Covergirl: Katy Kat Matte Lipstick in Sphynx and Katy Kat Eye Mascara in Very Black, Swatch & Review

Covergirl and Katy Perry introduce their brand new collaboration including #KatyKatMatte Demi-Matte Lipsticks, as well as #KatyKatEye 360° All-Day Cat Eye Mascaras!

I was so happy to get the opportunity to try Katy Perry's new makeup line with Covergirl through BzzAgent.

This collection contains Covergirl's first Demi Matte lipstick and it comes in 11 gorgeous shades. The lipsticks are infused with nourishing butters like Shea, are creamy, and non-drying.

The Katy Kat Eye Mascara comes in Perry Blue, Very Black, Black, and Waterproof Black. The 360 degree brush gives 10X volume and darkness to the lashes in a formula that doesn't flake, smudge, or smear.

I was able to select the colours that I wanted to try. I chose Very Black in the Katy Kat Eye Mascara, and Sphynx/ Sphinx in the Katy Kat Matte lipstick.

Right away I was intrigued by the interesting looking mascara wand. And, I was very happy with my colour selection in the lipstick as it's that nude-pink/ mauve shade that I just love!

As you can see in the lipstick swatch, it's not totally matte, hence the term Demi-matte for these beauties.

Although this lipstick will glide on my lips smoothly without a balm, because of the condition of my lips I really need a balm underneath, which Covergirl recommends also. I also followed Covergirl's instructions to layer the lipstick, blot, and then layer again... it really works to give a great look to your pout!

This is one of the few matte lipsticks that I can actually wear. Because of my aging and dehydrated lips most matte lipsticks just accentuate the dehydration and make me look older. As you'll see in the photos below with the lip swatches, this formula doesn't accentuate my dehydrated lips.

Note, I did not use any lip liners or gloss in any of the photos.

I think this is a pretty universal shade and would suit a lot of skin tones. It's not a pale nude, so it wont give you that washed out look. I would say it's on the mauve side of nudes.

The mascara grabs every lash and gave me CRAZY volume! I totally agree with the claims that this mascara gives 10x volume, and I didn't even have to build this up. I applied it the same way that I apply any mascara on a daily basis.

If you like crazy volume lashes, you will love this!

At the end of the day, I checked for flakes or smudges and found none.

Katy Kat Eye Mascara in Very Black/ Katy Kat Matte Lipstick Swatch in Sphynx

Pictured above is a swatch of the Katy Kat Matte lipstick in Sphynx, and a photo with one application of Katy Kat Eye mascara in Very Black.

Katy Kat Matte Demi Matte Lipstick in Sphinx

Pictured above, I am wearing Katy Kat Matte in Sphynx with no lipliner or gloss, just the lipstick with a balm underneath. I am loving this colour. It's perfect for everyday and goes with any look.

It's also super comfortable on the lips and longer lasting than your average lipstick. (Note: I am not wearing the Katy Kat Mascara in this photo).

Katy Kat Matte is COVERGIRL’s first demi-matte lipstick by Katy Perry:

• There are 11 highly pigmented colours to choose from: Sphynx, Pink Paws, Magenta Minx, Coral Cat, Crimson Cat, Cat Call, Kitty Purry, Cosmo Kitty, Maroon Meow, Catoure and Perry Panther
• Each is infused with nourishing butters such as shea
• A soft finish and creamy feel help the lipstick glide on smoothly
• It’s not dry or dragging on your lips
• Each retails for $10.99 at drugstores 

The Katy Kat Eye 360° All-Day Cat Eye:

• The 360° Sculpting Brush sweeps lashes up and out
• They don’t flake, smear or smudge 
• Perry Blue delivers 10X Volume + Fullness (plus, it’s the first-ever electric blue mascara by COVERGIRL!)
• Very Black, Black and Waterproof Black deliver 10X Volume + Darkness
• Each retails for $10.99 at drugstores 

Thank you to Covergirl and BzzAgent for this opportunity! 

Have you tried anything from this line? Which products did you try?

#KatyKatMatte #KatyKatEye

*These products were provided to me free for testing purposes courtesy of #covergirl and #bzzagent #gotitfree

Week 16: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

This is going to be the quickest and shortest weekly update on my fitness journey. Not only did I eat like crap all week, but I only worked out 1 day out of 7 .

If you want to check out last weeks post you can find it linked here.

I did weigh in this morning and nothing has changed. It doesn't seem to change if I workout or don't workout, so what's the point? Being and feeling healthier and stronger even if I don't lose weight!

I know there are going to be weeks like this, so instead of beating myself up over it, I'm just going to do my best to do better next week.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- 

Day 3- The Firm Fat Burning, Cardio Toning - 30 minutes

Day 4-

Day 5- 

Day 6-

Day 7- 

Weigh in :

Weight: no change

Fat: no change

I hope to do much better next week. See you then!

DIY / Hack: How To Fix Hardpan With Powder Makeup Products

Today I have a DIY beauty hack that I hope you will find useful.

I wanted to use up my IT Cosmetics Vitality Disk. It was getting very old and the bronzer had developed "hardpan." Even using my most dense and rough makeup brush, I could barely pick up any product. So I was getting prepared to have to throw out this product, but I really didn't want to as it was expensive and I really like this palette.

I was considering taking a knife to scrape off the top layer of product, but I was afraid I would waste a lot of product, so I decided to hit-up my makeup loving Instagram buddies for some suggestions.

My Instagram buddy,  Makeup By Starla, suggested packing tape. I doubted it would work so I decided to put it to the test. 

Thanks to Starla, my palette is totally usable again. After I fixed up my bronzer using her suggestion, I went through some hardened eyeshadows and a face powder and repaired them all! Thank you, Starla!

Let's see what I fixed and how EASY it was!

It Cosmetics Vitality Disk

 Shown above is my IT Vitality Disk. Most of the bronzer is covered in hardpan.

Using Starla's suggestion, I put some packing tape over the product.

I was in total shock when I pulled the tape off of my bronzer and saw what it had picked up in a nano-second. I rubbed my finger along the bronzer and voila, it picked up much more product!

Here is my fresh and revived bronzer. It's not as soft as it was when new but it's useable and I couldn't be happier that I don't have to throw it out as I actually really like this product!

Now let's see what else I was able to repair.

Annabelle CC Pressed Powder

The photo in the upper left corner is with hardpan. The bottom right photo is after using the tape method.

This also worked wonders on this Annabelle face powder. This product isn't very old at all but somehow it developed hardpan. Before using the tape method on the powder, I couldn't pick up ANY product where you see the hardpan, now It's like new again!

Quo Back To Basics Eye Shadow Palette

Upper left picture is with harpan, before the tape method. The bottom right photo is after.

Lastly, I tried the same method on my Quo eyeshadow palette and it worked wonders on that too. Now, my shadows are revived and my brushes pick up so much more product!

This method is like a little miracle. It's cheap and so easy! It only takes a second to lift up the dry, hardened product. It's really an amazing way to save your favourite products and give them new life. 

You can also go over the same product as many times as you like to pick up the more hardened product. I went over each item about 2 times with the tape.

I'm so grateful to have this trick now to save all of my powdered products. 

I hope this helps those of you who are looking for a solution to this issue. It's an easy, quick and cheap solution to the once annoying harpan!

If you have any Beauty Hacks, please leave them in the comments below!

Week 15: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

As I write this post, I can hardly believe that it's the end of week 15 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight. 

Here is a link to last weeks post if you'd like to check it out.

I tried a new DVD this week called Happy Hormones by Ana Brett. It's Kundalini style yoga which I've been doing on and off for years. I like to mix up my workouts a lot as you can probably tell.

I was a little disappointed with this DVD as it didn't have any preset workouts. You can program your own workout with the matrix, but I really appreciate preset workouts. I enjoy most of my other Kundalini DVD's by Ana Brett but this one was a bit of a disappointment. I'll still use it and see if it does help with hormones etc. and report back on it.

I continued walking when I could and I also continue to use the Pedometer App. which I cannot recommend enough!

This screenshot above was a longer walk as I decided to walk to the store that day- save gas and get in a little exercise.

I found this great rock while walking. It really sparkles in person so I had to grab it. Now if I could just find some gold!

I also did the Firm's Fat-Burning Cardio DVD that uses resistance bands. It's only a 30-minute routine which I like. I didn't feel that it worked my muscles very much but I did work up a good sweat. Maybe I need a stronger resistance band. 

I really prefer free weights to resistance bands. Although, resistance bands do have their place for things like pilates etc. (which I cannot partake in due to some old injuries).

I also continued with my personalized workout chart. I have to update it as I've added in 15 reverse lunges, 15 reverse angled lunges, and 15 walking lunges.

Note: I currently use 8 lb weights for these exercises.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- 57 min walk

Day 3- 

Day 4- Happy Hormones yoga DVD- 1 hr 

Day 5- The Firm Fat Burning Cardio Toning DVD- 30 min

Day 6-

Day 7- 30 min walk + weight routine with 8 lb weights

Weigh in :

Weight: no change

Fat: no change

Let me know if you have any workout recommendations, preferably DVD's that aren't too long and have a mix of strength training with some cardio.. but more focus on weights and strength. 

Thanks for coming by this week, and hopefully see you next week!

PS. Come and join in the Blogger fun at The Best of Blogosphere!

Orange Naturals MagPop Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Review #TryNatural

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to try out a magnesium supplement by Orange Naturals called MagPop. This opportunity came through a website called Social Nature. 

From Social Nature's website:

• Magnesium supplement - MagPop!
• Treats the following symptoms: fatigue, low energy, agitation, anxiety, restless legs, headaches, irritability, cramping and high blood pressure
• Helps to regulate mood and sleep patterns
• Vegan
• Promotes regular bowel health
• Great for children ages 4+ 
  • Magnesium maintains bone health, muscle, and nerve function (important for growing bodies)

My Experience:

I truly believe that most of us are deficient in magnesium. I have pretty much all of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency so I know that I can benefit from taking it but I always forget to.

 I received 3 sample packs from Social Nature to trial the product. When I tried my first packet I didn't notice anything. The next time I tried this product I had just gotten my monthly migraine. So, I took two packs at once to see if it would help. The taste was much better with two packs mixed in water vs. one pack. It dissolved nicely and had a slightly sweet orange flavour. 

Now onto the good stuff! Was I ever pleasantly surprised when my migraine (which usually lasts 1.5 days and is usually very intense) was reduced by about 80-90% by taking the two packets of this magnesium supplement. I still had a migraine but it was very subtle and I was able to function normally. 

I try to avoid over the counter painkillers whenever possible and stick to natural remedies. There are often costs associated with taking medications from reactions to taking a toll on our organs, liver etc.

I know that I could probably reap many more benefits by taking this product on the regular. I am going to make a conscious effort to take magnesium more often. I began taking magnesium oil recently (which is a topical magnesium),  but I wouldn't trade one off for the other, the two forms do different things. I really need to continue with the magnesium oil and add the magnesium powder to my regimen. I do wish I had received a larger sample so I could report on the cumulative effects. But, based on how it helped my migraine, I rate this product highly effective. I would recommend this supplement to everyone! 

I am grateful to Orange Naturals & Social Nature for the opportunity to sample this product. 

*I received this product free for trial purposes and all opinions are my own and 100% honest. 

#trynatural #ONatural

Milani Blush In Romantic Rose 01 Review With Swatches

Milani Romantic Rose 01

I've been lusting after this blush for eons. Ever since it came out and I heard it was a dupe for Tarte's Exposed I knew I had to have it. I didn't want to fork out the extra dough if I didn't have to on the Tarte blush- I'm always in for a good dupe. Since I don't own Tarte's Exposed I can't say if they are in fact dupes but the swatches online looked good enough to me.

It's difficult to find Milani products where I live and the one store that sells Milani near me is always sold out. Luckily, I found Milani online at Canadian retailer Well.ca and it was on sale for $8.49 from $9.99. Plus, my blogger friend gave me a code to get $10 off my order! I couldn't wait any longer and ordered this blush along with some other goods as I had to spend $40 to get the $10 off, but luckily we were in need of some other items too. And, shipping was free so I couldn't resist. Well.ca is new to me. After looking around their site, I found a ton of health and beauty brands that I love. They also had sales on several brands (including Milani at the time). It looks like they change the sales weekly.

I was so excited when my blush arrived as I've wanted it for so long. I immediately had to check my rather large blush collection for dupes (I'm a huge blush lover!)... to my surprise, I have nothing even close to this shade! yay!

I would describe Romantic Rose as a nude, warm, rosy-brown that is matte. I was afraid it would make me look ruddy, but luckily it doesn't at all. It's a great neutral colour that goes with any makeup look. I've been reaching for it constantly since it arrived! It performs like a high-end blush, I can't believe it was under $10, and the pan is huge at 17 grams!!

The blush has a creamy feel to it that I wasn't expecting, most of my powder blushes are much drier. It made me think that it may not blend well and go on patchy, yet it blended smoothly and evenly over my setting powder.

It's much more pigmented than I was expecting, so even on my tanned summer skin, a light hand and tapping of the brush is required.

Milani Romantic Rose 01

$9.99 / 17 grams

Get ready for a swatch-fest. I took several pictures of swatches on my inner arm, the back of my hand and at different angles. The back of my hand is tanned so you can see how it looks on medium skin tone. The inner part of my arm is fairer, so you'll see how it swatches on lighter skin tone. I have also shown the colour as I built it up.

In the next photo, I built up the colour more.

I give this blush 5 stars! Not only for the unique and beautiful colour that goes with any look, but also for pigmentation and lasting power. Never mind that it's under $10 and you get 17 grams of product! My only regret is waiting so long to purchase it.

Milani is also a cruelty-free brand.

I'm always on the lookout for a good dupe. Let me know in the comments if you know of any!

If you've never shopped at Well.ca you can also save $10 off a $40 purchase with promo code "healthbeauty10" (valid until September 16, 2016).

Week 14: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

Welcome to week 14 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

If you missed last weeks post here is a link to it.

Read on to see what I accomplished this week.

 I found this on Google and found it interesting. As you can see, it recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Based on this, If I exercise just 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, I've met these guidelines. Doesn't sound too bad to me. This isn't to say that this is the "gold standard." But, it's at least a guideline for a minimum to strive for.

This week I continued with my walks, even with the sweltering heat. I'm continuing to use the free pedometer app, which I'm loving. I usually walk about 2600 steps during my 25-30 minute daily walks. I walk an extra 2000 steps on the day shown in the above screenshot of my pedometer app. I decided to walk to the store that day to get a few groceries. Save on gas and get some extra exercise in... why not.

Most days I continued on my usual route.

Coming home one day, I spotted this flock of geese. I guess they got lost and headed into someone's backyard. I'm glad it wasn't my yard as they poop everywhere! Not that I don't feel for my neighbours.

Note: I added 15 reverse lunges & 15 walking lunges to the above chart

I'm including my weight routine chart again as I've continued with this routine regularly. I strive for every other day, and I currently use 8 lb weights for all exercises.

I also got a new DVD to try out. It's another Kundalini Yoga DVD by Ana Brett called Happy Hormones. I just got it so I'll let you know how it goes. Let's hope it gives me happy hormones! Being in my 40's, I can use all the help I can get in that department.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 25 min walk + 8 lb weight routine

Day 2- 

Day 3- 40 min walk + 8 lb weight routine

Day 4- 

Day 5- 25 min walk + 8 lbs weight routine

Day 6- 53 min walk 

Day 7- 

Weigh in :

Weight: gained 2 lbs

Fat: no change

I exercised 4 out of 7 days again this week. And, here we go with the scale again, up and down every week resulting in no weight change on the whole.

I'm going to incorporate my new Happy Hormones DVD next week, so we'll see if that makes a difference.

Let me know in the comments what you're doing to stay in shape?

See you next week!

PS. come and join all the blogger fun over at The Best of Blogosphere!