Cover Shoots & Bridal Showers!

This past Thursday I got an opportunity to work on a photoshoot with actor Byron Lawson. It was a cover shoot with Lusso Magazine which will be on stands at the end of September.

The team worked well together and everyone including Bryon were so friendly and sweet. I had a great time and am proud to say I now have my very first magazine shoot under my belt, let alone the cover! I cant wait to see it in print..

I also got the chance to work with a beautiful bride to be yesterday. I did her bridal shower makeup and she looked stunning.

Makeup: Farah Balolia - Faces By Farah
Bride: Mary N.

(Click to enlarge)

xoxo
Farah

Interesting Fact on the day...

Research shows that women who wear makeup to work are promoted 30% more often than women who don't, earn 20% more money and are treated better by bosses and co-workers.

The reason?

It gives the impression that you care about your job and how you're perceived; if you pay attention to detail on yourself, it's assumed you pay attention to other details as well! And research shows that when you look good, you feel more confident and that makes you a better employee!

- Taken from the August issue of Woman's World Magazine

xoxo
Farah

50% Off any GS Flat Iron or Blow Dryer @ Trade Secrets

Do you have an old curling iron or blow dryer laying around the house? Don't use it anymore and don't know what to do with it now?

From now through the end of August at Trade Secrets (in Ontario and Quebec only), you can bring a gently used styling tool (like a blow dryer, flat iron or curling iron) into any Trade Secrets location for donation and get 50% off any Flat Iron or Blow dryer from GS Professional. So your used styling implement will be donated to a woman's charity and you'll get 50% off a new on to boot!

Take advantage ladies!
I shall be heading there at some point this week to get a new addition to my hair kit!

xoxo
Farah

My first TV personality gig!

Last week I got a call about a hair and makeup gig for this past Sunday. After getting the details I accepted and came to find out the woman I would be doing hair and makeup for was Gillian McKeith.

She is a Scottish nutritionist, television presenter and writer. She previously hosted You Are What You Eat and Granada Television's Dr Gillian McKeith's Feel Fab Forever in the UK for several series. She writes a weekly column for Reveal magazine and is the author of a number of books about,including You Are What You Eat: The Plan That Will Change Your Life.

I arrived at her suite to be greeted by her oldest daughter. Once we got started she was quite sweet and friendly despite being rushed and feeling overwhelmed with how much she had going on.

I was told they were shooting a corporate video for Danone Yogurt that was to be sent to the UK which was not only interesting but a great credit to my resume.

It was a great experience and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity :)

Onwards & Upwards ;)

xoxo
Farah

50% OFF ALL Mascara's @ Rexall PharmaPlus

Ladies listen up!

Your mascara's lifespan is believe it or not 1-3 months so now is the time to stock up!

From August 22- August 28th Rexall Pharma Plus is having a huge sale on all mascara's.

50% OFF!! How can you possibly beat that?!

My picks for great everyday mascaras are:

CoverGirl LastBlast

Maybelline NY Great Lash



Maybelline NY Define-a-lash



Maybelline NY Volum' Express Washable OR waterproof Curved Brush

Other great deals happening @ Rexall during this sale are...

ANNABELLE Kohl Eye Or Lip Pencil 2 for $5.99cdn
SALLY HANSEN Hard As Nails, New Length Ceramics, Xtreme Polish or Kwik Off Removers $1.99 each
MAYBELLINE New York Colour Sensational Lipstick, Lipliner, Expert Wear Quad Eyeshadow or Liquid Liner 20% off
NEW YORK COLOR Lipsliders, Metro Quartet, City Duet Eyeshadow, Lipshine, Eyelashes or Eye or Lip Pencils $0.99 each
OLAY Skin Care 20% off

Stock up and enjoy ;)

xoxo
Farah

Marcelle Clay Mask with Kaolin Review

While I was in makeup school earlier this year we were putting on and taking off a full face of makeup maybe 2-3 times a day and it began to wear at my skin. I started breaking out randomly and getting dry patches from washing my face so many times a day.

I began using my Pro Active mask as a spot treatment in class and soon almost the entire class was covered in my mask as well... it started to run out and I needed a cheaper alternative so I found this clay mask at Shoppers Drug Mart for $9.99 cdn.

After testing it out I really liked it and so I thought Id share :)

Marcelle.com describes this product as your very own spa treatment… at home.

Filled with nature’s own healing and cleansing agents, our Clay Mask absorbs impurities and minimizes your skin’s oil production and reduces breakouts. Its creamy texture makes it a dream to use and once dry it is just as easy to remove. You’ll see clean, fresh, healthy glowing skin.

I dampened my face slightly then apply with fingertips. It goes on creamy and smooth and actually feels refreshing.

Cheese! Flattering pic I know! This is the mask when wet.

Once dry it tightens up and you WILL look like an old lady! It will be hard to smile or talk so make sure you have 10 minutes or so to yourself because your skin will end up looking like this...

This is how it looks when totally dry.

What I liked:

• Creamy texture
• Fragrance free
• Hypo-Allergenic
• Easy to apply
• Skin feels super soft after
• Can be used as a spot treatment as well
• Seems to make pores smaller
• A little goes a long way
• Gives you a bit of a glow after
• Deep cleans
• Easy to rinse off
• Wont dry skin
• Can provide a good laugh once dry and you look in the mirror :)

What I disliked:

• Can get SUPER tight so if you put it on really thick be aware of this

Conclusion: I highly recommend this mask for a once in a while deep clean or even a spot treatment. It helps dry out pimples but keeps skin hydrated. You will look silly and its really hard to move your face but really that's the only downside I could find to this product.
I found the Pro Active mask drying and so I think I will stick to my Marcelle Clay Mask :)

xoxo
Farah

Nixie Cosmetics What are your thoughts?

Ive heard a lot about Nixie Cosmetics and finally got a chance to take a look at their site Nixiecosmetics.com.

Ive heard people rave about their cream blushes especially..
Have you tried them?

Do you have any other Nixie products you like?

I'm really interested to know more about this brand and hearing your experiences with it.


xoxo Farah

What are your Favorite Nude Lipsticks?

Its no secret to anyone that knows me that I'm a HUGE fan of the nude lip look. I think its young, fresh and clean looking and I cant get enough of it!

Some of my favorite nude lipsticks are (as mentioned before) Joe Fresh Cream Lipstick in "Cinnamon"

and Mac Cosmetics Amplified Creme Lipstick in "Blankety".

I also LOVE my Sephora brand nude lip liner I believe its "Nude 114" and only costs $7.00 cdn!
I tend to wear just liner and clear gloss most of the time as I'm not a fan of the "feeling" of lipstick on me.

So share with me what your favorite nude lipstick is and why?

xoxo
Farah

White/Nude Eyeliner what is it good for?!

Love the wide eyed open look that eyeliner gives you, but don't want to wear dark black eyeliner 24/7?

Try white or nude coloured eyeliner instead.

A great way to wear eyeliner and still have the natural look is to line your top lid with a coloured or black liner and the bottom waterline with white or nude liner. By doing this it helps create the illusion of wider & bigger eyes. This will be barely noticeable and will give your eyes a bit of a pop.

Not only does a lighter liner make eyes appear larger it can also help you to look more awake and less tired!

For added eye brightening and highlighting, apply white eyeliner to the inner corner of your eye. Lining the top and bottom lid from the inner corner of your eye out until about a half a centimeter will add some real punch to your eyes without changing your look too much. Your eyes will look brighter and you'll seem more awake and ready to go.

Some of my favs are:
Stila eye kajal in "Topaz (apricot nude)" a great nude color
Mac Cosmetics in "Fascinating" a creamy white liner
Sephora Brand white eyeliner, a great buy at $7.00 cdn

NYC Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish Review

After 4 years of bio gel nails & having someone else do my nails I have finally decided to go Au Natural and have them removed. In doing so I now have the task of up keeping my nails myself SO since I like the look of neutral colors nails I picked up this NYC nail polish in Mulberry Street.

Its in between a champagne and ivory colour with a bit of a sheen.
This polish is labeled as a minute quick dry polish and I have to say it holds true to its claim. It dried really quick even when applied thick.

The websites description is: Quick drying formula with minerals! Features cutting edge shades with high impact shine. Infused with high levels of pigment for brilliant color & a touch of shimmer for dramatic depth and shine.

I picked it up at Pharma Plus I believe for around $1.99 + tax which is probably the best price you will ever pay for a polish!

What I liked:

• Great colour selection
• Cheap price
• Holds true to promise
• Quick drying
• 2 coats did the job
• Tiny size fits in my tiny purse for on the go application!

What I disliked:

• Chipped within a few days but this could have been my fault.

Conclusion: I really liked this polish! Bottom line is I would totally buy it again. For the price you can afford to try it out in every shade!

xoxo
Farah

I need help with my makeup studio! Help Me :)

Hey dolls,

Could you be so kinda as to vote for me in Ikea's room makeover giveaway.
I really need some help when it comes to this pathetic space.

VOTE HERE plz

Thanks so much

xoxo
Farah

False Lashes - best places to get em!

Just wanted to let all my Toronto readers that Pharma Plus has NYC false Lashes for only $2.99 cdn right now.

Also keep your eyes open at Sally's Beauty Supply as I got a buy 2 get 1 free deal on Ardell lashes the other day. They always have great sales and its really worth it to get the discount card its only $5.00 cdn and you really do end up saving.

If you are looking for a great online site to purchase your lashes may I suggest... I Heart Red Cherry. They have a wide selection of lashes for amazing prices (most being $1.29 us). However it may be cheaper for Canadians to ship to a friend in the US if you can as shipping costs can add up.

Have a wonderful weekend I'm off to soak up the sun we finally have at the cottage!

xoxo
Farah

CoverGirl Line Exact Liquid Eyeliner Review & Swatch

While browsing my local Pharma Plus store yesterday I spotted a CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara (one of my favs) with a Bonus item this CG Line Exact liquid eyeliner.

I was curious as my Joe Fresh pen liner is almost useless now and my superstore has been out for at least 5 months. I was in need of a replacement so I thought id grab this 2 in 1 combo pack.

It cost me $12.99 cdn which isn't so cheap but not bad since the mascara alone is sometimes $10 itself.

The liner comes in a really compact case and has a screw top lid that opens to reveal a normal liquid liner brush. The whole package is about the size of a Q-Tip which is awesome for travel or to throw in that tiny purse you use every now and then!

The colour comes out like most liquids super dark which I liked. It dries within seconds and when its dry it stays put.

Here is a swatch on my hand. I used almost no pressure (less than I would use on my eye) and it still came out pretty dark.

I found that I had to have a steady hand while applying this liner but to be honest that's with most if not all liquid liners. It doesn't even compare to the ease of my applying my Joe Fresh pen liner but it wasn't that hard, I just had to be patient.

I looked around the store to see how much these cost alone but they were no where to be found except in these "Bonus" packs. I suspect it was a trial run or something.

After doing some research on this liner today I saw that it got a lot of bad reviews all saying one thing. Apparently this liner dries out after only just a few uses! Some people even complained of it drying out after 1 use which is unacceptable in my books.

Since Ive only used this liner one time so far I cant vouch for this but I will be keeping a close eye on this. If it turns out to be true I will be very disappointed as this liner was the perfect size to take with me on my weekend getaways or travels.

What I liked:

• Its tiny size
• The darkness of the liquid
• It dries fast
• I prefer this felt tip to the flimsy brush on the MUFE liquid liner
• That it came as a bonus to a mascara I needed anyways

What I disliked:

• The time it took to get it right - Patience is key!
• The fact that I don't know how much it will cost me to repurchase if I wanted to
• The bad reviews make me question it

Conclusion:
Although its still early in the game and I've only used it once I am really on the fence as to if I'll ever repurchase this item. If it dries out on me, its a given I won't repurchase. If it doesn't I will consider buying again when and if I need another liquid liner and Joe Fresh still doesn't replenish its stock!!

xoxo
Farah

OCC Lip Tars Review & Swatches

I heard about Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics aka OCC a while ago. It seems everyone was raving about this line and especially about their now famous Lip Tars so of course I had to try them!

These lip tars are super pigmented and go on slick and moist, and dries down to a satin finish. It combines the longevity of a lipstick, with the ease of application of a gloss.
A little definitely goes a long way with these. Literally a drop the size of a pin head could cover your whole lips.

The website states that the tars are meant to be mixed. OCC Lip Tars come in concise range of colors (and black and white!) for a limitless selection of shades made by you!

OCC started off with 12 Lip Tar colours but have now expanded to a total of 20 awesome colours.

Here is a list of the colors I ordered as labeled in the pic below... (check website for the rest of the colours)

Since these are meant to be mixed think of all the color combination's you can create with just the 3 primary colours alone!

Here is how my Lip Tars arrived. In a cute little pouch, well 6 in the pouch and 2 out of them but wrapped very well for shipping. I placed my order online at http://www.occmakeup.com on July 29th & they arrived from the US on Aug 10th, so just over a week which isn't bad at all.

Here is a sample of Melange (A WEARABLE, WARM MIDTONE NEUTRAL) on me.

Most of the tars I got came with this doe foot tubes like this.

However RX came with this round head tube.

Either way I would suggest using a brush when applying these as the tars seem to be runny when flipped upside down.

Here are my swatches of the colours I received. Please don't mind the messiness like I said these tend to be runny at times.
(click to enlarge)

What I like:

• They are 100% Vegan and Cruelty-Free, and is also free of parabens and other harsh preservatives
• Ultra-saturated in color
• Easily mixable
• Not sticky
• Once dry they really are long lasting
• A little goes a very long long way!
• The lip colour possibilities are endless
• Can be used on other areas of the body
• The site offers a pro discount
• Fast shipping & great customer service

What I dislike:

• If you use too much it will cause bleeding around the mouth or wherever you use it
• Tubes can get really messy
• Some colours stain the skin (I still have color on my arm today from yesterdays swatches even after scrubbing)
• Can get pricey @ $12.50 USD + shipping a piece if you order a lot like I did.

Conclusion:
I'm actually really impressed with these little lip tars. I have read so many reviews on how a little went a long way but didn't really realize just how little you need until I tried them out. This tube should last me a very long time.

I love the fact that they are cruelty free and contain Hemp Oil, Peppermint Oil and Vitamin E to leave your lips feeling fabulous.

I'm not a fan of the tubes and how messy they can get but to solve this I may transfer a little bit of each colour into 5g sample jars for my kit as I feel this will make it a lot easier and cleaner in the long run.

I plan on getting a few more of the neutral shades in the future and think these are a great addition to any makeup artists/lovers kit or collection!

xoxo
Farah

Coastal Scents Gel Liners Review & Swatches

I got my first batch of gel liners from Coastal Scents a while ago and was so impressed I now have almost the whole collection.
I thought id share some swatches of all the colours I do have so you can see first hand what they look like before purchasing or just in case you were curious.

So here are the colours I have (Top to Bottom):
Turquoise
24K
Silk White
Truffle
Sexy Pink
Indigo Blue
Platinum
Sky Line
Peach Bellini
Grapevine
& True Black (not pictured)

Here are the swatches (Click to enlarge)

These are the 3 colors I don't have (yet!)

Deep Plum

Maroon

Envious

What I like:

• Comes in a great variety of colours
• Comparable to Mac's fluidline gel liners
• Glide on super easy
• A little goes a LONG way
• Once dry they don't budge
• Can be used as liners or as a base coat shadow
• Only cost $6.95 usd (+ shipping costs)
• Site takes paypal (big thing for me)

What I dislike:

• Some of the jars as you can see didnt come labeled with the colour which is annoying
• My White Silk was opened for the first time yesterday and it looked as though it had melted, was a little bit watery. I mixed it up and put it in the fridge for a bit and it fixed it but I think I got a bad batch as none of my other liners had melted.

Overall impressions:
I love these liners! At half the cost of Mac's Fluidline liners you can afford to play around with all these fab colors.
Remember a little goes a long way so these tiny jars should last you a VERY long time.

Check out CoastalScents.com for these fabulous liner!

xoxo
Farah

Fav Mac Blushes.. What's yours?

I'm looking to add some new blushes to my kit and although I carry different brands I'm really liking Mac blushes since you cant really go wrong & you can get them in refills so they fit nicely into my palette.

I just added Style which is a really great peach color and now I'm looking for some other great staples.

Mac Blushes I heart <3
In random order:
Peachykeen
Other Worldly
Coy Girl
Style
Trace Gold
Sunbasque

What are you favs?
Do you have a blush you cant live without?

Let's share :)

xoxo
Farah

Makeup Forever Waterproof Liquid Liner Review

My wonderful mother brought these liners home for me from her trip to Montreal. Although I probably wont use them in my kit as I prefer gel or pencil liners I did want to test out this "waterproof" claim Makeup For Ever makes.

I got #1 "Black" and #2 "Brown" which are the only 2 colors MUFE makes for this liquid liner.

I like the packaging and the bottle it comes in as its small compact and comparable in size to most other liquid liners.

Here I swatched them so you could see how the pigment is. Pretty awesome if you ask me. I'm not usually a fan of brown because I find it never really looks brown when you put it on but this one is a true rich brown.

The brush is not firm at all which made it hard to draw a straight line.

Pros:

• Great colour pigment
• Great size
• Once dry is VERY waterproof (washed my hands and even scrubed and it didnt budge!)
• Great for swimming, the beach or hot vacations & tears!
• Lasts all day
• Easy to remove with waterproof makeup remover

Cons:

• Pricey @ $22.00 + tax cdn each
• The brush is not firm & hard to use
• Only comes in 2 colors
• Does NOT dry instantly so you have to wait or it may smudge

Conclusion:
While I'm impressed by its long lasting staying power I don't think I would put these on my wishlist or purchase them myself again. I'm really not a fan of the brush and if I use this product again I will use my angle liner brush instead of the brush it comes with.

I give this product one thumb up and one thumb down!

Have you tried this product? What are your thoughts?

If anyone out there really loves this product and wants to do a swap with me I'm totally open to it. It has only been swatched on the back of my sanitized hand.

xoxo
Farah

FOTD w/Flase Lashes!

Had a girls night over the weekend and I decided to wear false lashes for the first time ever!
I am always suggesting my clients try them and I use them on brides and for shoots but I wanted to see first hand how it felt.

Here were the results....


Face:

• Gosh Cosmetics Foundation Primer
• MUFE Salmon colour corrector under eyes
  
• Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in #6 Honey mixed with a little ZeroPlus (dark) to add colour
• MUFE HD Powder
• Carol Baker Visage Brow Trio powder on brows
• MAC "Style" Powder Blush
• MAC "Coygirl" Powder Blush
• MAC "Sunbasque" Power Blush
• MAC "Soft & Gentle" Mineralized Skin Finish

Eyes:

• Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Sin
• Mac Cosmetics shadow in Shroom (all over lid)
• Mac Cosmetics shadow in Knight Devine (in crease & lower lash line)
• Mac Cosmetics shadow in Carbon (to darken crease)
• Mac Cosmetics shadow in Nylon (on brow bone and in tear duct)
• Annabelle smudgeproof pencil liner in black (waterlines)
• Covergirl Lashblast Mascara in very black
  
• Ardell Invisiband "Demi" Lashes

Lips:

• Sephora Lip liner pencil in "Cool Coral"
• NYC #401B lipstick
• Lorac lipgloss in Attrax

At some point the lashes lifted on the edges slightly but not enough to worry me. I really liked these lashes as they didn't look too over the top on me.

What do you all think?

xoxo
Farah

Project Meltdown Complete!

As promised here are the details of Project Meltdown!

How to melt your lipsticks

What you will need:

• Kleenex
• Lighter
• Rubbing Alcohol (optional)
• Plastic Pill Boxes
• Lipsticks for melting
• Microwave
• Small Spatula or toothpick

Step 1:

• The pill boxes I bought from the dollarama store came with the days of the week on each pill box and I didn't want any writing on it but if it doesn't bother you skip this step.
• Take a Kleenex or paper towel and soak it with 99% alcohol (50% would work I'm sure but will take more scrubbing)
• Place towel over words and put some elbow grease into it!
• Letters should simply rub off and you will be left with a plain pill box like the one below.
  

Step 2:

• Open your lipstick and twist it all the way up
• Grab a fresh Kleenex and gently try to pull the entire lipstick out of the tube
• Some lippies are stubborn and will break in your Kleenex like mine did not to worry
• Place the half that's in your Kleenex in one side of the pill box and grab your spatula or similar item like a toothpick
• Scrap the left over lipstick out of the tube and place it in the other side of the pill box next to the half you already extracted.
• If your lipstick comes out in full (like my second attempt) great!
  
• Break it in half carefully in your Kleenex and place the 2 halves beside each other in the pill box.
• It doesn't have to look pretty or neat as long as its not really spilling over the sides or on the outside of the box at all you're fine!
  

Step 3:

• You are ready for melting!
• Make a mental note of which color/brand you placed on which side as you will need to know this for the next step.
  
• Place pill box in your microwave for approx 15 seconds (700W microwave)
• Keep your eye on it and if after 15 seconds it isn't totally melted (see pic below) try another 5 -10 seconds
• It should be totally melted and in liquid form (don't over heat it)
• Clean off sides, so it looks neat (see left side of box)
• I generally like to remove mine from the microwave and place it in the fridge carefully for about 5 minutes so it cools down and sets
  

Step 4:

• After you remove your melted lipsticks from the fridge grab your lighter and the empty tubes.
• Hold the lipstick tube in one hand and light the flame under the label
• BE CAREFUL not to put the flame too close to the tube or you will melt not only the tube but the label which you need!
• The flame should NOT be touching the tube you just need the heat to loosen the glue on the label
• After a few seconds you should notice the label getting loose or a corner peeling away from the tube
• This is the point where you can put the lighter down and simply peel off the label with your hands
• As soon as you get the label loose life up the pill box carefully (do not flip it over unless totally hardened, simply lift it over your head to you can see the bottom)
• Stick the label to the corresponding side and press firmly.
• Alternatively if you don't want to use a lighter simply get round sticky labels and write the names and brands of your lipsticks on that and stick it on.

VOILA!
You have now successfully completed your project meltdown!!
Simply repeat for all your lipsticks and don't forget if you are depotting MAC lipsticks to save the tubes for the back to MAC program!

Hope this was pretty clear and helps you to save space for your kit or traveling ;)

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at facesbyfarah@gmail.com

xoxo
Farah