My BITE Lip Lab Experience

Hey everyone!

Last week I had the pleasure of getting to go to the BITE Lip Lab and make my own lipstick! Yup, that’s right. MAKE my own lipstick. It was such a unique experience that I thought I would share it with all of ya!

I had wanted to go to the Lip Lab after seeing some of my friends had gone about 2 years ago. It was in the back of my mind, and after trying to figure out what to do for my birthday this year, this came to the full front. In addition to Toronto, the BITE Lip Lab is also offered in New York City and San Francisco. From the BITE brand, the Lip Lab offers a couple of options when constructing your lippies. You can make a single lipstick, two lipsticks, or a lip kit which includes two lipsticks, a mini agave lip mask, lip primer, and lip scrub. I went with the two lipsticks. 

When we arrived, in the very bright and open shop, we hung up our coats and made our way to the bar stools. I did a walk-in in the middle of the day on a Wednesday, but if you’re going to be going on a weekend, or around a special date, it’s heavily encouraged to book an appointment. This can be done online or over the phone. Before we started, our lip artist, Austen, offered my mom and I mini Nutella donuts and wine. I was already sold and could go home right after that. But we proceeded.

I was asked what colours I’d like to go with, and I went with an every day neutral lip and a bright red (you all know I’m a sucker for the reds). Austen then got to work mixing colours based on my preferences, and then when finished gave me little lip brushes to test out the colours, seeing which ones would look best on me. What was particularly unique about this was that you got to choose everything right down to the formula. You could decide if you wanted a matte or shimmery finish, if you wanted more red or blue tones added, and (this is my favourite part) the scent you wanted.

Once I finally settled on my two colours, I was asked what scent I was interested in applying to them. There were several options including coconut, cherry, mint, lime, and vanilla. You could also mix scents to put a twist on them. Keeping it classic and simple, I went with vanilla for the every day and cherry for the red. After that, the formula was mixed into its wax where it sat in a metal container that would not only give it the lipstick shape, but cool it down so that it could fit into the lipstick’s packaging. 

There middle colour was the original red I made, but felt it was too dark. The one to the right was the winner!

The overall ambiance was super inviting. The cool brick interior, and having everything be very minimal was super relaxed. 

After the lipsticks finished cooling, they were then added to their containers, and I had the option to name them, but the pressure was too real, so I passed. To be honest, I’m still wondering what I’d name them. Suggestions? 

They were then added to a neat little package and wrapped up in lipstick tissue paper. I was also handed cards with all of the details on it, so if I ran out of the lipsticks, they could be re-made again. 

Overall this was probably one of the coolest and most unique things I’ve ever done in the city, as well as in general. I’m a massive makeup buff, and walking away with two lipsticks that are unique to only me, made for a super special experience. I could not recommend this enough to anyone who is interested in makeup and beauty, but also if you just feel like treating yourself to something that is so uniquely made for you. This experience is perfect for birthdays, a night out with some friends, or, as I mentioned, just an overall treat yo self! 

Have you done the Lip Lab? What colours would you pick? Got any suggestions of names for mine? Leave a comment! 

Recent Beauty Favourites!

Hi everyone!

Today on the blog, after a poll conducted on my Twitter, I'm sharing my recent beauty favourites. Now, although these are nothing new, these are new-ish products for me that I've been just loving. Here we go!

e.l.f. Cosmetics Waterproof Eyeliner Pen
Buy here!

I found myself in a desperate need of a new liquid eyeliner after I was struggling with the Sephora brand one, and while the design of the eyeliner was nice, and it applied flawlessly, I found as soon as a bit of water or a slight tear may be approaching, it was a mess. And I mean, big ol' racoon eyes on my face. Not to mention whenever I washed it off, it was just so much black eyeliner on my face. It wasn't pretty. So in an effort to branch out without breaking bank, I decided to try my hands at e.l.f.

I had bought one of e.l.f.'s brushes when I went to Buffalo last spring, so I figured I'd try their actual products. I went in with a complete blind eye, but for $2.75, I figured I couldn't go too wrong. And I didn't. The biggest test was to see if it would last through the upcoming Green Day concert I was going to, and after applying my most punk winged liner, I'm happy to say that it stayed on flawlessly. Although the one I have claims to be waterproof, it doesn't provide much stability in that sense, which is actually okay for me, because removing waterproof eyeliner is a mess.

Lush's Sea Spray
Buy here! 

I stumbled upon this spray after I went into Lush and asked the associate for something that would give my hair a lot of volume. And this little bottle packs a big punch. After a few sprits and a tousle here and there, my hair now sees volume and waves like it never has before. My absolute favourite thing about this spray is that it smells just like the beach.  

Maybelline New York's Great Lash Mascara
Buy here!

I decided that maybe I should add this iconic staple to my beauty routine after I decided to break off ties with my previous mascara. My favourite thing about Great Lash, is it has such a beautiful application, it doesn't clump, and it provides the right amount of length to my lashes. So many wins.

Maybelline New York's FIT Me! Foundation
Buy here!

After i got my (knock-off) beauty blender, I decided it was time I invested in a proper foundation. I had been using Rimmel London's Lasting Finish, but I think I had accidentally bought the wrong shade and the actual application wasn't doing it for me. So after a quick drugstore cruise, I stumbled upon Maybelline's FIT Me! foundation. Not only is the application really easy, but it also offers a matte finish (which I'm a big fan of) and it diminishes the look of pores (which I'm a really big fan of). I also bought it in the proper shade. An extra bonus. ;) 

Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in the shade 'Paaarty'
Buy here!

I talked briefly about this blush when I did my winter favourites video about a month ago. I got this blush as part of Sephora's birthday package, along with a mini liquid lipstick.

After a few times using it, I'm happy to say that this is probably my favourite neutral blush. It's not too bright, not too bold, but it's just subtle enough to provide the right amount of colour to your cheeks without looking like a clown. 

Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
Buy here!

After my old setting spray had kicked the bucket, I figured it was time to step up my game with something new. I heard a lot of great things about this setting spray, so I was ready to see what the hype was about. I decided on buying the smaller size because I didn't want to buy a larger size in case I didn't like it. Now, I'm currently regretting that because I'm in LOVE. Not only does your makeup last the whole day, but the spray has an amazing lemon-y scent that helps to kind of wake up your face. I'll definitely be buying the larger size when this one's done. 

First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream
Buy here!

When winter strikes, it's as if the skin gods come together and decide how to make my skin as flakey and gross as possible. I was in a desperate need of some sort of moisturizer to end this madness, so after a few suggestions from my friends, I ventured out to try FAB's Ultra Repair Cream. It claims on the bottle that it provides intense hydration for parched skin. After the first couple of times applying it, I didn't notice much of a difference, but after a few weeks, the results showed. I no longer felt my foundation was looking cakey and crusty, and my skin didn't feel super tight. My skin felt relaxed, and my makeup application went on much smoother. Now that summer is approaching, I still plan to use it just to give my skin some extra lovin'. 

That's it for my current beauty favs! Let me know in the comments below what you've been loving (or hating!) 

Talk soon!

Jessica

Favourite Products of 2015!

Hello everyone, and welcome to 2016! 

Before we jump into any and all exciting things for the new year, I wanted to do one last little throwback to 2015 and that has to be for my most used makeup products. 

In 2015 I tried out a bunch of different products that I absolutely loved and will certainly be repeating again in 2016. Here we go!

1. NARS lip pencil in Cruella and Rikugien

Sephora outdid themselves in 2015 with their birthday beauty rewards. I've usually enjoyed their past ones, but I was super excited to see two of my favourite things; "Nars" and "red lipstick". These little guys packed quite the colourful punch and makes for a great lasting wear. Cruella is a dark red with a matte finish and applies with ease to the lips. Rikugien is a more soft pink and is great for days when you want to add a little colour to your face that looks more natural. I was really excited by how they applied, so much so that I wanted Cruella in a full pencil, which leads me to my next favourite....

2. NARS lip pencil in Red Square

This grab was by accident. While shopping for lip pencils, I didn't have my sample with me and I grabbed the red one that looked the closes to Cruella. Truthfully, I didn't even remember the name, so I was just grabbing red lip pencils and I ended up with Red Square. When I got home and realized it was the wrong one, I was disappointed, but thought I'd try it anyway. It turns out that this was the best red lip pencil for the summer I could ask for. The colour has a tint of orange in it which makes for great wear in the summer months as it is still red, but not too much of a dark shade that is meant for fall and winter months. So shout out to my accidental grabs! 

3. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

In mid-transaction at one of my several Sephora purchases, my sales associate asked if I wanted free samples, which of course I said yes to (because DUH FREE SAMPLES!) When I got home, there were the usual perfume samples, but I also happened to notice these little packaged samples of a face wash from Fresh. I was familiar with Fresh as I'm a big fan of their lip balm that's also a great healing aid for chapped lips. I didn't think much about them and figured I'd save them for later. When I ran out of my usual face wipes, I decided to give the cleanser a try. Not only is it great for cleaning and cleansing your face with its natural soy ingredients, but it works wonders as a makeup remover (including removing mascara!) Since then it's all I've been using. The product is available in a  1.7oz and 5.1oz bottle.

4. LUSH lip scrub in Popcorn

I fell in love with LUSH recently after buying a few of their bath bombs and bubble bars. I had heard good things about their lip scrub, and having then suffered a bad lip infection, decided to give it a shot. It's a weird application process as it's just a bunch of, what feels like wet sugar, in a container. Most tends to flake off when applied, but any extra can be eaten, which is great for someone (namely me) who likes to lick their lips all the time. It makes your lips feel super soft after too! It comes in two other flavours, bubble gum and mint julips. 

5. No Bleeding Lips lip liner

When I started to wear more red lipsticks, I found it troublesome to avoid any bleeding. I'm not the biggest fan on finding lipliners for every one of my lipsticks, so I decided to try to find an alternative. For a while I was using concealer, but it made the outside of my lips look a little chalky. It was then that I was recommended to try No Bleeding Lips. It's a clear lipliner that can be interchanged with any lipstick. Talk about efficient! The product comes with instructions if you're not familiar with lipliner application and is a smooth glide all over. Easily one of my favourites and most recommended!

6. Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick in Heavenly (082)

I grabbed this little gem at a makeup outlet in my hometown, but it can be bought at any Shoppers Drug Mart. I've used purples before, but this one was much more brighter and made a new pop of colour added to my face. It applies on very smoothly and you don't need to apply lip balm before hand because of its built in moisturizer. 

7. Covergirl Lashblast Volume mascara

I had been familiar with Covergirl mascara before but had stepped away from it for a while to try my hand at the ones from MAC. Although pretty good, I found myself drawn back to Covergirl as not only is it well within my price range, but it's always been my favourite in terms of offering volume and lengthy lashes, and this one does just that. 

Honorable Mentions!
The honourable mentions go out to the products I got at the end of the year/for Christmas and that have had little use out of them, but enough to include them into my favourites. 

1. Urban Decay Smokey palette

I had been drooling over this palette ever since it was announced. Every single colour sparkled and spoke to me and I would walk past any makeup department that sold it looking like a kid in a candy store (a lot of people can vouch for this, unfortunately). So when it showed up underneath the Christmas tree that fateful morning I couldn't help but ooh and ahh over it. From what I've used so far the application is effortless and the colours are just stunning. I can't wait to get more use out of this in the new year! 

2. L'Oreal LA palette in Nude 1 and Nude 2

LA Palette Nude 1

LA Palette Nude 2

I found this palette by accident while going through a magazine. I really liked some of the colours as the first one reminds me of the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. The other one offers a few more purples but is still a nice soft mix. So far both have been a really nice colour selection and I can't wait to try these out too!

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What were some of your favourite products of 2015? Excited for any in 2016? Let me know!