march beauty buys!

March has come to a close and with the start of April comes my review of last month's beauty buys!


Ardell "Wispies" Lashes

I've long been a fan of Ardell's "Demi Wispies" and while in Sally beauty this month I decided to really live a little and pick up the FULL SIZE wispies! So glad I did they are beautiful! But then again aren't all lashes?

Sally Beauty, $4.99

e.l.f Baked Eyeshadow Palette

This was a Winners beauty find and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect much from a discount makeup brand in terms of color payoff, but it's not bad! Not amazing, but for $12 I just really layer it on with a primer and it works. I got colour "Texas" which is a nice mix of champagne, gold, and pink metallics.

Winners, $12.99

MAC Lipstick in "Pure Zen"

Another nude lippie purchase and I love it! It's the perfect mix of a brown-nude and peach-nude, and of course has all the pigment, staying power, and creaminess of amazing MAC lipsticks!

maccosmetics.com, $19

SensatioNail Nail Shield

Ok, when I saw this product mentioned on SensatioNail's Instagram I had to do a double-take. I absolutely LOVE my gel mani, but removal? I'd rather die. I don't have the patience to sit and delicately foil wrap each nail with acetone, and then wait helpless for 20 minutes while it s-l-o-w-l-y dissolves last week's gel. Their website promises that "this quick and easy 2-in-1 solution protects nails and removes gel in seconds using an exclusive peel-off technology", so I rushed to Shoppers to pick it up and went to work on a new Easter mani.
The Verdict: First off, there is no way to get this 'sticker' perfectly smooth so you are left with a base coat that may have tiny air bubbles. Part of the allure of the gel mani is the super smooth and glossy finished product. Second, it took FOREVER to attempt a perfect application on one nail, never mind all 10. I managed to get 2 nails done after about 10 minutes and then gave up. I don't have time for that. I will say that those nails have held up to wear and tear a little better than the rest, but what good is it if the application looks bumpy? I know every nail bed is different, and mine are curvier than average which probably affected how smooth it went on, but just the time it took to apply them was enough to disappoint me.

Shoppers Drug Mart, $9.99


L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara

I currently use L'Oreal's "Voluminous" mascara in my professional kit, as I love the formula and the blackest-black colour, so when I heard another beauty blogger swear by L'Oreal's Telescopic, I figured I would give it a try. While the super thin brush does a good job at separating my lashes, it doesn't lengthen anymore than my fave Lancome mascara, and I find it flakes a little more than I would like. Not overly impressed!

Shoppers Drug Mart, $7.99 (on sale)

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It was a relatively slow month in terms of makeup shopping as I prepare for baby M, but I promise the next few months will still have reviews, tips and daily looks despite my foray into baby land!