My 5 Top MAC Favorite Summer 2014 Lipsticks

Hello dear readers! Today's post is my top 5 favourite lipsticks from MAC Cosmetics. If you know me, you know of my unspoken, dying love for lipsticks. And when it comes to lipsticks, MAC definitely takes the cake. From their highly pigmented formula to their pleasant vanilla scent, MAC lipsticks never fail to disappoint me.

Summer is a great time to shed away your shy self and embrace your boldness. Is your go-to colour mainly nudes and neutral pinks or deep plum and dark reds during the past colder months? Well get ready to think outside the box and try something new! Below I have swatches of my top 5 MAC lipsticks that are perfect for this summer.

From left to right: Sail la Vie, Show Orchid, Sounds like Noise, Impassioned, Candy Yum Yum.

1. Bright orangey-red. >> SAIL LA VIE

Unfortunately, this exact lipstick colour is from a collection (Hey, Sailor) in the summer of 2012. But this fun, bold orangey-red colour gives a little something extra when you want to reach out for your go-to red lipstick. Why not try an orangey-red this summer? You'll feel bold and confident. Watch yourself transform into this fun person all summer long!

Try these other MAC shades that are similar to Sail la Vie: NEON ORANGE or MORANGE.

2. Fuchsia. >> SHOW ORCHID

You can never go wrong with fuchsia-pink. With its iridescent fuchsia-purple sheen, Show Orchid is a gorgeous and fun colour for those of you who are like me, partial to purple lipsticks. This colour works well with every skin tone. Head over to your local MAC counter and give it a try!

3. Yellow-orange. >> SOUNDS LIKE NOISE

This bright, warm-toned orange is perfect if you're looking for a true yellow-orange lipstick. I've always find the majority of orange lipsticks are mostly red-based orange (like Sail la Vie). It is difficult for me to find a true orange colour. Once again, I'll have to apologize because this exact shade was from a MAC x Hayley Williams collaboration so it might be limited edition just like Sail la Vie. But fret not, you can try MAC's TANGERINE DREAM or SAIGON SUMMER which are very similar to Sounds like Noise:)

4. Coral. >> IMPASSIONED

If summer doesn't scream coral then I don't know what does. This MAC top-seller is famous for a reason. This bright warm-pinky coral shade is beautiful. Another universally flattering colour, everyone should own this shade in their collection.

5. Hot pink. >> CANDY YUM YUM

Everyone's favourite hot pink lipstick. It was limited edition but now it's back for good. If you don't have it, you gotta go and buy it! It is super bright and super fun. Why not step out of your comfort zone and rock this bright pink around town for a night or two? You'll be hooked and before you know it, Candy Yum Yum will be your staple, to-go lipstick this summer ;)

So here are my top 5 MAC lipsticks that I think are perfect to give it a try this summer. Look out for my next post. I hope you enjoy my recommendations :) Feel free to leave me feedbacks or what you'd like to see next on my blog. Thank you so much for reading!

Until next time,

from Film with love. xxx

August Favorites

Hi dolls! So there's only 4 months left until 2014. Just let that sink in a little bit.

Can you believe it? Where did this year go? I remember like it was just yesterday that everybody was freaking out about the end of the world in 2012? haha

I can't believe it's almost Fall! Now where did this summer go? Wow. Time is not stopping for anyone! I figure since we are coming to the end of August, I might as well hop on the bandwagon and do my monthly favorites :)

My first beauty favorite of the month is Tinted Day Cream by KORA Organics. Kora Organics is an organic skincare line created by Miranda Kerr. I absolutely love everything about this product. It is lightweight, contains sunscreen, smells absolutely beautiful, and is very moisturizing. It has light coverage and the pay off is very natural. It comes in one color - which runs quite darker than I thought it was going to be (but nonetheless, perfect for my tanned face). I have other products from the KORA Organics line as well and I have yet to find one product I don't like. This product is a gem. I will continue to repurchase it when I run out.

Since we're talking about face products, my next beauty favorites of this month are the Garnier's Anti-dark circle eye roller in Medium and Tarte's Cheek Stain in Flush.

I picked up Garnier's anti-dark circle eye roller from a local drugstore at the beginning of this month and I've been using it almost every single day. Even though 'Medium' is the darkest shade they have out of the 2 available ones (the other one is in 'Light'), the color is still lighter than my skin tone. I don't use it to conceal my under eye (luckily I don't need to as I don't have a problem with dark under eye circle). I mainly use it to highlight my under eye area and I love the feel of the cooling roll-on applicator.

Next is my Tarte cheek stain. It is the best cheek stain I own, in my opinion, and obviously other people agrees with me because Tarte's cheek stain is the best-selling item and is award-winning! What I like about it is that first of all, it is lightweight (which is what I love for the summer months). But what I love most about 'Flush' is the look it gives me - a natural "flush" like you're blushing or someone just pinched your cheeks :) I love how natural it looks and randomly, I love the way it smells! lol

Next in my August beauty favorite is my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette.

For the whole month of August, this is the only palette I used. I used Venus (the far left color) as an all-over the lid shade. Then I used Faint (darkest brown, second from the right) in my crease and Naked 2 (third from the right) to blend it out. Then I take an angle eyeliner brush to line my upper lash line with Crave (black, far right) and depending on my mood, I'll switch from Foxy to W.O.S (second and third from the left) to highlight under my brow. This is a very natural everyday look which is perfect for the summer!

Since my eyes are very neutral and it's summertime, I thought a pop of color is needed!

My next favorites are these blue eyeliners. The top one in the photo is Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on eye pencil in Electric, which is a bright blue color (I should have swatch the color for you guys! I'll do it next time). The bottom is Covergirl Liquidline Blast Eyeliner in Blue Boom. It is a darker blue than UD's Electric. I like to line my lowerlash line or tightline my waterline for that extra pop of color with my neutral eyes look. I love both of them because they last all day (the Covergirl one is waterproof) and they don't smudge at all. They're so fun!

My favorite mascara of the month is Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara. 

I heard good things about this mascara so I decided to give it a try. This is the only mascara I've been using this whole month of August and I like it a lot. For someone who likes to pile on coats and coats of mascara, the Rocket Volum' is good because it never clumped on me.

Moving on to favorite lip products of the month, Tarte's LipSurgence skintuitive lip tint and Yves Saint Laurent's Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in #19 takes the cake.

The Tarte lip tint (once again, award-winning and best-selling) is unique and different from the other lip tints they have. According to the Tarte website, this energy (shade) has a "skintuitive formula [that] responds to your skin's natural pH and energy, giving you a personalized tint that is truly your own younique shade of pink". On my lips, it basically enhances my natural lip color (which is quite pink for an average person) and gives it a healthy glow and shine. It tastes minty and is quite moisturizing as well.

The infamous YSL lip stain is beautiful - lightweight, moisturizing, and has a wonderful color pay off. It is lightly rose-scented (which I don't mind, since the scent I hate most is rose. It always give me headaches but this YSL lip stain did not bother me one bit). #19 Beige Aquarelle is a light baby pink.

Moving on to my next favorite nail polish(es) of the month. For the first 3 weeks of the month I had a "nail detox" where I went absolutely au naturale and polish-free. I figure it was time I give my nails a break (I think we should all do it every once in a while and let your nails breathe). But after my detox was over, I reached for my Essie nail polish in Boom Boom Room which is a cute barbie pink color!

I like to mix it up when I paint my nails, so for my silver-painted nails I reached for OPI's Which is Witch? from the Oz the Great and Powerful collection.

It has multi-colored glitters and shimmers and I just love it. It's happiness in a bottle and go oh-so-well with my barbie pink polish to give it that extra sparkle ;)

My favorite perfume of this month is U & ! by Boathouse.

I've had this perfume forever and I guess you could say that it's a "rediscovered" favorite for this month. I'm really bad at describing scents but I'll say this is very light and floral and sweet and girly all in one (if that makes any sense haha).

Moving on, my 'body' favorite of August is Victorias Secret's Pure Seduction Smoothing Body Scrub. I also have the Body Wash and Fragrance Mist (you could say that I love the Pure Seduction scent). I've never really been one to use a body scrub but since I was trying out different self-tanners, I figure I should exfoliate my body before hand. I picked this scrub up at my local VS store and tried it out. I've been using it all August. It does the job well, leaving my skin super smooth and soft after (plus it smells amazing so I'm not gonna complain :))

I have 2 'hair' favorites of this month. One of them is my Matrix Amplify Wonder Boost Root Lifter. I use it when my hair is a little bit damp - spray a few pumps directly to my roots and massage it to my scalp. It smells amazing and when my hair is fully dried, it gives a little boost to my roots. You can also use it when your hair is completely dry if you want to tease your hair. Spray it to your roots, massage it and use a teasing comb right after, hello Texan-pageant-worthy hair!

I am sooo picky when it comes to hairspray. They are either too smelly or sticky or hard, etc. I never found one I really like so I never really use hairspray much. This month, I reached for my curling iron quite a bit and I figure I needed hairspray so that it can hold my curls in place (I would never use hairspray so my curls would be falling by the time I leave my house). I went to my local drugstore and blindly pick out a random hairspray. I've used the Aussie brand in the past and I remember really loving the smell of their shampoo, so I decided to pick up this Instant Freeze Hairspray. I like it. It doesn't leave my hair too crunchy or sticky and it smells wonderful! Score.

Next August favorite is my Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer in Cocoa Radiant. It is quick absorbent, non-sticky, easy to use and smells like cocoa butter. What more can I say?

My fashion favorite for the month of August are from my very recent haul. I am all about demin this month and since the last week and a half has been kinda rainy, windy and cold (hello Fall! :)) I thought these recent purchases are very appropriate.

I got this denim top from H&M. It is form-fitting (very flattering) and super comfortable. I pair this shirt with white shorts or a maxi skirt or even leggings! They're very cute to throw on without thinking too much.

This super adorable jacket is from American Eagle. I snagged it at a deal (40% off store-wide). Apparently this jacket is a best-seller because it was extremely hard to find. But nonetheless, I didn't give up and managed to score one for myself :) I love this denim vest and gray hoodie style. I think it's super cute for the Fall!

I've been wearing my Michael Kors watch every single day since I got it last summer (I am still obsessed lol). I often switch up any bracelets to wear as arm candy to pair with my watch but I haven't found one that I really, really like until I stumbled into Bizou at the mall and found this beautiful gold spike bracelet. I've been pairing these combo together every single day this month and I'm obsessed (what else is new with me lol)! For bonus points, everywhere I go, people always compliment me and asks where I got this bracelet from. Well, lucky for you guys, it can be found here (you're welcome ;))

Now it's time for my random favorites ...

My first random favorite for the month of August is Bath and Body Works Wallflowers. I currently have 3 fragrance plugs (the middle one lights up so i'm using it as a nightlight in the bathroom). I hauled some fragrance bulbs I picked up a couple of days ago so you can go check it out if you're curious to know what fragrance I have.

Next random favorite is this Starbucks Stainless steel chiseled tumbler. First of all I love Starbs, and I also think this tumblr is so unique looking and it makes drinking water fun! hahaha :)

Last but not least, my random food favorite for the month of August is Quaker's Maple and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal. I'm not one for oatmeals but this is what I've been having for breakfast every single day this month. It is quick, easy and delicious!

So these all my favorites for the month of August. I hope you enjoy :)

What are your favorites this month?

Until later & see you in September! ;)

from Film, with love,

xx

Haul: Bath & Body Works, Sephora, Shoppers, and Headshoppe

Hello beautiful readers! Long time no talk! I've been caught up with my last summer class (it was my shortest class ever, only 3 weeks long) so I've been super busy keeping up with all the assignments and everything.

Today I went shopping and I thought a haul may be in order so I would like to show you guys what I got :)

First and foremost I went to Bath and Body Works because they have a one-day only special deal where you buy 2 products (anything in the store) and you get 2 products free! I didn't plan to go in the first place but I was walking by and saw their ad so I had to LOL. Buy 2, get 2 free - who could pass up! I am all out of candles anyway and plus, I was curious as to see if they have their fall stuff yet (hello Leaves candle ❤)

There were sooo many people in the store. It got so crazy and I was so overwhelmed I didn't end up buying any candles haha. I did, however, pick up some wallflowers :) I already have 2 fragrance plugs I bought last year (one is a sea shell and the other one is a flower) so all I needed were fragrance bulbs so I can screw them into the plugs.

I got 4 in total but only paid for 2 (gotta love these deals!). I got Marshmallow Fireside, Pumpkin Cupcake, Eucalyptus Mint, and Lemon.

Marshmallow Fireside is my all-time favorite scent from B&BW (I am obsessed with the candle version), so it's a no brainer I'm trying out the wallflower version this time around. Next I decided to try out the Pumpkin Cupcake scent. I sniffed its candle version in the store and I really like it. I love any scent that's cupcake.. and I also like pumpkin. So Pumpkin Cupcake is perfect. I will be sure to pick up its candle version next time I go to B&BW. I was actually contemplating between Pumpkin Caramel Latte and Frosted Cupcake as well, but I decided to go with Pumpkin Cupcake this time!

Next, I went for Eucalyptus Mint because I loveee the Eucalyptus scent for total relaxation when I want to have an at-home spa day and also for bedtime. Something about the scent takes me back to my childhood and I always feel so cozy and happy inside so I decided to give this Eucalyptus Mint fragrance bulb a try. Last but not least for the wallflowers, I got Lemon, for my boyfriend because he picked this one out the last time we bought wallflowers, which was around March, and he absolutely love this clean and fresh scent! In the beginning I didn't think I was going to like this scent but boy was I wrong. It is a very light scent and I love how it's not too overpowering - it's perfect for the kitchen or the bathroom!

Then as I was walking towards the cashier, I noticed these rows of body lotion. I have never tried the B&BW's lotions before so I decided to head over and try out the samples. 5 minutes later and my nose is confused with all the different scents, I decided to go for the Sexy Dahlia Rush and Cashmere Glow Body Lotion. Sexy Dahlia Rush smells very .... well, ... sexy (very appropriate). Cashmere Glow smells like vanilla. It's very warm and cozy - I love!

After that I went over to Shoppers Drug Mart, MAC and Sephora. Here are a few things I got :

I wanted to pick up some false lashes because I use my last pack on my birthday back in April so I went to Shoppers Drug Mart and pick up these Ardell lashes. I got the #120 Demi Wispies in Black. They were on sale as well, so score!

I walked by the Lise Watier display and decided to stop and take a look. I've never bought anything from this brand before but I've heard from somebody (I don't remember who lol) that they own a Lise Watier Rouge Fondant Supreme lipstick and that it's supposed to be "the best everyday lipstick ever" so I decided to give it a go.

I picked up the color Jennifer, which is a beautiful pinky nude (as swatched below), perfect for everyday!

*Note: I am extremely tan at the moment. I love how it look on me now and I know it will look good on me when I'm slightly lighter and not as tan as well :) I think it will be perfect for any skin tone!

Next, I decided to go to MAC to pick up a new lipgloss. I never used to like or wear lipgloss ever but for some reason this summer, it's all about lipglosses for me! I love them and I find myself constantly searching for a new one hehehe

I decided to try the Dazzleglass. I only have their regular lipglass and a plushglass but I never own any dazzleglasses before. I went with Baby Sparks because the makeup artist said it's their best-selling one.

Baby Sparks is a baby pink with beautiful, cool reflects. It is so beautiful on the lips! I love it!

I also pick up the MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost. It is a soft yellow highlighting pen, and again, recommended by the MUA. 

It is a great product, very easy to blend, a great shade (I have yellow undertone so this yellow highlighter compliments my skin really nicely) - perfect for one of those days when you want to go for a full on "Kim K" look (extreme contour and highlight).

Next I decided to go to Sephora. I have hit pan on my Nars Laguna Bronzer for a while now and I am soo close to running out. I've decided to go for a different bronzer this time (I've repurchased my Laguna 3 times already), so I did some research and it came down to these 2: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer ($38) and Benefit Hoola Bronzer ($36). The prices were very similar, they are both matte (something I've never tried - as Nars Laguna have slight shimmer), and both have amazing reviews. After giving it much thought and going back and forth I decided to go with Benefit Hoola. Only because it is slightly more mainstream than the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil (which I am kinda regretting because it's supposed to freakin' smell like chocolate!) but alas, when I am through with my Hoola, you bet your bottom dollar Chocolate Soleil is top on my list!

This is my first box product from Benefit ever so I am really excited because these boxes are so friggin' adorable! Benefit have the cutest packaging ever! (Too Faced as well actually, I'm obsessed with their pink and black and bow packaging haha)

So before I head home from the mall, I stopped by Headshoppe which is a local salon to pick up some new shampoo, conditioner, and a hair treatment.

Again I have never use Redken products before but I was recommended by a hair stylist. I have A LOT of hair (lol). It is currently very long (I think the longest it's ever been in my life!), very thick, and I haven't gotten a hair cut since last summer :S (I know you're supposed to get it trimmed every 5 weeks to keep it in tiptop shape - healthy and strong but I haven't found a good and trustworthy hair dresser around here that I really trust with my hair. The ones in the past are a total let down and so not worth the money). I've also noticed that my ends can be very dry but no split-ends! :) and my hair is so heavy because it's so long (waist-length, pretty much). So behold, the Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner along with Argan-6 Oil for dry hair. I've been promised a sudden change in my hair so fingers crossed; we'll see how they go.

I am currently using the L'oreal EverPure Sulfate-free Shampoo and Conditioner. I love it because it's for color treated hair and it's sulfate-free! For hair treatment, I am going back and forth between the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment and Moroccanoil Treatment. They're both amazing products which I absolutely love but I think they're not enough for my dry ends at the moment. I was suggested the Argan-6 Oil so I went for it.

So here we are, my haul of the day! I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions or want a review for any products I mentioned feel free to leave me a comment below!

Until next time,

from Film with love,
xx

Mid-month INs & OUTs

It is currently mid-July and I figure I will just go ahead and do my ins and outs of the moment.

INs

• This beautiful weather = 25+ degrees, the sun, the beach, going out on the boat..... summer, in general ;)
• Blogging! Need I say more? :) I am absolutely head over heels in love with writing my blog. It's my little baby!
• Planning for a road trip! No better way to end the summer with a road trip. We (my boyfriend, his parents, and I) are going on a weekend getaway at the end of this month! I am so excited!
• The Sims 3. Childhood favorite, forever a favorite. In the beginning of the month I rediscovered my all-time favorite game and almost every evening after I get home, I'll hop on the game for a couple of hours and play. Total relaxation time and it's always nice to reminisce good ol' memories ❤
• Tanning. I believe everybody looks better a little sun kissed ;) Nothing like a golden glow and bronze skin to enhance your natural beauty (& wearing less makeup in the summer).
• Being lucky. Or rather, having good karma. I don't know what water it is my boyfriend is drinking but I want some. Every single day, something amazing happens, and everything seems to be working out perfectly in his favor. I have to admit, I am kinda jealous.

OUTs

• Being unlucky. While my boyfriend is being rained with good fortune, I am cursed with bad luck. For the past 3 days things have happened to me (that I don't ever want to repeat) and left me extremely upset and confused with the general human population (see below, 'outs' #5).
• Tanning. Don't forget your sunscreen. Or else you will get burn. And getting sun burnt is NOT fun. Plus you don't want to be tanning for too long (hello pre-mature wrinkles and leathery skin. non, merci!)
• Having no air condition in my apartment unit (... but they somehow have air conditioning outside my door, in the hallway area). Last night around 3 AM I legitimately got out of bed, went outside my apartment unit, stood in the hallway for 5 minutes just to cool off. There is absolutely nothing worse than sweating in your sleep!
• Being inconsistent. Whether it is going to the gym and working out or sticking to 'clean eating' habit. I will do it for 3 days straight, then I will take 5 days off. Then I will start all over again (usually on a Monday) and repeat.
• Rude and mean people. I will never ever ever understand why people feel the need to be rude and mean for absolutely no reason (this ties in with my first 'outs': bad luck). I try so hard everyday to live life in a positive light, do good, and surround myself with only positivity and good vibes. Lately I have been attracting negative energy and bad vibes and I have absolutely no idea why. I strongly believe in karma so maybe I've just been hit with bad karma so whatever it is I need a good cleanse by reevaluating myself so I can see what I did wrong. 

Remember: life is short, smile often.

So that is it for this month's ins and outs. Feel free to share with me your current ins and outs! Until next time :)

from Film with love,

xx

Summer Essentials

So we are currently in the heart of summer (hi July! I can't believe we are already more than half way through this year, 2013! Crazy!), I would like to show you guys what I called my summer essentials.

So whether I am going to the beach or simply up to my roof to tan (I live in a beautiful apartment building and even though I have an adorable little balcony, it is simply too small to lay out), these are what I take with me.

First and foremost, a beach towel! I got mine from Winners. It is by Cynthia Rowley. I absolutely love the print and its fun colors. This is by far my all-time favorite beach towel to date!

Next is probably one of the most important thing you should always bring (and use!) when you're out and about in the sun: sunscreen. That's right. I know, I know, everyone have preached the importance of sunscreen over and over. But to be totally honest with you, I myself have never been one to use it. They are so thick and sticky and I just hate them .. especially when you want to lay out on the beach ... hel-lo?! I don't want to roll around on my towel with a sticky body where sand is going stick all over you. Nuh-uh. No thank you.

But behold .... after much researching (yes, I actually researched for sunscreen) I have come across this : 

This baby right here is by a brand called Coola. It has SPF 35, is a spray (easy to use and non sticky!), smells totally delicious (Pina Colada! Who doesn't love the smell of coconut?), and on top of it all, ORGANIC! (score!)

This 180 ML bottle of goodness cost me $25.30 CA (it was so hard to find around where I live, but luckily I found one at a local massage and spa place. It was on sale as well! (good timing or what?). But you can find it online here. I wanted to try their other scent Citrus Mimosa too but they didn't have them at the place I went to. That's okay though because I love my Pina Colada one :) Oh, they also have an unscented one if you like yours to be completely au naturale! 

Now, I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about tanning by laying out in the sun. Since where I live, we only get to see (and feel) the sun for a total of 2 months (3 if we're lucky ... 2 weeks if we're talking about this year so far) in a year, I like to lay out as much as I can. I don't go to tanning beds but I do use sunless tanner during the colder months. When I do lay out, these are the products I use.

Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil is what I reach for before I lay out. I'm not too crazy about tanning oils and have not used it enough to tell a difference so I wouldn't worry about it too much when it comes to summer essentials but I thought I'd mention it anyway!

At the end of the day when I got home from the beach or wherever I laid out I usually take a quick shower to wash off all the sweat and the occasional sand that might stick on me. After I get out of the shower, I reach for my Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion. This stuff is hands down the best ever! I love the smell (coconut papaya!) and how hydrating it is. Most importantly, it does not leave my skin feeling sticky like most lotions do afterward. As you can see, I am almost all out of it. I love and use this stuff so much - this is my second bottle this summer!

Next, you can't forget your sunglasses and a big floppy beach hat! They are a necessity as you need to protect your face and eyes from the hot sun!

My sunglasses are Ray-Ban Aviators from the Sunglass Hut. I got my wide brim floppy hat from Icing. Turquoise/mint is my new favorite color and I love the color accent and rhinestone trim (very Kardashian! ;)) the hat has.

I always bring lip balm with me everywhere I go and I really like EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit. It keeps my lips hydrated and smooth and taste oh-so-good as well.

I also like to bring something light to read with me. I usually go for magazines. They are always fun. I recently picked up the latest issue of Teen Vogue. I don't remember the last time I read Teen Vogue but Emma Watson was on the cover and I've always love her so I figure I might as well pick it up.

Sometimes I'll take my ipod with me. But I always listen to music on my phone anyway, so ipods aren't really necessary. I found this beast recently (I've had this classic ipod forever ago and I thought I lost it but nope, it's been in my gym bag all along!) I decided to throw it in my beach bag.

Last but not least, we must never forget to bring water with us! This is more important than sunscreen in my opinion. Remember to always stay hydrated :)

PS. Can you see one of my hair on Emma Watson's face. LOL, major fail. I swear, I shed soooo much you could make a wig out of how much hair I shed everyday. It drives my boyfriend absolutely crazy. My hair is everywhere and pretty much in every thing. Hahaha, oops. Well .. what can I say, long hair don't care? ;)

Until next time,

                        from Film, with love
                          xoxo