Empties & Update!

Hey guys!

Judging by my blogging absence, I've been slacking-BIG time!

I could give you a list of everything I do and complain about how busy I am..but who wants to hear excuses? Bottom line is, I love my blog and will stay committed to posting.

Okay, this is starting to sound like couples therapy. Without further adieu, my empties...

Body Shop Sweet Lemon Lip Butter: Won't repurchase, I found it tasted very sweet and didn't do anything out of the ordinary to moisturize my lips. That being said I don't regret using it.

Bumble&Bumble Seaweed Conditioner: Hefty price tag! The formulation and smell was lovely but I will most likely go for something cheaper next time. If you want to try something out from Bumble and Bumble, this might be a nice place to start.

Clinique Moisture Surge: I've raved about this before, and will always go back to it.

Mitchum Deodorant: HATED it! My friend concurs!

Crabree & Evelyn Jojoba Oil: I mostly used this during the summer. It was great for after sun. I would buy it again.

Pond's Facial Wipes: The best I've ever used. I couldn't find them last time I was at Shoppers and ended up getting the Nivea facial wipes but they pale in comparison.

Lush Cosmetic Warrior Face Mask: Yucky, I much preferred Brazened Honey. The smell of this product throws me off. If you don't mind garlic + tea tree + grapes + eggs you are a warrior and should give it a go. I won't repurchase.

Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner: I love this! I repurchased it about 2 weeks ago (I think?). Let me know if you want a separate review/demonstration.

Di Palomo Fig & Grape Shower Gel: This was heavenly and was included in my last favourites post.

I love how Empties Posts make me aware of everything I use. Sorry the photo didn't give a proper look at the packaging. 

Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata

Dice - Finley Quaye

If Only - Fink

These are the songs I have on repeat! Please take a listen and let me know in the comments your favourite songs right now :) Or if you did an October Empties post leave me your links!

Trying out butter london...

Hello friends!

I am currently listening to Rod Stewart's Have I Told You Lately so excuse me if I come out with some emotional jibber-jabber during this post! Sappy love songs might only accentuate my feelings for this nail polish.

Butter's website describes this colour as, "Be a beacon to bad boys and the life of the party in dazzling limited edition “liquid metal” rose pink."

So beautiful-AH!
I painted my nails using only one coat, and look at the effect. Opaque, smooth and without a base or top coat it lasted from Friday to Monday. What else am I loving about this product? The 3 Free formulation! Butter doesn't use formaldehyde, toluene or DBP! :)
These polishes seem to have a real cult following. Bloggers and youtubers alike, more than willing to pay $17 for the infamous lacquer. Might pick up a couple more shifts at the restaurant and join the ranks! Bossy Boots is on my wish list!

Wanted to throw in a completely random product. Was looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth and bought this drink. Tastes just like grapefruit, less than $3 and was refreshing-yum! 

Unfortunately it had a lot of sugar in it :( Despite the cute packaging, eye catching colour and general deliciousness I won't repurchase.

Any recommendations for a girl trying to stay healthy while satisfying a sugar craving?

Thanks for reading, hope you are coping well with Monday!

Review: Revlon Just Kissable Lip Balm Stain

What can I say? I am totally obsessed with this product! I swear, the fluorescent lights of shoppers drug mart shined down on the 'Reduced' sign hanging next to the Balm Stains.

Just sayin', 'balm stain is the best way to describe this product. It is moisturizing and feels really smooth on the lips while giving incredible pigmentation.

I went for a pretty bright shade. Smitten has had a recurring position in Essie Button's videos. To be honest, that is probably what swayed me to go for this colour. A little out of my comfort zone when packed on (like the above photo). But when I use a light hand and a little smudging it is much more subtle. I find this shade is waaay more flattering than some of the frosty pinks I've used in the past.

This brings colour to my pale face and because my eye makeup is pretty neutral, the lip never conflicts.

Have you tried anything from this range?

As I type this...my mind wanders to the shade Honey. Should I buy it (i.e, will you be my enabler and give me permission to spend more money)? :p

Review: Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion

This lovely little bottle was introduced to frowardfashion in my September Favourites post. After having no prior exposure, it might've seemed out of place.

Background: This was one of those weird purchases Canadians make when in American airports.

The Newark airport had a huge selection of Mario Badescu products next to tacky key chains and gossip magazines. 

It feels extremely watery and thin. I didn't like it at first. Despite being 'cooling' it seemed more aggitating. Maybe my skin was just having a bad week...but I put this at the back of the drawer and declared it a regretted impulse purchase.

But this fall I took it out for a second chance, and boy am I glad I did!

I rotate between cleanser now and this is one of them. It is great to use before bed to remove makeup. It doesn't leave any weird residue and is a nice switch from my creamy lancome cleanser and my cetaphil cleanser (a real staple).

One complaint would be the bottle. Love how the packaging is clean and simple-props Badescu!

But it can be hard to control the amount. The dispenses isn't squeeze triggered, you just tip it and it dribbles onto your cotton pad. Unfortunately when I am in an impatient mood I tip it too quickly and end up wasting product.

In addition, I ate some delicious cheese over the weekend. Had to bring out the camera and take a photo. Warning: you might feel hungry after looking at this! :p

Applewood, brie and a baguette. Forget beauty products, I could ramble about food all day!

** UPDATE/CORRECTION: Since posting I have been in contact with Mario Badescu PR.

Turns out the lotion should be used as a toner-not a cleanser. If you try this product out, they recommend applying with a cotton pad and not rinsing off, then follow up with a moisturizer. I will try this method soon and maybe make another post out of it!

Sorry for the confusion everyone, hope you're having a nice evening. xx

Recent Purchases

"I only need to buy one thing" - Famous last words.

Popped into shoppers with my $10 rewards card looking to purchase razors, ended up buying a few other things...

Butter London in Fairy Lights: Ok this was actually from a local spa but I thought it deserved a mention. Such a beautiful colour, I can't stop looking at my nails-HELP! Let me know if you are interested in a NOTD.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten: Finally...I caved. We've all read countless posts raving about these so it was about time to try one.

Nivea Gentle Cleansing Wipes: Ran out of my Pond's Wipes (more on those in my next Empties post) and want to try something new, these are supposed to be good for dry skin.

Softsoap Body Butter: Used this a few times already. It is rich, creamy and exfoliating. The smell doesn't linger on my skin however the beads linger in my shower. My tub was full of little brown beads, what a pain to clean up!

EOS Lip Balm: This makes me smile for a few reasons: One, because it is 100% natural and 95% organic! Two, because there are instructions on how to use a lip balm. Makes sense because the packaging is 'unique' but the photo is funny nonetheless.

What are your most recent purchases?

Ooh La La - French Manicure and Shoppers Deal

What do you think, is a french manicure polished and understated or  dated and boring?

On Friday I felt in the mood for a french manicure-so I ventured up the street to a local salon and spent $15, it took less than 10 minutes and turned out pretty nice (in my opinion)! This photo was taken 4 days after and as you can see, the polish is really holding up.

Wanted to let you guys in on the deal! On the weekend I spent $50 at Shoppers Drug Mart and got  $10 gift card and a $10 Tims card. As you can imagine, this made me happy :) I think a new Essie polish will be joining my collection shortly. So go to Shoppers and stock up before the promotion ends.

After RAVING about Essie's A Cut Above I realized you guys deserved to see the aftermath. Removing the polish was a real pain. It hurt my nails-I literally did two rounds of scrubbing to get this stuff off, and haven't applied it since. Is it because my my nail polish remover is weak? I've never had a problem with Quo products. I will be accepting any tips you may have about removing glitter polish. How do you ladies re-apply this devil every week?

As always, thank you for reading. I've had a few new followers this past week so welcome to frowardfashion! I love to hear from you so feel free to tweet me :)

Annabelle Smudge Paint and a Bracelet

The Annabelle Smudge Paint is a fairly new release. I was super excited to try it because I needed to get out of my makeup rut... wearing the same brown eyeshadow as liner every day was getting tired.

First things first, the packaging is so cool and compact. Basically the bottle has a small brush attached to the lid. You pull it out, screw off the bottom and the product separates into three sections. Perfect for travel, on the go, or anyone looking to save money on a brush.

 I've used this stuff almost every day for a week. What I find tricky about it is the consistency. I like to use it on my upper lash line, since it is meant to be smudged, the texture is very wet. Therefore, I need to be extra careful when I apply it. In order to get a clean, sharp line I can't squint my eyes or blink too hard. That being said, it takes less than a minute to dry.

The staying power is incredible. This product doesn't budge. If I put it on at 8am it will be in perfect condition at the end of the day.

When reading other reviews on different blogs, they said it costs $10.95. This is well worth the money in my opinion. Although it is small (just 2.8grams) I don't have to use a lot to achieve the look I want. Definitely worth checking out!

 Final thing I want to talk about it my winning streak! ;) I entered a giveaway on Laura Potter's blog Tiny Twisst . It is an awesome fashion blog. She has a really cool sense of style and her makeup and hair always look beautiful! Anyway, I was one of two winners and my gift came in the mail last week. I was impressed by the weight of the bracelet. Very solid. I forget the name of the company that makes the bracelet, but if you are interested, Laura posted! I was also impressed by her business card-such an awesome idea. Thanks Laura for the lovely bracelet!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I've been really busy lately and haven't been reading blogs very much :'( Hope to check out "the regulars" soon and tweet a bit more. 

*All products mentioned were sent to me. Opinions are 100% my own. ^.^

Fall Nail Polish Favourites

Though my makeup doesn't change much between the seasons, my nail polish does! I love dusty, muted shades like Sephora by OPI Metro Chic-this seems to be a cult fav. I remember some of the first "beauty guru" videos I watched, women raved about this polish. So naturally I went out and bought it.

Another, slightly understated colour (haha!) is Essie's Fishnet Stockings. A beautiful, red with more berry undertones rather than orange or pink. This helps give it that 'fall feel'.

Lastly, OPI's "Sheer"Your Toys. The camera actually picked up on the red shimmer-yay! In the second photo you can see that this metallic colour has finely milled flecks of red. I got this colour on sale at a local salon for under $5, I've had a lot of use out of it, for the past 3 years I always come back to this polish around October/November.

Are there any polishes you bring out for the fall?