LiveLifeInTheFloralLane

I Tried 3 Products From the Selena La Reina Collection – By Marisa Chiorello

Hey beautiful souls!

Recently, MAC introduced The Selena La Reina collection to honour 25 years of Selena Quintanilla’s legacy in music and Mexican culture. Thanks to Selena’s sister, Suzette this incredible collection is available online. While many shades of lipstick, lip gloss, and the eye shadow palette sold out within minutes, I was able to snag a few goodies! Let me just say, I am in love!

First, I purchased the “lipglass” in the shades of “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “Hey Dad Pizza!” I was a little apprehensive when it came to these shades. “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” is a bubblegum pink with a shimmer of silver. I was uncertain if this shade would compliment my skin tone. But, I thought I’d give it a try. “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” surprisingly complimented my tan skin tone with yellow undertones very well! The pink shade isn’t overpowering, like a Barbie pink; instead it’s subtle. I like the shimmer this gloss has, too!

The “lipglass” “Hey Dad Pizza!” is a brown, almost golden shade. At first, I believed this shade would look too much like my skin tone (I try to stay away from nudes and browns for that reason), but again I was pleasantly surprised! My lips were so shiny and golden; this may be my go-to shade! It’s the perfect shade for the summertime.

I have to say, I loved the packaging each “lipglass” came in! It’s holographic, with a pop of colour, and Selena’s signature. It’s such special packaging that I’m going to be keeping it forever, lol!

The last product I was able to purchase was the highlighter in the shade, “La Leyenda.” The pigment of this highlighter is outstanding, to say the least! It’s a glowing rose gold, which compliments any skin tone! This highlighter is also really easy to blend. If you want your cheekbones and nose to glow beautifully, this is your highlighter. It’s actually my new favourite highlighter.

Also, Selena’s iconic gem-incrusted bustier inspired the packaging of this highlighter. It’s super cute!

Unfortunately, almost every product is currently sold out. But, I’ll certainly be buying more if it’s restocked!

Let me know which one is your favourite!

Until next time,

Marisa

New Favourite Brand – Laneige

I love trying new skincare, and what’s the perfect way to try new products? With a sample kit of course! I saw this little kit from Laneige while strolling through the aisles at Sephora, and I thought it was the perfect way to try out a new brand without any major commitments.

It comes with 5 sample size products:

– 1 oz/ 30 mL Multi-Deep Clean Cleanser
– 0.3 oz/ 10 mL Water Bank Hydro Essence
– 0.3 oz/ 10 mL Water Bank Hydro Gel
– 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Water Sleeping Mask
– 0.1 oz/ 3 g Lip Sleeping Mask

Let’s start with the cleanser. I freaking LOVE this stuff! It smells sooo good, and it’s a thick creamy texture with tiny microbeads that burst as you exfoliate which turns into a super frothy mixture on the face. The more you lather, the whiter it looks, it almost looks like your wearing a full face mask before you rinse it off. I thought that was really interesting since I’ve never tried a cleanser that did this before. When you rinse it off, your skin doesn’t feel completely stripped of its moisture, it leaves the skin feeling comfortable and not super dry. It checks off all my boxes for a cleanser and I am definitely going to buy the full size soon.

Next let’s talk about the Water Bank Hydro Essence. Truthfully this is a step that I am okay skipping, I don’t think it adds all that much value to my routine. It’s just an extra layer of moisture, which I mean is never a bad thing. I just wouldn’t go out of my way to spend my money on the full size. But it was definitely nice to use for the short amount of time that the sample lasted for.

The Water Bank Hydro Gel was a really nice moisturizer for oily skin. Gels and light creams are always the best for oily skin (this kit is geared towards combo/oily skin types after-all). It doesn’t necessarily stand out from other gel moisturizers I have tried, like it does the job and it doesn’t make me too oily. That’s all I really need from a moisturizer, and this does it! I might pick up the full size of this, but for now I’m finishing up my Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream, which is similar to the Laneige one it just feels a little thicker.

Next up we have the Water Sleeping Mask. This is really almost the exact same thing as the hydro gel cream. It smells the same, it feels the same, I think it’s just supposed to be your nighttime moisturizer instead of your daytime one. Or used as an extra layer of moisture on top of the gel cream at night. I like the idea of a daytime and nighttime moisturizer, and I can say that this is 10x better than the Glow Recipe Sleeping Mask. That one just feels like a layer of goop sitting on top of the face, whereas the Laneige one actually sinks into the skin and doesn’t feel greasy at all.

And finally, we have the Lip Sleeping Mask. I was so skeptical about this product when I first heard about it. I was like really…a mask for your lips while you sleep, so like a regular lip balm? And I’m telling you it’s so much more than that. Think about your regular lip balm that you use, now imagine if fairies pissed all over it and made it magical. That’s what this lip mask feels like lmao. I don’t know what makes it so soft, but I’ve never tried a lip balm this soft. And I know it says ‘sleeping mask’ but I really just use it anytime of the day when I feel my lips are dry. I will DEF buy the full size when I run out of my sample.

So far I’m super impressed with Laneige and I will definitely want to check out more of the brand and see what they have to offer.

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah

GlamGlow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer – Review

Hey all you cool cats and kittens! (*in Carole Baskin voice*)

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, I guess I’ve had the quarantine blues and have been a super lazy piece of poop. I’m trying to get into a routine but that hasn’t really been happening. I reallllyyyy hope this ends soon, but idk man…

But with all this time spent at home, I’ve had all the time in the world to play with new skincare, and so here we are with another review.

This is the Mega Illuminating Moisturizer from GlamGlow. I received a sample of it with another Sephora purchase, and I immediately fell in love with it. For starters it smells like an orange creamsicle, which I personally love, and it makes you look SO GLOWY. It’s like a lit from within glow, so it’s not too overwhelming as if you were to put a liquid highlighter all over your face. It’s just the right amount pearl that it covers dullness and minimizes dark marks, without looking like a greasy disco ball.

The consistency of it is a light cream, as opposed to a gel or super thick cream. Because it’s on the lighter side it’s perfect for combo/oily skin like mine. I do have to blot with oil absorbing sheets throughout the day but that’s the case with literally any products I use (sigh).

Not only does it make your skin look good, but the ingredients in it are actually super beneficial for your skin health (it’s also vegan). These are the key ingredients highlighted on the Sephora website.

– Hyaluronic Acid: Provides hydration.
– Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, and Ceramides: Help restore moisture balance.
– Green Tea: Helps energize skin.

I use this moisturizer on my no-makeup days because the glow helps hide minor marks and imperfections and makes my skin look super healthy without makeup. Some days for extra glow I will use the Smashbox ‘Blendable Lip and Cheek Color’ in the shade “Hollywood & Highlight” just on the top of my cheekbones for an extra pop.

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo

Sarah

My Turkish Bath Experience

My mom and I went to the spa the other day for a special treat since our trip to California got cancelled due to the Coronavirus… We went to the Hammam Spa by Céla at Bayview Village in North York, Toronto and it was so relaxing and gorgeous that I just had to share my experience! Below is a picture of the tea lounge.

I got a custom facial for my first treatment which was pretty standard and and felt super nice, and then my second treatment was something called a ‘Turkish Bath’. This is the description of the treatment on the Hammam Spa website:

“Cleanse your body and soothe your spirit with this purifying and refreshing ceremony, modelled on one of the world’s oldest cleansing traditions. Center yourself in our steam room before heading to our calming Turkish suites. Lay on a heated marble table while hot and cool water treatments stimulate your senses. Feel renewed as you are exfoliated with a Céla exfoliating mitt, then experience deep cleansing as layer upon layer of moisturizing bubbles are gently placed on your skin, leaving you softer than silk. The treatment concludes with a final cleanse with stimulating eucalyptus black soap. To finish, unwind in the tea lounge with warm tea, baklava, and Turkish delight — a perfectly sweet ending to this ethereal experience.”

So basically you start in their steam room for 15 minutes to get all your pores open and ready for cleansing. This steam room was SO cool. It is a big room with gorgeous Mediterranean looking tiling and a big pole in the middle where the steam generates. It gets SO steamy in there it was kind of hard to breathe in there sometimes (but I liked it hehe), and you could only see about 1 metre in front of you. It had cool LED lights that changed colours and really soothing music playing. It was so trippy in there it felt like a mild LSD trip with the combination of steam, lights and music LOL.

Then I went into this gorgeous marble room with a marble table that I lay on. They give you disposable underwear to put on and a small towel to cover your boobs, so you’re basically naked. It starts with the splashes of warm and cold water, and when I say ‘splashes’ it’s literally an entire bucket of water poured all over different parts of your body. It’s mostly the hot water that is used but you also get a few cold splashes of water on the top of your head, back of your neck, and all over at the very end of the treatment (but the water really isn’t that cold, more refreshing). After the first few splashes, she then takes an exfoliating mitt and work on my whole body from head to toe. My skin was SO soft after, not a trace of dead skin was left.

The next part was my favourite. Your whole body gets covered in bubbles!!! Legit you look like the Michelin Man, your body is completely covered and you can feel them dissolving over your body it and it actually feels really nice. When the bubbles are still on you, they will take a black soap and cleanse your entire body with it as it mixes with the bubbles. It feels SO soft on your skin and they kind of massage your body as they do this. After that they splash you with more water to rinse, and have you lie on your stomach so they can do it all over again for your back. And as I mentioned before, the treatment concludes with a final splash of cold water on your front and back. After the treatment, I went into the steam room for one last steam.

This was unlike anything I’ve heard of before and it was such a unique experience. It’s not something I would do all the time (it really is just a glorified shower) but it’s definitely a luxurious treat from time to time. The next time I go I want to try a clay wrap!

I definitely recommend the Hammam Spa for any of you Toronto readers. It’s a little pricey but definitely worth it for a day of luxury!

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah

The Mask of Magnaminty by Lush

I have never tried a Lush face mask before despite wanting to for years! I have no idea why it took me so long but nevertheless, here we are with my first Lush mask review.

I chose this one because it is one of their best sellers and probably one of the most talked about in the beauty world, so I thought it was a safe bet. The texture is really thick like a clay or mud mask, and then it has chunks of ground up beans for an added exfoliation property. Since it has mint in it, it obviously feels super cooling and tingly when you put it on which I always love in skin products. This mask uses Kaolin clay however it doesn’t completely dry on the face like other clay masks, it dries to semi-dried sticky consistency.

This is the description of the product on the Lush Canada website:

“This tingly, minty face and body mask was formulated to be intensely cleansing but never harsh or abrasive. Kaolin clay and peppermint oil rid your pores of debris, giving you a delightfully tingly clean sensation. We add loads of ground aduki beans to exfoliate flaky or dry skin, vanilla absolute to calm redness and honey to soothe and moisturize.”

So from this it claims to unclog pores, exfoliate, relieve redness and moisturize. I’ve noticed that it definitely helps unclog pores because of the physical exfoliation that I get when I wash it off. I went for a facial the other day and my lady said that the best thing I can do for my skin is to use physical exfoliators along with chemical exfoliators since I had so many clogged pores. I think this has definitely been helping with that. I don’t have too many issues with redness so I can’t really speak to that, and it definitely feels moisturizing as my skin doesn’t feel tight after I rinse it off like it does with some other masks.

What I love about Lush is that all the ingredients are natural and the packaging is super eco-friendly, but because it’s all so fresh the product expires a little quicker than other brands that aren’t all natural.

I’m excited to try more Lush skincare in the future, I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments!

That’s it for now,

xoxo

Sarah

I Tried 3 Setting Sprays To Get Rid of Shine – By Marisa Chiorello

When I was younger and first started using makeup, my staples included: Foundation, pressed powder, blush, and black eyeliner (the darkest I could find, actually). Over the years, my staples changed somewhat, as I began experimenting with different trends. Recently, I’ve noticed that my face tends to appear shiny very quickly. This shine mainly occurs in my T zone. I’m more of a matte type of girl, so I researched some products that could help me solve my shine problem. So, now, I’ve added setting spray to my makeup staples. I’ve tried three separate setting sprays; bye, bye shine!

NYX Professional Makeup Setting Spray, $6.89.

I’m definitely a sucker for drugstore makeup, because you can’t beat the price and it’s still high quality. At first, I was a bit apprehensive while purchasing the NYX setting spray. The bottle is pretty small, and I was worried it wouldn’t last me more than a few weeks. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This setting spray lasted 3 months! You’re definitely getting more than you’d expect.

Overall this setting spray was nice, lightweight, and it didn’t have an unpleasant odor. It promised a matte finish, which is exactly what I was looking for. However, it didn’t last all day. Within a handful of hours, I noticed that my face was shiny again. I’d touch up with pressed powder and spray some more on my face.

I do love the fact that this setting spray is cruelty-free, and vegan. Will I purchase this setting spray again? Yes, I find that it works well!

E.l. f. Cosmetics Matte Magic Mist & Set Spray, $5.00-$7.00.

I really love e.l.f.’s plumping lip gloss, so I decided to go with this brand for my second setting spray. This setting spray comes in two sizes, small, and large. The prices are still very reasonable regardless of which size you choose. I went with the large bottle, since the NYX setting spray was small. Much like NYX, e.l.f.’s setting spray is cruelty-free. It also didn’t have an unpleasant odor.

This setting spray definitely took the shine out of my T zone. It also lasted longer than NYX, but I still found myself having to reapply. It moisturized my face when I used it, because it contains aloe, green tea, cucumber, and vitamins A, C, and E. So, not only did it keep me shine-free, it was also really good for my skin! I would definitely purchase this one again!

You can find e.l.f’s setting spray on their website or at your local drugstore.

Morphe Setting Spray, $16.00.

This is BY FAR my favorite setting spray! I am so in love! Actually, obsessed! Although it is a bit pricy, compared to the other setting sprays, it is SO worth it! I didn’t have to reapply any makeup or setting spray after using Morphe. My face stayed perfectly shine free! Also, the bottle is pretty large, and since I only need to use it once a day, I expect this spray will last me a long time.

Do you want to get rid of that shine? Let me know which setting spray you choose?

Until next time,

Marisa

My Lash Lift Experience!

I used to be all about that lash extension life, but I’ve noticed that they really do cause damage to your natural lashes. So many technicians out there say that this doesn’t happen when you use the right technique or some say that they just appear smaller because you’re so used to seeing them so long. Both of these are lies because even the most experienced technician who has been doing it for over 10 years admits that there will almost always be at least a bit of temporary damage. It’s nothing that a lash serum can’t fix but the temporary damage is definitely still annoying and it takes about 2 months for my lashes to grow back to their full extent afterwards. Since I’ve been trying to do modelling on a more professional level lately, I think going with a natural look is better for the industry anyways, so I thought I would try a lash lift instead while I let my lashes grow back.

Whenever I try something new I always love to share my experience to see if can educate anyone else! So here it is, my first lash lift experience.

My friend referred my to this girl on instagram who does lashes out of her house part-time. She’s based in Etobicoke (West-End Toronto for anyone who isn’t familiar), and her prices are pretty decent. She is @xonikibeauty on instagram if you want to check out her work!

A lash lift is basically like a perm for your head hair but you would do it on your lashes. It’s a multi-step process. First, they put on the under eye gel pad to make everything comfortable, then she took my lashes and temporarily glued them on to a board on the top part of my eye, between my lashes and my eyelid. This board is what gives it that upward curl look. Once they are glued to that curved board (making sure they are all evenly separated, it’s time to apply the perming solution. I’m not exactly what it is that they use, but they put some sort of solution on the lashes glued to the board, wait for it to set for 15 minutes, and then wipe it off and repeat that step twice. Once you have permed it and let it set for 30 minutes (two 15 minute cycles) it’s time to apply an oil solution to remove the glue and separate your lashes from the board on your eyelid. Once the board is removed, the lashes should be perfectly curled upward into place.

You’re not allowed to wet your lashes for 24 hours afterwards (same with extensions) and your eyelids are left feeling kind of weird after, it’s like there’s a film leftover or something. Some of the lashes are also a little clumped together right afterwards, but once you are able to wash your face all of these feelings should subside, and the lashes will look as they should.

The lift should last about 6 weeks, and I didn’t get a tint along with it because my lashes are naturally dark anyways. My technician actually recommends against getting a tint in the same day as the lift, because adding the tint makes it last not as long. If you think about it, if we’re not allowed to get it wet with water in the first 24 hours, why would ink be okay? It should last longer if you don’t get it with a tint, and it’s cheaper too! Most technicians don’t admit this because it’s all about getting more money for them, rather than caring about the integrity of their work.

Overall, I definitely recommend a lift as a more natural alternative to lash extensions, and it’s better because you can wear mascara with them! It’s also a much smoother comedown period, there’s no messy gaps in your lashes or lashes that refuse to curl upwards like sometimes happens with extensions. It removes a lot of the annoying things we have to do when we have extensions, so I think I’m gonna keep up with this for a while!

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah

$300 Worth of Tatcha Skincare! A Review

My sister bought these Tatcha products for herself a little while back but she said that they broke her out, she even waited to see if it was just an initial breakout like you get with some products. Unfortunately after a couple months of use she was still breaking out so she decided it was due to these products and that maybe they would work better for my skin type. I was definitely interested in giving it a try and I knew Tatcha was an expensive brand so I was kind of excited that I didn’t have to pay!

The first item is called ‘The Essence Plumping Skin Softener’ and it retails for $124 CAD. This has an extremely thin and watery texture so initially I thought it was a toner. It actually is quite different and still requires a toner before hand. After toner, I apply this to my face by quite literally pouring it right out of the bottle onto my face because it is that thin, and any other method risks losing product (people actually advise against using a cotton pad with this). This is supposed to boost the effectiveness of all your other products that you use, and has ingredients in it that help target aging (never too early to start) and uneven texture and dullness (that’s me!). It definitely makes my skin feel hydrated but I truthfully haven’t seen any crazy or drastic differences after the few months I’ve been using it for. However, I do like the idea that it makes my other products sink in better, I feel like I spend less time patting in products when I use this because it helps things sink in rather than just sitting on the surface.

The next item is the ‘Violet C Brightening Serum’ which retails for $114 CAD. This is a high intensity vitamin C serum which has 20% vitamin c and 10% AHA. Vitamin C is known to reduce the appearance of dark darks and uneven skin. I’ve always incorporated some type of vitamin C into my skin routine and while this stuff is good, I can’t say that it is any better than anything I’ve used in the past and all of those are about a third of the price! I would honestly save your money on this one as there are vitamin c products that are way cheaper and work just as good. You can get these ingredients from the ordinary for like $5 bucks a pop.

All in all, I like the stuff for sure but I definitely don’t think it should be worth $300! I will use the products until the end but I won’t repurchase them on my own, it’s just not worth the price to me! But it was fun to try and it’s fun to use luxury products every once in while.

That’s it for now!

xoxo

Sarah

5 Lipstick Shades That Are Perfect for Winter – By Marisa Chiorello

Although the winter months can be extremely, and annoyingly cold, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice beauty and self-expression. I have to confess; sometimes my fashion sense dwindles a bit during wintertime. It’s freezing and I enjoy wrapping myself up in large sweaters and leggings. In fact, lately I’ve noticed that my favourite dresses have been hanging in my closet for so long without being worn (maybe I should get back to fashion, haha). However, my makeup, and this form of self-expression never dwindle. During this time, I like to experiment with different shade of lipstick. There are actually shades that are perfect for winter! And here are some of them!

Tip: look for purple, plum, berry, red, and pink tones.

CoverGirl Exhibitionist Lipstick Metallic in Rendezvous, $8.79

This lipstick is one of my favourite shades! It’s a berry shade with a cool, metallic tone in it! I think it’s unique compared to the other lipstick shades I have. It adds dimension to my lips while drawing attention to them.

This lipstick is the perfect shade for winter. It also pairs well with different winter apparel. I wear it when I want a pop of colour to contrast my black sweaters or turtlenecks.

I love the smooth application of this lipstick and it lasts pretty long before you have to reapply. Most importantly, this shade is perfect for those who have golden undertones.

You can find this brand and shade at your local drugstore!

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Ultra Matte Lipstick in Berry Extreme, $7.18

While I’m all for a nice gloss, I do love the look of matte lipstick. This L’Oréal Paris lipstick is another berry shade you can rock during winter. It’s super bold; be prepared to stand out! The pigment of this shade is excellent, and I love how matte and super lightweight it is. I also love that it’s moisturizing and creamy. It smells amazing and the application is easy! If you’re one who struggles with applying matte lipstick, though, you can always purchase a lip liner to line your lips first.

This lipstick shade barely smudges or comes off during drinking and eating.

TPSY Absoliptly in Red Clay, $21.00

Although this lipstick is the shade red clay, it is more of a merlot colour because of my skin tone. Unlike the bold berry colours, this shade is more sophisticated; think date night and parties because you’ll surely impress with this lipstick. This lipstick can be considered quite pricy compared to drugstore lipsticks, but the purchase is definitely worth it.

I love how this lipstick is creamy similar to the L’Oréal shade, and it’s much easier to apply out of all the other brands and shades. This lipstick will not only add a pretty colour to your lips, but it will moisturize them and make your lips shine and glow.

Nars Audacious Satin Lipstick in Fanny, $34.00

This lipstick is more of a pinkish berry colour. I think it compliments my skin tone well, and this may be a shade that works with any skin tone. I was able to apply this lipstick in one go. I didn’t need to apply it with more than one stroke. Not only was I pleased with the colour, but also my lips immediately felt smoother. This is a great winter shade, and adds moisture to the driest of lips during wintertime. If you’re looking for a lipstick that lasts over six hours, this one is for you!

If you think it’s a little pricy, this Nars lipstick is available on Amazon!

Mac Matte Lipstick in Chili, $24.00

If you’re a fan of red lipstick, you’ll definitely be a fan of this one! Red is certainly a perfect shade for wintertime. This matte lipstick works well with olive and medium skin tones. I love how it’s long lasting, it makes my teeth look whiter, and it’s highly pigmented!

What shade will you try this wintertime?

Until next time,

Marisa

Hourglass Ambient Lightening Palette Ghost Edit

I was SO pumped when they released this new palette since I’ve always want to try their Ambient Lighting Powders but couldn’t ever justify the costs for the full size! So when I saw this palette I knew I needed to have it. It comes with 6 different shades, the top row is powders that you can apply all over the face as a setting powder (with one mild highlighter) and the bottom is bronzers and blushes.

Top row from left to right : Ambient Lighting Powders in Dim Light, Diffused Light, Strobe Light

Bottom row from left to right: Eternal Bronze Light, Iridescent Rose, Sublime Flush.

I literally LOVE this palette, my favourite part of it is definitely the bronzer. It is such a pretty contour shade (meaning it’s not too orange and more on the brown side) and it doesn’t leave any harsh lines no matter what brush I decide to use. I will definitely pick up a full size of this bronzer if I ever run out of it.

The blushes are really soft and pretty too, they have a bit of shimmer in it without it being glittery (because we all know huge chunks of glitter on your face on a daily basis isn’t cute). I’ve been mixing them together for a rosie-pink blush.

The setting powders are nice but I wouldn’t solely use just this to set my liquid foundation. I still like to bake my face with a wet sponge and loose powder all over first because my skin gets super oily throughout the day, but then if I feel like I want an extra boost of radiance I will go in with either dim light or diffused light all over the face for a subtle extra glow. These won’t make you look shiny or greasy, it really brings a lit from within look.

The highlighter is good for days when you want something really subtle. But if anyone knows me subtle and natural really isn’t my vibe. I need to apply like 10 layers of it for it to be even worth it and even then it is still on the subtle side. Some days I really like that look but most days if I’m wearing makeup I’ll still reach for one of my Anastasia Beverly Hills Highlighter Palettes because you can literally see that shit from space. I think an Alien might be in love with me because of it and I’m cool with it 😛

This palette is still available on Sephora and I would encourage anyone who is interested to pick it up ASAP! I’ve waited too long for limited addition palettes in the past and I’ve missed out… Sad days lol.

I’ll insert a picture of some swatches of the shades in this palette from the Hourglass official website.

That’s all I have for now!

xoxo,

Sarah