How to: Brighten & Awaken Eyes in 6 Steps

With long summer nights, and the school season quickly approaching, getting a full 8 hours of sleep kind of gets thrown onto the back burner and we're left with tired, dull, eyes. We all want those bright and awake eyes- but don't want to compromise the precious hours left of summer to sleep. Instead of bargaining one for the other- why not enjoy both! With these few tips, you'll be able enjoy the rest of your summer to the fullest with bright and energetic eyes to see it all. Let's go!



1. Prevention

Say no to salty foods while you're out, the more sodium, the more water retention- the bigger your under eye bags. Instead of getting a large of those irresistible Mcdonalds fries- opt for a small and a smoothie instead. Also, drink up! Drinking lots of water will show visible results to the puffiness under the eyes. Little ways to cut back on your sodium intake and by increasing your water intake may mean less of those salty fries, but also smaller and less noticeable eye puffiness!







2.  Lets get Peachy

Peachy tones opposed to regular concealers are much more brightening, and help to mask discolouration. A concealer that is a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone with a salmony undertone will instantly awaken and hide any darkness under the eyes, leaving them refreshed and awake.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Peach (review here)

3. Add a Sprinkle of Sparkle

Adding a light, cream, eyeshadow with a pencil brush into your inner corner, dragging it into the inner half of your bottom and upper lid will draw the light to your eyes and illuminate them. Adding a little sparkle to the tear duct draws the attention to the least-puffy part of your eye and work to open up the rest of your eye.

Joe Fresh  Pencil Brush

Maybelline Eyestudio Quad in Give me Gold

4. Less is More

Eyeliner can help define the eyes, however smothering your eyes in black eyeliner will definitely make them defined, but not very awake nor bright. Minimize the eyeliner to only the outer half of your upper lid. This will provide a little definition, but not drown your eyes in a sea of black.

Maybelling Eyestudio Gel Liner in Brown (review here)

Joe Fresh Angled Eyeliner Brush

5. Nude Tude

Instead of putting your regular eyeliner on your waterline, try putting a nude eyeliner on it. Opt nude for white because white can be very harsh and make your eyes appear yellow, but nude will make your eyes pop and look natural. If you don't feel like spending the extra $$ on a nude eyeliner, take any stick concealer and an eyeliner brush and gently dab it on your waterline.

Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer  (review here)

Mac Brush 212 (Holiday Edition)

6. Curls Away

If you have pin straight, downcast lashes- and eyelash curler is your best friend! It will transform your eyelashes from covering your eye, to curling them up towards your brow- exposing more eye. It will lift and opening your eyes instantly. With a few pumps of an eyelash curler your eyes will go from droopy and small, to bright and big- just the key for working towards brighter eyes.

Tweezerman Eyelash Curler

One coat of L'Oreal Carbon Black Mascara

During this time of year, sleep is a little hard to come by- hopefully these few simple tips will be able to help you achieve bright and awake eyes! It all starts with prevention then goes on to concealing, highlighting, defining and curling. With these tricks you'll be able to enjoy the last moments of your summer without worrying about sparing just a few hours of sleep.  Enjoy!

- Madi

A Review: Neutrogena Naturals Daily Moisturizer

The drugstore brings us yet again, another gem. Recently I have been dipping my toes in drugstore skin care (sorry Clinique!) to find more affordable options. High end moisturizers have that expensive, rich, and luxurious feel to them, however your wallet won't feel so great after purchasing it. Our good friends at the drugstore have our backs with a selection of moisturizers that leave not only your skin feeling soft and subtle, but your bank feeling just as good. My most recent find has been the Neutrogena Naturals (yes, natural!) Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Daily Moisturizer.

What really caught my eye when scanning the aisles of my Rexall, was that is said Neutrogena Naturals. Often these days it's hard to find products not packed with harsh chemicals. This claims that it is 97% naturally derived- that's 3% unnatural; but that's good enough for me! There is 'NO' harsh chemical sulfates, parabens or dyes. There is 88mL of product for $13.99, very reasonable for a good, natural moisturizer! (purchase here)

 The back of the tube claims to, "Replenish essential skin-conditioning nutrients, plus it provides continuous moisture nourishment throughout the day. Fortified with vitamins B,C,E and anti-oxidant omega - bionutrients, this moisturizer is clinically proven to boost skins defence against dullness and roughness, leaving it naturally radiant, and healthier-looking. Breathable, clean feel. Can be worn under makeup. Allergy tested. Non-comedogenic." (meaning that it does not clog pores.)

This moisturizer is very lightweight, but thick at the same time. It isn't runny and it sinks into the skin very quickly leaving your face feeling refreshed. This cream is scented quite strongly; something that doesn't bother me, but may bother others. After applying this moisturizer it leaves your skin extremely soft to the touch (and not shiny!) Makeup applies beautifully over top, the moisturizer almost gives the skin a silicon (makeup primer) feel, leaving your face a fresh and smooth canvas allowing your makeup to glide over it seamlessly.

Having dry skin, this moisturizer isn't enough to be night cream; sadly I still need to use a heavier moisturizer in the evening. However, this has become my favourite morning cream; it's lightweight and sinks in fast enough to apply makeup within seconds of applying it. This leads me to think that this was targeted more towards oily skin because it won't make you shiny, but will still add moisture to the skin preventing excessive oil production. 

Pro's:

- Drugstore

- 97% Natural

- Leaves skin smooth and refreshed

- Moisture lasts throughout the day

- Both dry and oily skin can use

- Absorbs quickly

- Makeup can be applied very well over

Con's:

- Strong scent

- 3% unnatural

- Is not enough to be a night cream for dryer skins 

As much as I love my Clinique moisturizer, this has turned into my everyday morning cream; it's an oxymoron: Lightweight yet thick, perfect for dry skins in the morning, and oily for any time of day! This is a very well formulated product that I will continue to use, and hopefully will be able to try more from the Neutrogena Naturals line in the future!

-Madi

A Review: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder & Swatches

That sun-kissed look is always in, especially during the summer. However having a naturally tan face from those UV rays has it's drawbacks- premature wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, dark spots, sunburns, and a higher chance of skin cancer.  The obvious solution? Bronzer! With just a quick dust around your face, you'll go from pasty pale to a bronzed goddess in no time. Here to help us in acheiving that is the Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder. 

This product claims to be a, "soft matte, silky-smooth bronzer that instantly gives the skin the look of a natural tan." To acheive that it comes with .28oz or 8g of bronzer coming in 6 shades, but ringing in at $38 US. (Yikes!!) 

First off let's take a moment to admire the packaging. Shiny, black, and sleek. It's very sturdy and easy to clean. It has a very nice closure that makes it very easy to open and close the packaging and the clasp ensures that it won't open unbenounced. The best part? A big and full mirror makes it the perfect on-the-go product. 

Clasp

The colour that I was recommended was 1 Golden Light. It is indeed a matte shade (perfect for contouring) and has yellow tones opposed to red. It is extremely natural on the skin, it as no shimmer or sparkle so it will look beautiful all over the face or just to contour your cheeks and nose. I love this shade, it works in the summer, and isn't too harsh in the winter. For a pale girl like myself, this is definitely my go-to product to gently warm up my face.

The consistency is very smooth, not chalky or excessively powdery. It's one of those miracle products that has a light pigmentation (perfect for a natural bronzed look), but can be built up to a strong colour without looking like a cake fell on your face. The bronzer can grab to dry-er patches of skin, so be sure to moisturize before applying!

I rarely choose to contour my face, I have yet to attempt to master that technique. However, when applying I choose a big, fluffy brush. I find this works the better than a big, dense brush because it lightly dispenses the product evenly over the skin (don't forget your neck!). Another thing that I often use this bronzer for is as a crease colour. I take a fluffy crease brush and run the colour through the crease, it adds more definition to your eyes and looks extremely natural.

Before

After 

After

Before

Another thing that I often use this bronzer for is as a crease colour. I take a fluffy crease brush and run the colour through the crease, it adds more definition to your eyes and looks extremely natural. This bronzer is also long wearing on both the eyes and the face!

Before ( Eyes: Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded )

Pro's:

- Light pigmentation (it's a good thing!)
- Easy to build up
- A+ for packaging
- Natural colour
- Used  for contouring and bronzing
- Not powdery, no fall out
- Smooth and easy to apply
- Can be used as eyeshadow



Con's:

- Very expensive
- Can grab to dry skin

After (Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait)

Having a bronzed glow is always nice sometimes, unfortunately to do it the safe way does require more $$$ than the sun does- but investing in healthy skin is something you'll never regret! Admitidly I doubt that I'll repurchase this bronzer (even though I highly recommend it!) solely due to the price, it's a little more than I'm willing to spend. As much as I'd love to repurchase, for next time I'll be searching the drugstores for my next 'tan in a pan.'

-Madi

My Travel Diaries: The Big Island (Kona & Hilo) '13

Recently my family and I took another holiday visiting our all-time favourite spot: The Big Island. Its the biggest of all the Hawaiian Islands- but the least populated. It is definitely a less touristy and more rugged island that hasn't been commercialized. If you've been thinking about visiting the Big Island-hopefully some of my many photographs will convince you to experience the beauty of this island for yourself.  Lets go! 

In the Kona area, Mana Lani at the Farimont Orchid

Honu (Green Sea Turtle) are found all over the island! 

For all you cat lovers, the Big Island is full of wild, and mostly friendly cats like our little friend. 

Only in Hawaii! The best fruit to buy is from these little stands- it's local and fresh and very tasty! 

Did I mention that Honu are very friendly? 

We got the opportunity to take a tour of the sea horse

farms, through all the stages of their lives. 

We left Kona, and headed over to the other side of the island, Hilo. It's like going from desert to rainforest (literally!)

These frogs may be cute, but they are loud... 

If staying anywhere near Hilo: bring ear plugs! 

We had a fun day touring the volcano, looking at the crater...

...feeling the steam vents (hot hot hot!)

...and exploring the Lava Tubes.

We took a 4 hour hike total over 'Pahoehoe' or the smooth lava fields to see the lava flow.

In total on this trip we did 6 scuba dives exploring the

amazing ocean and discovering many creatures.

Your eyes are not deceiving you! Yes, sharks live near the coast of Hawaii, but these White Tip Reef Sharks are completely harmless and rather seemed to enjoy having us hang around and observe them. Have no fear!

Seeing these bad boys live was just like it was out of a movie, definitely a highlight!

That concludes our two week adventure on the beautiful Big Island. This is a place we have been fortunate enough to visit many times, and hopefully will continue to! Mahalo!

- Madi