familiar and strange undertone to the smell that isn't offensive but unsettling. I can't put my finger on what it reminds me of.

Oddly enough, the thing that I wish I could change about One N' Only's product is the smell. It's not bad- don't get me wrong. It's just very earthy, and I'm not into those scents. It does die down a lot after application, and Chad does like the smell of it. I just think Live Clean's oil has the better scent. However, this product actually works! It makes my hair nice and shiny, soft. My hair looks healthier and is stronger. Every so often when brushing my hair I'll pull a couple strands from the brush and see how easy they are to break. There is a profound difference in just two months. Actually, I've got really bad, coarse, frizzy hair that I usually insist on blow drying to keep it smooth. To avoid heat styling (also a reason my hair is becoming stronger, no doubt) I apply this to my damp hair and let it air dry. It is of course curly once dried, but not the crazy curly ball of frizz it is without this oil. This was actually recommended to be by an acquaintance on facebook and I gotta say, I love it!!

And An Update... 

After months of searching for the perfect apartment, I did find one that sparked my interest. Unfortunately it became unavailable about a day or two later. But! There was another available in the same building. Very similar except the living room and bedrooms were a little tiny bit smaller, and the linen closest was outside of the bathroom rather than in. And you know what? The bathroom is bigger!! It almost has a "his and hers" setup. Toilet, bath/shower, two sinks, a vanity type area with lots of drawers and a counter with a sink and a mirror on each end. "Extended bathroom" is what they called it. It has a view of the pool and playground from the large balcony, and the building also has basketball and tennis courts. All of which looked spotless! Lots of trees just outside our window, which is high up. Awesome! Building has been and continues to be completely renovated. Our apartment has brand new paint, carpet, and plumbing. It also has a great location with lots of food, shopping, banks, etc.

So what does all of this mean? I will tell you! My own computer is quite dead, and I've been using my mom's. Following the move I will have no computer access until I get around to buying another one. Looking for a laptop with wifi, FYI! The blog will slow down for a while, but it will not stop. In fact, after moving I will have access to a lot more products to review and possible networking to pick up more tips and tricks. Hopefully not more to rant about!

-H. Cat

PS: Forgot to mention that the price point on both products is somewhere between $11 and 14 CAD. I believe the LC was $11.00 and the ONO was $14.

Tutorial: Depotting MAC Shadows

Depotting is a great option for those who are tired of pawing through their shadows trying to find a certain colour. It's also great if you're a freak for organizing, like I am. Or even for traveling- a 15 palette on vacation, a quad for your purse. Whatever! Another cool thing is that most (not all) MAC counters and stores will take the depotted shells back, and when you bring 6 in at once you will receive a free lipstick of your choice (excluding Viva Glam) from a MAC counter, or at a MAC store you may choose from a lipstick, lipglass, or eyeshadow.

Worried about getting your colours mixed up? Too lazy to print labels? That's fine. You can heat up the labels on the bottom of your shadow and re-stick them. If they look dirty or faded a baby wipe should make them legible again.

You can pick up a MAC 15 palette for about $16 CAD, and a quad for roughly $5. I had to go to an actual MAC store and not a counter, but the counters will have quads available soon enough. It is time consuming but not very difficult. I do remind you to be careful! You will have several opportunities to jab or burn yourself.

Below is a method you can use to depot your shadows with a straightening iron, instead of flame.

You will need:

• Straightening iron (any kind, as long as it's flat and you can fit a pan or two on it)
• Knife (I used a small steak knife)
• Strip of aluminum foil (to keep melting plastic off of your straight iron)
• Towel (optional, for sitting hot, stick pans and knife on)
• Tweezers (optional, for lifting the pan out)
• Qtips/Cotton pads & Alcohol (to remove glue from metal pan)
• Magnet (optional, to keep them in place, but I left mine sticky and skipped this for now)

I'm a perfectionist, so I sat down and wrote a list of my colours, then organized them in the order I wanted my palette. My 15 pallet is a spectrum from purple to blue, to teal, to green, to gold, to amber, golden reddy brown, to a reddish copper. See what I mean about this perfection business? My quad consisted of staple neutrals. Crystal Avalanche (shimmery white), Shroom (a muted golden beige highlight colour), Satin Taupe (a taupe brown with silvery bronze shimmer) and Carbon (a matte black.)

I put my straight iron on the hottest setting and went about the first step, which is popping the plastic pan out of the case.

STEP 1: Above, you will see that I have circled an indented area above the little sticky-outty part (technical term, right there!) You'll want to grip the shadow with your index finger on one side and your thumb on the other. Hold it down against a flat steady surface that won't be a big deal if you happen to slip and stab into. Angle the knife down and inwards into that edge. I had better luck trying the corners. Every little eyeshadow seemed to come apart differently. Some easier than others. Just press the tip of the knife in and jiggle it a bit. If you're not getting results, try another area. Be careful not to damage the eyeshadow.  

STEP 2: Once the pan is out, lay a strip of aluminum foil over the bed of your straightening iron and sit the eyeshadow pan and the empty case (label down) on top of the foil. Your label will be done before the eyeshadow. Check after a minute or two. Try to slide the tip of a small knife under the label. It should just lift up and come right off. I swiped the knife completely under it to separate it. That way it didn't curl like it may have if I had grabbed hold of one end and peeled it off. I immediately put the sticker inside the lid of my 15 palette, and on the back of my quad. I put another pan of shadow on beside the first one while I waited for the first to be done. I took it off of the iron and checked to see if the bottom had become slightly melted or warped. I pressed my knife against the bottom and wiggled it up under the shadow fairly easily. If it requires force you need to heat it up more, or you risk breaking your shadow. 

STEP 3: I lifted the metal pan out of the plastic casing on the end of my knife and "wiped" it off on to the towel. You could lift yours out with tweezers. It's very hot and I did burn my finger tips once or twice. I tried to remove some of the glue from the bottom with rubbing alcohol. Some came off in such a way that the glue peeled off in solid... Some were much messier. I wasn't successful at removing all of the stickiness on most of them, but I doubt I'll be playing musical pallets with a lot of them anyway. 

Rinse, repeat, collect your free makeup. You know the drill! Can't wait to go back to MAC and collect my 3 free shadows tomorrow! 

-H. Cat

Updated: Picked up my 3 freebies. I chose Electra, Parfait Amour, and Swish. Here are my palettes thus far. Excuse the crappy cell phone camera.

Review: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion & Liquid Liner

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

I wish I had something interesting and original to say about UDPP, but it's all been said before. This is the HG (Holy Grail) product of makeup artists, magazine editors, and aficionados alike.

The silicone based formula transforms your eyelids into a silky smooth canvas ready to grab and intensify colours and keep them on lock-down all day long. In the long run you will be using less of your favorite eyeshadows because it takes significantly less to get a great colour pay off. You will want to be careful with your already richly pigmented colours. 

I did a mermaidesque look using MAC's Bitter, Freshwater, and Humid about a week ago. Before UDPP I'd have to fight bitterly (teehee) to get any colour pay off from Bitter whatsoever. I was thinking of swapping it... until I tried it over top of UDPP. It looked as vibrant as it does in the pan. Freshwater and Humid already have a strong colour payoff, and I didn't know enough to use them VERY sparingly over top of UDPP so it made for a rather bold but striking eye. Wish I had pictures. Still working on the camera.

To apply this I start with a clean moisturized face. I scrape the brush on the edge of the jar on the way out so there's not so much product. I do a swipe across each eyelid, then another swipe just under each brow and blend. If you're going to apply shadow to the lower lash line I would trace that as well. I pat it in with my fingers and smooth it over. I go on to the foundation of the rest of my face while allowing UDPP to dry. I personally do not apply foundation over it, or under it. I suspect that might aide in creasing, as I believe it is meant to prime for powder and not creamier layers. So if you're using this and experiencing creasing that may be the problem. Or perhaps you are using too much.

I've tried MAC Shadesticks, Paints, Paint Pots, The Body Shop's primer, and Benefit's Lemon Aid. Urban Decay Primer Potion is the one I love best. Lemon Aid is absolutely awesome for dark under eyes, but just so-so as a primer. My runner up would be MAC Paints in matte shades. The shimmery ones tend to crease.   

 PS: Due to the cute but impractical style of the packaging, you'll want to google a tutorial, perhaps a youtube video, on how to depot this stuff when the well appears to have run dry. There's tons of excess in the bottle. You just need to take it apart.

Urban Decay Liquid Liner in "Perversion" (Black)

After swatching every black liquid liner in Sephora I decided to adopt this one. In case you were wondering, my finalists were Lancôme's Artliner, Tarte's Indelible Wink, and Urban Decay's Liquid Liner. In that order.

I initially felt that Artliner was a bit inky and was put off by it, but it did dry quickly, was a nice rich black, and lasted on my hand until the end of the day. I believe it had the highest price point, at about $40 CAD. I did see on an interview that this is what pinup sensation and MUA, Dayna Delux, uses- which is what happened to bring me into Sephora that day.

Tarte had the blackest black and it seemed to hold hold up the best, too. It had the middle price point, which was... $30 something. Sorry, I can't quite remember. The off-putting factor was that the packaging looked and felt cheap (to me, anyway) and I've had absolutely no experience with the brand. Might be worth checking out!

So that leaves me with my Perversion, the name of UD's black liner. This had the lowest price point at about $20 and judging by the packaging it's a lot of bang for your buck. Hopefully it won't need to be depotted, like the Primer Potion.

This is pretty much a little ink well with a teeny tiny brush, seen to the right. I do not like that the hole is significantly larger than the applicator wand. It's kind of messy when trying to wipe the excess on the edge, and is probably spillable.

The formula is very black and has a bit of a nice sheen. It glides on and dries quickly, but not so quick that you have to time to work with it. The applicator (even though I generally use MAC's 266 angle brush) is capable of creating those perfect, bold yet skinny straight lines. It's actually a decent applicator, even though I'd normally prefer a felt tip.

I love both products reviewed and would definitely recommend. Urban Decay knows what they are doing!

-H.Cat

General Update

Rhett had a not-so-fantastic day at the splash pad while my mom, Cailum, and I waited out Chad's visit with his kids. It was Father's Day weekend and so there was a car show at the park. The place was packed and Rhett was not in the mood. When I'd had enough of his misbehaving I took his hand and led him to the car. Or tried to. It was not so simple.

There was heavy traffic flowing through the park and Rhett thought he was too much of a badass to hold mommy's hand. Plus mommy is mean! So he bit. And he bit... I wish I could post a picture of these two bites. I feel inclined to get a tetanus shot! Shaking him off of me was absolutely out of the question because if I had he surely would have ran right into a car. I don't physically discipline, either- though I would have liked to at that moment. I guess my high frustration was the reason why I barely felt the bite that broke skin. Until after, that was. Tiny black dots marking each of his teeth, with surrounded and filled by a purple and red circle, with an open wound in the middle. Rhett snarling with my blood smeared across his mouth, and tons of people staring. Not a pretty picture!!

After this I decided it would be best to put him back on his medication. I hate the idea of medicating any child for behavioural reasons. Especially my baby. Alas, it seems to be the only way to keep him from hurting himself and literally eating my flesh. And before you tell me to give him a slap, I should mention that this is a boy who broke two bones in his foot, nearly severing his toe, and did not feel an ounce of pain, even for a second. What good would it do?

So now that he is back on his medication he is crashing at about 4:00 pm every evening and waking up at 9:00 or 10:00 am. I've been enjoying the break for the past few days, but starting tomorrow it is time to get him back on schedule.

And now for some Cailum news! Cailum crawled today. At 1 week he rolled over, at 3 weeks he began smiling for more than just gas reasons, and at 4 months he is crawling to me! He kind of sucks at it, but we are proud anyway. Especially big brother Rhett, who got on hands and knees beside him and crawled along. Aww Rhettski! Such a proud big brother. Cailum is still very cautious of him, however.

Andddd if you noticed the colour change in my character's hair up there, it is in accordance to my own. I'm now sporting a light Auburn. Chad pre-lightened my hair, processing the ends first to ensure an even lift, then I rinsed without shampoo or conditioner and applied the colour. FYI: My local Shopper's Drugmart is selling certain shades of red on clearance for $1.00 CAD. Perhaps yours is, too!

Also- Chad bought me another Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. The colour is called Baked. It's a rather bold bronze, and I'm psyched to wear it tomorrow! I love these liners. Expect a review in the near future.

-H. Cat

Review: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Gelee

**UPDATE**
Darling readers, I recently repurchased this and it is not quite as I remember. On the plus side, it dries much faster. It smells differently than I remember- not offensive. I thought it was a clearish orange gel before and it seems to be a dark shimmery bronze now. Which brings me to the real reason I am making this update. It is completely loaded with glitter. I am okay with that, but I know some readers may not be. It's not subtle at all! And all the glitter seemed to fall to my feet throughout the day. I remember blending this with my moisturizer and applying it to my face before. I definitely couldn't now because it is way too sparkly. All in all, I still love this product.
-H. Cat
*********************************************************************

I went to Shoppers Drugmart at 11:30pm for Biore Pore Strips, and ended up coming home with this instead. I was sick of waiting for my self tanning moisturizers to gradually build a dark tan, so I picked this up for $16.00. It comes in a 150ml squeeze bottle with a flip cap. I purchased the only shade available, which was Medium.

I was impressed with the results! There was a noticeable tan to my skin after one application. After two applications I was a bronze goddess, and Chad was cracking jokes about me being black. It's definitely not subtle. If you see a friend or family member one day, and apply the next, they may be a little shocked.

As with any self tanner, you need to start with clean and dry skin. I exfoliated beforehand to ensure a more even coverage. I just scrubbed my skin down with sugar in the shower. It's thrifty and effective. You need to apply sparingly on your dryer areas and joints, such as the elbows, knees, and feet. In fact, leave your feet alone! Trying to blend it into my feet evenly was a disaster. I needed Chad to apply it to my back, which brings me to my next point. Wash your hands immediately after application! Chad opted not to, and was sporting orange hands for a few days.

The bottle recommends daily use until you reach your desired darkness, then a once or twice weekly maintenance. I was completely satisfied after just two applications, but then again I'm naturally ghostly white.

This was the best self tanning product I've used. The tan was bronze, not orange. Completely streak free and natural looking. Not my colour of MY natural tan, but the tan of someone who tans well! I applied it to my face with good results and no breakouts. If you choose to do this, be sure to blend especially well around the jaw, ear, and eyebrow areas.

The consistency of the formula itself was a light, smooth gelee. Not sticky, and not greasy. It has the added benefit of vitamin E. The scent on application was fresh, not offensive. After drying it did have that self tanner smell, but not as strong as many other products. 

Even this great product is not without it's cons. The colour didn't adhere as well to the fattier (or less weathered?) parts of my body, to be specific- my stomach,butt and chest. Do not apply over rashes, scrapes, etc. I had a slight shaving rash, and a cut on my hand. It dyed them a brown colour that lasted longer than the bronzer itself once I discontinued use.

Also- self tanners clog your pores, so I had a slight breakout. Nothing major. Two zits. One on my thigh and one on my butt cheek. Yep. A zit on my ass. Glamorous, yes? I know the tanner caused these because I'm not prone to acne anywhere but my face.

It dries in about half an hour to an hour, which is no big deal... unless you've got other people in the household and you don't want to be wandering around naked. I made the mistake of throwing on Chad's white tank top before it was completely dry, and of course it stained it. Sorry honey! <3 I would also like to see some colour added to the gel itself to help guide you in the application process.

I will definitely be repurchasing this. It looks like the bottle will last be about 5 or 6 applications... but then again I have a fat ass. Haha I kid. Well, I do, but whatever! Actually, I'm going to reapply this tonight. I slacked off for a week or two and now my colour is disappearing.

For those of you with cooler skin tones, I would try testing this before hand. I'm naturally warm toned so it isn't hard for a self tanner to be suitable to my skin tone.

-H. Cat

Review: The Body Shop's Brow & Liner Kit

This compact retails for around $18.00 and is designed to line the eyes and define brows in two complimentary shades. It comes in three colours. Blonde/Auburn, Brown/Brunette, and Dark Brown/Black. I purchased the Brown/Brunette. 

The product is a wax in powder form, and includes good old Vitamin E and a special oil from Namibia to protect and condition the skin.

I liked this product a lot, but I doubt I will repurchase. Why? Well... The price compared to the use I got out of it. I will most likely go on trying new things for my brows (once my current HG Revlon ColourStay Enhancer runs out.) I only ever found myself using it to define my brows, not as an eyeliner. I tend to use liquid and pencil liners. If I use a powder, it's usually MAC. I used one shade way more than the other. The shade I liked best broke away from the packaging and eventually got lost, so I simply tossed it out of frustration. The brush itself is a neat, compact idea- but it does suck. Works while on the go with some special care and effort, but I used the product with my MAC 266 small angle brush.

If you have a brush to use and you know you will use both shades, then go for it. As I said, the powder itself is a good product. It can be used wet or dry, and has lasting power. It gave my brows great definition in a soft and natural effect. They felt smooth, not stiff or waxy. The colour was a perfect match.

The little compact does last a long time. I used mine for the better half of a year and the packaging broke before it ever ran out. If you tend to drop your makeup- Beware. Or just get rid of the man rushing you to get ready, causing you to fumble your makeup. ;)

-H. Cat

Review: Wet'n'Wild' #666 Lipliner

The shade is also known as Brandywine and has long been a best kept secret of makeup artists everywhere. For just 99 cents you can have this extra long stick of creamy one-shade-suits-all liner. It is the perfect nude liner.

I have read that this is an exact duplicate for Chanel's #1 best selling Nude Liner, which retails for $28.00

It is absolutely the only lip liner I ever use. I'd like to try MAC's Spice but I haven't bothered to purchase it because I know I will still be reaching for my 666. It sharpens clean, not messy, and lasts up to a year even with daily use. It's becoming gradually more difficult to find, so I might buy out the rest of the display next time I repurchase. I know Walmart does carry this brand.

The shade works for anyone and everyone! It's a neutral pinky brown, great for creating the nude lip look, or a base for any other colour.

 I first learned about this legendary liner while reading the blog of a professional makeup artist and his HG (Holy Grail) recommendations for anyone's kit. I had seen the brand before, and because of the packaging and price I'd always considered it "kiddie makeup." Something a 13 year old girl would purchase to begin experimenting with cosmetics. In fact, this brand is a hidden gem! The quality of most of their products easily matches those of higher end brands such as MAC and NARS. I'm actually going to pick up a couple of the bronzers and review them soon enough.

I trace my natural lip line then lightly fill my lips in to prevent my lip colour from "bleeding." If my lipstick should wear off throughout the day, and it will, this matches my lips so naturally that there will be no visible line. I have yet to come across a lipstick or gloss that doesn't look awesome over top of this. The finish is pigmented and creamy with a slight sheen, not matte- which also means the stick does not tug at your lips.

At a whopping dollar, I recommend you give the 666 a try. You're not really going to be out anything even if you should find that you don't like it (which I can't imagine, at all!)

-H. Cat

Review: Lise Watier's 24hrs Glam Mascara

First I will say that I really wanted to love this mascara. It's such a neat and unique idea.

I wandered into my neighborhood Shoppers Drugmart with one thing on my mind. The legendary Diorshow Mascara. In fact, I had it in my hand when the sales associate made a most convincing case for this; Lise Watier's 24hrs Glam Mascara. I put down the Diorshow and went with this alleged innovation in chic urban packaging. I've always been a sucker for an animal print!

This mascara uses an elastic polymer formula, which surrounds each lash in a three dimensional waterproof film. Another selling point for me was the removal method. You must literally wet your fingers and gently pull the coating from your lashes, like little silicone casings. It just sounded neat, okay?

The brush style is trademarked as the "Flexi-Queen." The stick itself came out clean, unlike my L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara, which is caked in product and extremely messy. This was a big plus for me. The end of the brush had a little excess product, but you have to expect that with a brand new mascara. My second thought was that this style brush was not going to do much for me. One side for length, one for volume, in other words- one was flattish and prickly, the other being long and spiky. It was great for the bottom lashes, as most straight brushes with little "teeth" are, but as far as curling and building the upper lashes- NADA.

The consistency of the formula was wet and thin, almost gliding over the lashes like ink. It was hard to build this up, and letting it dry between coats is a bad idea! This resulted in a spidery look that flaked throughout the day. Whether fault of the formula or the brush, I had trouble combing it through my lashes evenly. The formula was sticky but actually did not clump, which is always a plus.

The biggest cons to this mascara were that the finish was dull, not glossy. It photographed with a flat, almost white powdered effect which I did not appreciate. It smelled like rubber, a fact I wouldn't think twice about if it had been half as soon a mascara as I'd hoped, and of course the $20.00 CAD price tag.

In the beginning I did believe that I liked this. After not too long I found myself reaching back to other older mascaras to avoid using this one. Eventually I came to the realization that it just didn't do the job.

If you like the sounds of the waterproof polymer formula, prefer a mascara with this brush type, and have lashes that could use lengthening but not necessarily volume- you might want to give this a try anyway. Some people do like it, but honestly I've seen more bad reviews than good. If you can find it on sale, even better, right? I've heard it was packaged with two other eye products for just $23.00, but I haven't seen this deal anywhere. The decision is yours to make!

-H. Cat

Tutorial: Brush Cleaning; the Thrifty Way

Brush cleaning is necessary to remove the oil and bacteria from your brushes. This is important because the brushes won't work properly if dirty, and you don't want to be depositing bacteria on to the skin.

MAC brushes are expensive but a worthwhile investment if you take the time to properly maintain them. I try to clean mine about once a week, or after a particular makeup application has totally coated the brush. IE: Blushcreme on my MAC 187.

It's important to clean your brushes both immediately before and after doing a makeup application on another person.

I developed my brush cleaning technique simply because no stores where I lived sold brush cleaner. That's probably changed now, but my way works and will cost you virtually nothing- since you should already have everything required.

A clean sink area and counters pace is easiest, but if I'm watching TV sometimes I'll use cups of water (about 3), paper towels, baby wipes and improvise.


Assuming you are washing at the sink, you will need:

• Dish soap (removes the grease/oil), or a gentle baby shampoo (the perks of being a mom!)
• a hair conditioner, within reason. I wouldn't use one tinted for, say, red hair. Can't go wrong with a basic moisturizing one. It has to rinse clean! You don't want a greasy brush.Today I used Aveeno Nourish Plus Moisture. 
• A towel to lay the brushes on
• Some paper towel if you like (I don't use it for a sink wash)

I've got a double sink so this couldn't be more simple. You might want to designate a bowl or something to toss your soapy brushes into. I throw mine on the dish rack.

First I run warm water. I wet my brushes under the stream of water and work them gently to make sure they're saturated. Then I put them down someplace (dish rack, bowl, clean side of sink, etc) and squirt a glob of dish soap or baby shampoo into my hand. I then take a brush and swirl it through the soap almost like buffing a foundation onto the skin. I put the soapy brush back on the dish rack and grab another. Repeat the swirling. Sometimes you'll need to add a little more shampoo as it'll get used up or turn a gross black colour. With smaller brushes you can swirl two or three of them at a time.

So you're done lathering up your brushes. Now rinse the soap off of your hands and work the brush in your hands, under flowing water to remove the soap. Again, be reasonably gentle with the brushes. You'll want to be thorough in rinsing them, but you're going to condition next so if you miss a bit of soap you'll have another chance. Once rinsed, back on the dish rack they go.

Now you'll squirt a bit of conditioner into your palm and work the brushes through it in the same way. Once you've applied conditioner to all of your brushes, switch the water from warm to cool. Rinse your brushes completely in the cool water. When finished, simply "re-shape" them if needed, and lay them flat to dry.

I usually clean my brushes at night because certain brushes can take about 12 hours to dry. I was sick last night and didn't have to chance to do them until this morning, so I won't be able to wear makeup today. So much for my planned FOTD!


-H. Cat

FOTD

FOTD stands for Face of the Day. I plan to include a lot more of these, as well as tutorials, just as soon as I get a decent camera. The pictures I took today were from Chad's cellphone and do the vibrancy of the colours no justice whatsoever. The little butterball turkey is my youngest son, Cailum.

I washed my face, applied a toner and a moisturizer. While waiting for the moisturizer to sink into my skin I made Rhett some breakfast, changed Cailum's diaper, and washed my hands.

I applied the Body Shop's Matte It primer all over my face, excluding the eye area. I gave it a minute to sink in, and while I waited I applied a tiny bit of lip balm. After that I put tiny dots of Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in "Light" all over my face except my eyelids, especially focusing on the freckled areas. I stippled and buffed this into my skin using my trusty MAC 187 duo fibre brush. Since I didn't sleep last night and to set the foundation as well, I followed that up with MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NW20

I then stippled MAC Blushcreme in "Lilicent" onto my cheeks and blended it in with my 187 brush (which was wiped off after foundation application) To highlight my cheek bones and up the center of my nose I used Red Earth's Secret Potion Face'n'Glow loose powder in "Pink Princess." I own two of these in liquid and other colours for a dewier finish. I love them.

I traced my natural lip line in Wet'n'Wild lip liner, shade #666 (another cult classic, and remarkably cheap!! Find it at Walmart.) I skipped lipstick and applied Red Earth Lip Wonder ultra shiny plumping gloss in "Peachy Girl."

For my eyes I used Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I applied a thin coat all over the eye area, from lash line up to the brows, and along my lower lash line as well. I styled my hair while I waited for this to dry. It really doesn't take long. Maybe a couple minutes. After that I patted MAC Golden Lemon pigment into the eyelid and blended it. I applied MAC Chartreuse pigment from the outer corner of my eyes to about half way in, above the outer edge of the pupil, and layered MAC Bitter eyeshadow over the Chartreuse and a little bit over the golden lemon. I lightly blended them together by taking a blending brush and sweeping from the inside corner of the lid outward a couple times. After that I applied a tiny bit of MAC Humid eyeshadow up the outer corners of my eyelids and blended upward into the crease. I lined my upper lid with MAC's limited edition (Art Supplies Collection) Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in "Undercurrent." A gorgeous green shade with a hint of blue, topped with golden shimmer. My lower lash line had already caught some Chartreuse coloured fallout, and it looked good so I decided to work with it. I then lined my waterline, and inner edge of upper eyelid with an Almay eyeliner in Black. I believe it's the one that says 16 hours, water resistant and smudge proof. Something to that effect. Anyway, it's really good for water lines! I dabbed a thin line of Lise Watier Eye Glitter in "Golden Green" across the upper lash line, and finished with two coats of L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara, combed my brows with a spooly brush, and Voilà! I wish the pictures did it justice. It's a super bright, summery fun look.

*You may also note that Cailum has his father's cool pink skintone. I believe Rhett is neutral. That boy is WHITE.

-H. Cat

Rhett's Return to the Splash Pad

Rhett had a playdate at the splash pad with his pal Conner today. I was a little nervous because last year he and an older child collided and blood was shed. Lots of blood. It was nearly the end of splash pad season, and we brought him back once more after the incident and he was terrified so we had to leave.

Today we packed up Rhett and Cailum, some sun screen, some Bactine (which came in handy when little Conner scraped his knee,) towels, changes of clothes, sandwiches, and of course diapers and wipers. We drive a crappy little Kia so Chad had to drop Rhett and I off to pick up our playdates.

Things looked bleak as Rhett squealed in horror when approaching the splash pad area of the park. I let him take the lead and explore the equipment until our friends arrived. He showed excellent initiative and independence. He decided what to do, and did not insist I walk him through it. I have Chad to credit for this progress.

It didn't take long before Rhett was sticking his hands and face in the water and screaming in excitement with the best of them. Has anyone noticed the fascination children have with putting their "junk" up against the water jets? Strange!

Rhett and Conner did collide but both parties were fine. The injuries tallied one each. Conner's bleeding knee, and Rhett's twisted ankle. Cailum bounced and giggled the day away in the shaded protection of his stroller. Our boys were the only two at the park sporting mohawks, which makes them the raddest of the children. To my knowledge, all three boys barely made it through dinner without passing out. It seems a good time was had by all, and hopefully we can do it again next week sometime.

I did notice some funny looks from a few children, mainly older girls. Generally the splash pad brings out the screaming animal in any child so Rhett's quirks go largely unnoticed. I saw him grasp the hand of another child, hug two children, and he seemed to take an interest in doing what Conner was doing on the play equipment.

Today was a proud day for me. My little man is progressing wonderfully! I also made a little friend. A little boy decided I looked like a most qualified water gun filler, and asked me to fill his gun four or five times. After the second time he promptly followed Rhett around, draining his water gun on his back. Irony! I help him fill his gun and he blasts away on my boy haha. Rhett was having far too much fun to even notice.

I take a moment to endorse Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion, which I fully intend to review in more depth at a later date. I chose to wear bold and bright turquoise eyeshadow to match the straps of my bathing suit. I applied my makeup at about 10:00 am. I'm not sure what time we hit the splash pad. I would say 3 or 4. I was out in the sun sweating, chasing down Rhett, running through the water for about an hour and a half. By the time we left my makeup was still going strong. Only now at midnight do I notice that it has faded a bit.

Love this stuff!

-H. Cat

A Word About Skintone

One of the most important, and often over-looked factors in selecting makeup, hair colour, and even clothing choices is your skin's natural undertone. I know better than anyone how hard it can be to look at yourself objectively, so I'm throwing together this resource for you.

I've got yellow undertones. This seems painfully obvious to me now, but it took years to figure out. In fact, I am so yellow that I find it very difficult to match my skin to most foundations. Chad has obvious pink undertones. Next to each other we look like a pig and an incredibly attractive girl with jaundice. Haha. I kid. But, note the difference. You would be inclined to think of pink as warm, and yellow as, well... warm. But in the world of skin and cosmetics, pink tones are considered cool. Some people are blessed with a neutral undertone, and almost anything will suit them. This isn't common, however, as even most neutrals lean to one side or another- and everyone has a colour they look awful in!

As a quick and general rule, the skin's undertone could be determined by the colour of your most visible veins. If they appear green than you're likely yellow (warm) toned. If the appear blue, then you're pink (cool.) A warm skintone usually looks best in warm colours, and so on with a cool tone.

But it's not quite so cut-and-dry.

Another recommended way to determine skin tone is to hold a piece of white paper up to the base of your neck, by your collarbone. Use the description below to decide which category you fit into. I always had trouble with this one, but it may work for you.

The four categories of skin tone:

• Golden
• Olive
• Pink
• Neutral

Golden skintones are warm. They against the white paper you should notice the skin to have a yellow, golden brown, or peachy hue. These skin tones are most flattered by browns, golds, yellow based greens, shades of grey, warm reds, oranges, apricot, peach, and corals.

Olive skintones are mostly cool, and can have tones of green, yellow, or gray. These tones can differ so I would recommend experimenting with both cool and warm tones to see which work best. Of course neutrals will work. Some materials state to avoid warm colours for an olive skin tone, but I tend to believe these tones are best played up in oranges, golden hues, apricots, corals, etc.

Pink skintones are tricky. You would expect someone with a pink or reddish tinge to be warm, but they are actually cool. That said, cool and neutral colours are the general consensus here. Warm colours can make you look downright red, which I have witnessed on Chad, who is very pink. Silvers are popular, as well as navy blue, amethyst, violet, magenta, icy blue's, silvery greens, and bright blue-based reds.

Neutral skintones are balanced. They're not overly cool or overly warm. These are your ivory or beige skin tones. They can wear just about anything. I wish there was more to say on this, but it's really all about figuring out what works specifically for you, and what may not.

Now you might have an idea of what category you fall into. Take into consideration your eye colour.

Warm Eye Colours:

• Red-browns or golden browns
• Green with red-brown, yellow-based green, green with gold flecks
• Blue with gold flecks.

Cool Eye Colours:

• Black brown or gray brown
• Blue, blue with gray, gray, or violet
• Green with blue or gray flecks.

By now, hopefully, you have a pretty good idea of your skin tone and some new ideas of colours to experiment with. Maybe something to keep in mind next time you go shopping for something new. I was going to elaborate, but I'm getting tired, so I'll slack off and leave you with these:

Left: Colours to best suit Cool tones.

Below: Colours best suited to Warm tones.

Final thought (I'm going all Springer on you!): Like anything in makeup, fashion, and art- There are no rules, only guidelines. I'm warm toned, but do you see purple on that chart? Hell no, and yet in my opinion and based on compliments I tend to receive when wearing purple, I'd say it's one of my best colours.

-H. Cat

Review: The Body Shop's Hemp Hand Protector

The famous Hemp Hand Protector! This stuff is great. I remember mentioning wanting to try it to one of my co-workers, and sure enough she had a tube of it on her. I purchased my own in short order.

I have a few problems with this stuff. First of all, the packaging. I like the way it looks. Hell, I even like squeezing the tube. I'm easily amused, and it's fun. The problem is that it bends, cracks, and wears down. Then it leaks, and then the tube gets greasy. The next (and in my opinion, worst) issue is the smell. Some people dig that earthy hippie funk. Not I! I hate the smell of hemp, patchouli, any of it.

The healing and moisturizing properties are great. Great enough to overlook the stinky smell and the flawed packaging. This is said to be the choice hand protector of professionals, as well. Doctors and chefs love it because they are constantly washing their hands, which is very drying. My hands are simply dry, and it did the job for me. The real test was Chad's hands. Chad has calloused, dry, cracked, damaged, manly man hands. He does jobs that are hard on one's hands. Roofing, concrete, landscaping, factory. You name it. (Anyone need a roof done? Ha!) The Hemp Hand Protector worked wonders on him. In fact, I'm feeling a little Father's Day inspiration coming on!

But I digress, as usual. If marijuana and hippies are not your thing, don't let the packaging and scent scare you away from this product if you want to give your hands some intensive TLC. If you find that the smell bothers you (hey, some people like it!) I would suggest putting this on at night time, perhaps with cotton gloves over top. You'll get all the benefits but you'll be asleep so you won't have to smell it. Then use something with a better smell during the say. Mmmm Nivea.

So let's review. This will moisturize your paws, nourish and heal them, and in addition to that it will strengthen and build the flexibility of the fingernails, which will help protect them from breakage- which can be a major pain in the ass!

-H. Cat

Review: got2b Smooth Operator: Smoothing Satin Drops

What is not to like about this product? Just don't use too much, and use it for what it is. This will not work a miracle on your hair and repair your dry, damaged ends. It will, however, disguise that damage while you work hard to nourish your hair and grow out stronger, healthier hair. It's mostly silicones, which explains why too much will make your hair greasy, but just the right amount will make it look great.

 Make note that this does contain a 'UV protectant," which is always good, but I would like to know exactly how much protection is given here.

I love this product. The smell is okay. It's kind of a childish candy smell. Not mouth wateringly yummy, but certainly not offensive. I apply this after blowdrying or straightening. I work a few pumps into the hair, concentrating on damaged areas. I'd start with one pump for fine hair... but my hair could be described as anything but fine. It's coarse, thick, frizzy, and there is LOTS. It smooths frizz, softens the feel of hair, and adds a great natural looking shine. Sleek and shiny!

The formula is light weight and once you find the right amount for your hair you virtually cannot tell you've got product in, which is really important to me. I hate the look of product, and I hate feeling it in my hair. A little goes a long way and yet you don't get a large amount per pump, so little product should be wasted. Or if you're cheap like me, you won't find yourself struggling with gooey hands to get the lid off the bottle to scrape the excess back in.

The price tag is highly agreeable. I think I picked up mine on sale for $4.00 or so, from No Frills. The packaging is both practical and fun.

Go check it out!

-H. Cat

Review: GOSH Eyeliners

First up is the GOSH Eye Liner Pen in Black. Chad bought me this after my liquid liner from The Body Shop ran out. I usually use MAC's Fluidline, but I go through liquid liner phases.

I love this, and will repurchase again and again. You can find it at Shoppers Drugmart. It's relatively inexpensive, and seems to last forever. I started using mine about a year ago, and it's almost empty now after nearly everyday use.

It is a dark rich black. The formula is smooth, dries quickly but gives you time to work with it a bit. It doesn't really fade a lot from application to the end of the day. It doesn't sweat off in the summer like some other liquid liners do. The applicator collects just the right amount of product, no wiping required. It is as good as any other built in applicator, maybe a bit better, and it does not tug the skin. It's a felt tip that has some give to it but is firm. When I apply this I hold the wand horizontally and press it into my lash line. Then I glide over it with my trusty MAC 266 angled brush to create the perfect straight line. I wear this all day, never touch up, and it washes off easily without the aid of makeup removers or cold cream.

Secondly, and much more fun, is GOSH's Extreme Art Eyeliner. This is very similar to MAC's LiquidLast Eyeliner. In fact, I don't notice so much of a difference, except that I prefer GOSH's Dragon Green shade to my similar MAC Greenplay. The difference is purely colour, however. In addition to Dragon Green, Chad also bought me the Deep Sea and Blue shades.

Like the MAC LiquidLast, I find this eyeliner to be a bit gooey, and chunky at times. You have to smooth it over immediately. I wish they could get these formulas more the consistency of paint! Once you get a handle on the application these look amazing. They have great colour payoff, and a flawless metallic look with a hint of duo-chrome. It is slow drying, but I see that as a plus because it gives you time to perfect it before it dries. Once it dries it will not budge! The real selling point on these is the lasting power. I can apply this before an evening out (when was the last time that happened? Ha!) and fall asleep with it on. It will still look fabulous in the morning.

I have a few problems with these. First of all, the applicator sucks. I use this the way I use any other wet liner. I paint a thin line on with the original applicator, then I glide across it with my beloved 266 angled brush.  The consistency of the formula- they are hard to use with other shadows or blend. You need to apply it last. If you put shadow over it it tends to muck it up. And the pro turned con... They last. They last a little too well and can be a challenge to remove. You will need a makeup remover. A face cleanser simply will not do the job.

Typically when I wear these I will apply an all-over shadow to the eye, a slightly thicker line of this along the lash line, and a thinner line of the GOSH Eye Liner Pen pushed right into the lash line. It's simple, but the liner itself makes it look like something special. I have read that these work great for the waterline, but the thought of the tacky formula tangling up in my lower lashes repels me. Perhaps when I am feeling adventurous I'll make an attempt.

 -H. Cat

Review: Hypnotic Poison (Fragrance)

This fragrance has been described mostly as sensual, seductive, and warm. To sum it up: This is a love potion.

It is the third fragrance in the line, and was designed by perfumer Annick Menardo. She also is the creative nose behind Lolita Lempicka (love those apple shaped bottles!) and Boss by Hugo Boss.

Nothing is for everyone but this is a wildly popular fragrance. In fact, one misting of this magic-in-a-bottle and I knew I would be irresistible to Chad. Needless to say, it worked. This is a fragrance that smells varying from person to person. I've always had trouble looking (read: smelling) at myself objectively, so I'm not sure exactly which notes stand out most on me. I do have a friend who wears it as well, and on her it tends to smell a bit like hot chocolate, smokey dragon's blood, vanilla and leather. On myself I get a totally different smell.

Some consider this an evening fragrance. I use this any occasion, any time. For daytime I lighten it up by misting myself all over with Victoria Secret Beauty Rush in Juiced Berry and applying a hint of Hypnotic Poison to the collar bone and wrists. For evening I will usually just use a heavier spray of Hypnotic Poison, or similar to the day use but with a vanilla body spray instead of berry.

This stuff has lasting power! I don't put my hoodies through the laundry after each wear because I don't want them going grubby on me (fading, pictures cracking, material balling up, etc.) If I throw one on that I haven't worn for a week I'll almost always catch a hint of this fragrance lingering.

This scent falls into the oriental category and boasts a touch of vanilla.
The base notes are sandal wood, vanilla, moss, jacaranda wood, and musk.
Heart notes include rose, lily of the valley, jasmine sambac, tuberose,
And the top notes are ones of bitter almond, caraway, coconut, plum, apricot, and pimento.

Not for the faint of heart, this scent is definitely an attention getter. When I actually ventured out into the outside world I got compliments on this fragrance almost daily. And as Chad would tell you, one smell and he was hooked! ;)
-H. Cat

Playing in Silence

One of my favorite qualities in my son Rhett is the comfortable silence we share when he is not on the go. I thoroughly enjoy spending evening hours without saying a word. We don't need words to be on the same page. There's facial expressions, body language, and of course some music to keep things from being awkward. Most people don't understand this. They have oral diarrhea. Some people just have to talk.

Today I witnessed something awesome. We took Rhett to the park after visiting our local and lacklustre fair, and after taking him for lunch at Tim Hortons. He didn't pick his food apart, made minimal mess, and used a napkin. GO RHETT!! Mommy's so proud of you!! But I digress.

We arrived at the park to see picnic tables lined up and several children wearing silly pointed hats. A birthday party. This made me nervous initially. Will someone stare at him? Ask him a question and unwittingly cause him embarrassment by waiting for an answer? Will he bite a child? Will the other children ignore him?

I walked him over to the teeter totter so I could sit him down to spray some Bactine on his scraped knee. When I turned around from putting the Bactine under Cailum's stroller, I saw a child on the teeter totter with Rhett. Rhett didn't weigh enough for it to work efficiently, and soon another child ran over. They shuffled around a bit to get the best weight distribution. They smiled at one another but they never expected Rhett to say a word, and never asked why he didn't. A few of the kids took off, leaving just Rhett at the first boy. They'd learned from trial and error that the two of them couldn't make it work earlier. Normally I'd be inclined to go over and help, but we're trying to teach him to have some Independence while he plays. This one amazing little boy actually got off of the teeter totter and stood beside it, bouncing the other end so Rhett could ride. He made him so happy!

In a world full of rude bratty children, this was a heartwarming sight. After a while the boy moved on to something else and another little girl took a place on the opposite end of the teeter totter. She asked "Do you want me to play with you?" and Rhett smiled. This arrangement didn't last long. Neither of them could have weighed more than 35lbs. They both booked it for the swings, where the little girl yelled repetitively "Mommmmaaaaayyy.. COME PUSH ME. MOMMMM. MOM!!!!" I smiled. That isn't part of my world... yet.

It's nice to see that some children can interact silently without question or judgement. They don't ask why he doesn't speak, they don't whisper to one another that he is "weird." They just want to play. Adults are so judgemental.

Don't forget to check back. I'm working on entries about sunless tanners, colour theory, and a fragrance review.

-H.Cat

Contouring: Specific to Shape

This is a follow-up to my post on Contour Makeup. There I covered the basic application, and here I will cover the specifics to a few of the unique facial shapes.

First on the chopping block... *Drumroll*...

Oval

The oval is the most balanced of face shapes. The distance from the hairline to the brow should be equal to the distance of the brow to the tip of the nose, and the tip of the nose to the chin. The forehead will be slightly wider than the jawline, with cheekbones that taper softly to the chin. The standard contouring application will apply to this face. Dust your darker shade under the apples of the cheeks, curving upward and outward toward the ears. Softly highlight the cheekbone above.

Round

A round face will appear to be equal in length and width. This will give the appearance of a small forehead and wider cheeks with a round jaw. To balance this look you'll want to create a more angular appearance to both the forehead and jaw. This can be achieved by shading slong the edge of the forehead, beginning at the temples, and bringing the forehead up into an arc. Then shade the jaw line from the ear lobe, bringing the chin to a point. Almost as though you were shading off the round "corners" of the jaw. Highlight the apples of the cheeks, sweeping upward toward the temples, and also down the center of the nose to create a more angular face.

Square

The square face features a prominent jaw line and an angual appearance. The width of the cheeks are forehead will be similar as well as the width of the forehead and jaw line. Hence "Square." To play-down this angled look you must soften the jaw and the forehead. To accomplish this you will shade in the corners of the forehead as well as the jaw, similarly (interestly enough) to what we have done with the round shape. Highlight the apples of the cheeks and work your way up towards the temples.

Heart

A heart shaped face is widest at the forehead, tapering down to the chin, which will often be pointed. This face shape has little to no jaw line to balance it. To make this face more oval shaped, which is considered the ideal, one must give the illusion of a narrower forehead and a wider jaw. To achieve this you will shade the corners of the forehead (hairline) in a rounded manor. Almost like a C, then a backwards C. You will need to highlight both sides of the jaw line with either a lighter foundation or a highlighting colour. Then apply your highlighter just under the apples of the cheeks, sweeping up towards the little of the ear.

Diamond

Another self-explanatory face shape. The face will be widest at the cheeks, with a narrow tapered forehead and a tapered. To create balance to this shape the forehead and jawline need to appear wider. This can be done by applying highlighter on an angle on each side of the forehead, as well as on an angle at each side at mid to bottom jaw. Apply highlighter to the apples of the cheeks in a C shape, blending upward and outward.

Tips aside, I don't believe anyone should feel that they have to change their face shape. If you wanna play it up go ahead. These are the conventional techniques to achieving that classic oval shape. Perhaps it's not everyone's ideal. Fashion and fun makeup is about breaking the mould.

That said- I am an oval but have been known to contour myself into a heart.<3

-H. Cat