Sigma E25 Blending Brush Review

Recently, Obsessed Canada asked me if I would like to review a Sigma brush, and if so, which I would like to review, and I immediately gravitated to the E25 Sigma Beauty Blending Brush because it reminded me of my favorite eyeshadow brush of all time - the Mac 217. (Do excuse the state of my 217 in the pic below.. It's a well-loved brush as you can see!)

Left: Sigma E25, Right: Mac 217

As I used the E25 I discovered that it's slightly different from the Mac 217 - not worse, not better, just different. The E25 is a lot flatter in shape than the 217, which is more oval all-around. This has its pros and cons. Pro: you can use it to pick up more shadow and place it all over the lid more efficiently. Con: it loses the ability to be as precise as the 217. Also, the E25 is denser than the 217, so you have to work a little harder to soften those edges.

The main reason I would advise picking up a Sigma E25 is the price point - $18, versus $25 at Mac. Sigma is a really reliable makeup brush brand, and they're my second-favorite right next to Mac. Whenever I feel like I need a certain brush but don't want to dent the wallet too much, I turn to Sigma! The brushes are sturdy and well-made. As a piece of advice, I would recommend the white bristled brushes over the black bristles, as the black bristled ones do tend to shed a little bit, but generally Sigma is a great mid-end brand for makeup brushes. Though more expensive than Elf they're higher in quality, but lower in price and comparable in quality to Mac.

Overall the E25 is a really nice addition to my brush collection. After all, you can never have too many eyeshadow brushes!

MAC Modern Twist Lash Chlorafill Lime Mascara

Recently I thought I would treat myself to some new makeup so I hit up the MAC counter. My intention was to try out the Studio Fix liquid foundation, but the MAC lady decided it would be good for me to try on an entire makeup look...

You know, MAC is sometimes too overwhelming for me. All I wanted was to be color-matched for foundation and the lady insisted on doing my whole makeup. It's fine, I like having my makeup done and I wasn't going to object, but sometimes too much is too much. I felt quite pressured to spend lots of money on products I didn't need, and her disappointment in me saying I only wanted the foundation confirmed it. I get it, the goal is to sell products, but overwhelming the customer in the process is probably not a good idea.

Anyway, she insisted on trying out this god-awful lime green mascara on me, so I'm here today to implore you not to buy it.

Just look at this crusty Shrek mascara. Why MAC decided this would be a fun color for a mascara is beyond me. It looks like mold grew on my eyelashes.

The idea is that you put on black mascara as a base for the lashes and then coat them with the green, but it turns out it just becomes a clumpy mess. The only plus side is that the brush is quite interesting and it was nice before she added the snot, so I would actually consider buying this mascara in black. Or heck even in purple or navy! But the lime? Definitely not. And DEFINITELY not for $24... Are these people crazy?

And in case you're wondering what came about from the foundation, well she sold me a shade that was way too orange for my skintone. Either that or it oxidized weird after wearing it for a while. You can probably tell I'm a little less than thrilled with my experience at the MAC counter.

CoverGirl Flamed Out Mascara REVIEW

CoverGirl Flamed Out is not what I tend to prefer in a mascara. I like liquidier formulas, this is not that. I like skinnier wands, this does not have that. Alas, I picked this mascara up without reading reviews or looking at pictures and what I was left with was an extra-thick mascara with a fat wand a waxy formula... I didn't expect to, but I actually really, really like it.

If you want something long-lasting, but not waterproof, this is your pick. The formulation is waxy which allows it to withstand the test of time. I've worn this for hours straight (like, 10-12 hour-days) and it's really durable - no flaking or transferring. It also enables your lashes to hold their curl. At the end of the day, removal is fuss-free.

The product is meant to "fan out" your lashes (hence, "Flamed Out") and I think it achieves that quite nicely. If you look at the second eye photo, you can see what I mean. The mascara clearly separated and lengthened each lash.

I only put on 1-2 coats daily, but if you're someone who likes a clumpier look, 3-4 coats would be good for you. I personally find my lashes too long and sparse to achieve the spider-y look in picture #3, but if you have a thick, short lashes you can definitely pull it off.

I've seen mixed reviews of this mascara, but I think it's silly to dismiss it quickly. If you put a little effort into the application and work your way into each lash, you can achieve a really pretty effect!

Tuesday In Love Nail Polish REVIEW

Hey everyone! Recently I was contacted by a nail polish company called Tuesday In Love, and I was asked if I would like to try out their line of water permeable nail polishes. Naturally, I agreed, because the whole idea of "breathable" nail polish is becoming super popular and it's so intriguing!

First, I'd like to talk about why this breathable nail polish has been gaining popularity. If you find staining to be an issue with painting your nails, this is a great option. The nail polish allows water to seep through the nail polish and onto your nail which is very hydrating and healthy. Some moms see this as a great option for kids who otherwise aren't allowed to wear nail polish.

In addition, many Muslim ladies have been loving this trend, since wearing nail polish prevents water from reaching your nails during wudhu. My Muslim friend Zeina explained it to me well and since I'm not a specialist I thought I'd share what she said:

"Basically when we pray we have to do this thing called wudhu, "ablution" in English, where we have to wash certain parts of the body (hands, mouth, nose, face, ears, neck, hair, arms and legs). When we wash our hands, it's been said if we have nail polish on then our fingernails aren't cleaned." (She mentioned that this isn't an absolute fact or anything, which is why some Muslim women don't care about nail polish)

"Because regular nail polish usually doesn't let water go through, our wudhu is nullified and our prayer doesn't count because our wudhu wasn't done properly! However, with this nail polish, it allows water to go through (YAY!) so while doing our wudhu our fingers and hands will get cleaned and our wudhu will count and thus our prayer will count while we wear nail polish."

"Usually we can only wear nail polish when we can't pray (during periods) or usually if we have a special occasion we do our wudhu and then wear it, but that limits prayer throughout the day. At a wedding once I wore nail polish and basically I couldn't pray 'til I got home."

1 coat Tuesday In Love pink nail polish + 1 coat Tuesday In Love top coat (also water permeable)

Pros:

• Incredibly opaque in ONE coat. As you can see on the left, there was a little bit of streaking but that would be easily smoothed out with a second coat. I was so impressed with the opacity that I didn't bother.
• It's totally peelable! I've tried "peelable" nail polishes before and none have actually worked aside from this one. Once it starts looking a little ratty you can peel it right off! No need for remover whatsoever.
• $12.47 price point as opposed to Inglot's $16 ($14 American)
• Portions of each purchase are donated to Plan Canada's "Because I Am A Girl" campaign (Read more)
• Water permeability test approved. When you purchase this nail polish you get a pamphlet with instructions on how to perform the test. Basically you paint a portion of a paper towel, drop some water on top and see if it seeps through.
• No need to worry about applying a base coat to protect your nails!

Cons: 

• Because it's peelable, this nail polish will not last more than a day. In my book that seriously sucks because I tend to keep my nail polish on for days, however if you do participate in wudhu or have a special occasion that calls for a nice manicure, this will definitely satisfy that even if just for one evening.
• As you can see in the top right-hand photo, the nail polish starts to change color as it gets worn. I assume this is due to water settling between the polish and nail. Again, this nail polish is really only for one day's use.

Comparison to Inglot O2M nail polish:

The major company specializing in these kinds of polish is Inglot which also has a line of breathable nail polishes. I personally haven't tried the Inglot polishes, but my friend Zeina has and is graciously willing to provide a comparison. She says that the Inglot polish lasts longer, however the formulation is incredibly thinned out and requires like five coats to render it opaque. The Tuesday In Love is therefore much easier to apply. Again, there is a $4 difference in price point between the Inglot & Tuesday In Love.

Verdict: Would I purchase another Tuesday In Love nail polish? Probably not, because I prefer a long-lasting manicure. That said, the Inglot nail polish seems to have an equal number of faults and if these are the only two options for Muslim ladies, Tuesday In Love definitely has its advantages. It honestly just depends if you're looking for something longlasting or temporary!

REVIEW: TRESemme Keratin Smooth Trio

Hey everyone! Review coming your way! These are the TRESemme Keratin Smooth products that were recently launched. I was lucky enough to be sent these from Klout to review. If you don't know what Klout is, basically it's a website that measures your internet presence and gives you a score. If your score is high enough you qualify for certain perks, and since most of my internet presence is beauty-related, I was given these to try out!

The TRESemme Keratin Smooth conditioner, shampoo, and heat protectant are meant to smooth out frizz and give your hair noticeable shine. I'll start off by saying that I saw a noticeable difference after using these products as a trio. Individually, they may not be as potent, but together they worked really well.

Keratin Smooth Shampoo: First off, this shampoo smells incredible. It smells tangy and lovely and the scent lingers in my hair even when it dries after I wash it out. My only problem with this shampoo is that it isn't very cleansing. It's super thick in consistency and I feel like it doesn't really seep down to my scalp unless I spend lots of time working it in. If you're looking for a clarifying shampoo, I wouldn't recommend this.

Keratin Smooth Conditioner: I think this is my favorite product out of the trio. The consistency is perfect and it feels very nourishing as I put it on. When it washes out, I can immediately sense my hair much thicker and smoother.

Keratin Smooth Heat Protectant: What I liked most about this heat protectant spray is that it didn't change the texture of my hair. It didn't leave it feeling tacky or crispy at all. My only gripe is that the packaging is kinda awful. The spray contraption on top isn't very user-friendly or durable, and the product seeps out the base when you use it. It's a shame because what's inside is great, but the packaging sucks.

Overall, these products made my hair feel very smooth. I don't normally go for TRESemme products (mostly because their adverts really annoy me lol), but perhaps aside from the heat protect (that damn packaging!), I would probably repurchase these.

REVIEW: Stila One Step Corrector

Hey everyone! Today I bring to you guys my first ever product review! I purchased this product last year so I've been able to test it out for a long time and give you a well-rounded opinion. As you can see from my photo below, I've used quite a bit of it (at least half, I'd say).

PS. How rad do my nails look?

I had my makeup done at a Stila counter one day and the makeup artist used this on my face and it felt refreshing and nice. And then, of course, the presentation & packaging of the product is what sold me. How cool does it look?! It's meant to look like a strand of DNA, I guess, and each color is meant to do something different for your skin. Also, it has a really sturdy pump dispenser that definitely comes in handy.

Green: Minimizes redness. It does a pretty good job at minimizing redness but I do have a small problem with it. I only have redness on certain parts of my face but because the product pumps out as 3-in-1, I can't concentrate it on those areas specifically. I have to say the design is a bit of a flaw in this case. I've previously used the Makeup Forever HD Primer in the blue tone to eliminate redness and it works way better.

Lavender: Counteracts sallow undertones. That means it masks unhealthy yellow tones. To be honest I had no idea what "sallow" meant until now, so I can't really tell you guys if this worked because I wasn't looking out for it... LOL. I'll try to notice it next time and edit this post when I do.

Peach: Brightens, illuminates, and helps diminish the appearance of sun spots. I'd definitely say this part of the concoction works. I do find the product very brightening.

It does look a little green-cast in the third frame, but that's because I used a whole pump on a tiny surface area. The product would be evenly spread on your entire face so you don't have to worry about looking Grinch-like.

Diminishes the look of fine lines & wrinkles: I don't really have fine lines/wrinkles so I can't really vouch for this one. Sorry.

Minimizes pores: I have massive pores and I don't think this product really masked them whatsoever. I don't think it's thick enough to actually do this well. Again, I'd need a product that could be concentrated on the pores (i.e. not spread out over my entire face) to properly minimize pores.

Hydrates & Balances: This is actually one of the components that drew me into buying this. It eliminates having to use a moisturizer in the morning! I have to say this aspect of the product also really works.

Controls oil: Hmm, well, I wear my makeup all day and I definitely come home to some oil build-up when I use this. I can't say it completely controls oil throughout the entire day, but it does the job for a good portion of it.

The product is also meant to be used as a makeup primer so I'd like to address that for a little. Once the product dries into your skin it changes in consistency. If you take a look at the third panel in the above photo, you will see that it looks very wet. When it absorbs, it becomes a little tacky, and it gives your foundation a base to hold on to. It also creates a barrier between your skin and the makeup, which can be very beneficial if you have sensitive skin.

VERDICT: It's a nice product to own, but for the price ($47 - damn), it's a bit unnecessary. I'd say only about 3 of the billion "benefits" of this product are actually noticeable.

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

Summer Movie Post #2

Hey everyone! I thought today would be a good time to write up the sequel to THIS post, and review a couple more movies I've seen this summer. My goal is to be up-to-date with my reviews so I can write them more frequently/as soon as I see a new one, but I feel guilty doing that knowing I still have a bunch to write about. I also want to start talking about TV shows I've been into, but I want to finish my movies posts first. :) So without further ado...

5) Like Crazy: This movie was recommended to me by one of my friends and I'm glad I watched it. It's not a happy movie and it's not very exciting either, but it's honest and relatable. It gets a little tedious at times but it shows how easily people can fall in and out of love. Some people say it's too depressing, but I think people sometimes confuse "depressing" and "realistic". Aside from Jennifer Lawrence, I don't think there are many recognizable actors in this film, but that just adds to the relatable aspect.

Verdict: Not amazing but not terrible.

(Oh! Also, I started adding stars to the graphics on these posts in case you're too lazy to read the review/are more visual or whatnot)

6) Fight Club: I literally cannot believe I'd never seen this movie before. I guess I just figured, meh, what's so exciting about a bunch of guys fighting? But, of course, that isn't the whole story, is it? It's a little Inception-y in the sense that it has a surreal sci-fi aspect to it, but it's not intimidatingly cerebral. Anyway, I loved this one. This is the first movie of the summer that lived up to its hype for me. I'm actually reading the book now so who knows? I might have a book review coming soon. Edward Norton is gold in this and David Fincher can do no wrong by me.

Verdict: This is a good one. Undeniable.

7) Avengers: I'm a huge Marvel fan so I knew going in that I would love this film. It's just an incredibly entertaining superhero movie and honestly, there's not much else to it. There's some subtle humor in it too which is nice. A piece of advice before watching this is to make sure you've seen Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America first. It's not essential that you have, but trust me, you'll appreciate the Avengers that much more. What I liked most was the final action scene. Sometimes these can get boring but because the perspective was seven-fold, it was so much more exciting.

Verdict: A must-see for superhero lovers.

8) What To Expect When You're Expecting: This is one of those movies with multiple storylines that end up connecting in some way or another, which can be a hit-or-miss with me. What tends to happen is that I prefer one storyline over the other and get impatient when one I don't like is onscreen. So already, that's a point off for this one. All I can really say about this movie is "meh". It wasn't great. It wasn't that funny even though it tried hard.

Verdict: See it if you have nothing better to see, otherwise don't waste your time.