April Favourites

GUESS WHAT? It's May.. Crazy right?! The year is flying by, we're finally into spring! That means April Favourites!

BEAUTY

• SEPHORA COLLECTION FIBER MASKS: There is something so fun about putting a fibre mask on and taking selfies. But these always make my face feel luxurious and are a fun treat. Not too sure how much of an impact they actually make on my skin, but the serum always feels nice and leaves my skin super hydrated. 
• JOSIE MARAN LIP AND CHEEK OIL: My lips have been very dry from the disgusting Canadian winter season, so I needed something very moisturizing but with a bit of colour as I'm not a fan of bare lips, and this definitely does the trick. 
• TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA: I tried this awhile back and hated it, but found a sample recently and decided to try it again and I'm so glad I did! Paired with my next favourite it's a dream team for unstoppable lashes.
• DIOR DIORSHOW LASH MAXIMIZER: This product is amazing, it takes any mascara the extra mile! I redeemed 100 points for a deluxe sample of it from Sephora (bless the samples for introducing me to new products) and will definitely be purchasing!

FASHION

• H&M LACE SHIRT: Basically I just bought a new top and have been wearing it like crazy. Since it's lace I normally wear it with a cream coloured Gilly Hicks/Hollister bandeau underneath and love the combination. So versatile too - with skirts, pants, anything my little heart desires! It's so quick and easy and effortlessly chic which I love!
• CONVERSE: This time of year I always fall in love with my converse again. My all time favourite are the white baruth style (constantly seen on the flawless Eleanor Calder) which I wear with anything from pants to skirts. I also love my all black low tops. Definitely need more colours!
• WARBY PARKER GLASSES: I finally went to the optometrist, and much to my shock was told one of my eyes improved! Happy days! So I decided to get some new glasses. I found out about Warby Parker from a lovely man called Brian Magida who works in Marketing for WP. He contacted me awhile back to do a feature on a new collection from the company, and I fell in love with the company. I've just received the glasses about 2 weeks ago and I love them! The quality and design is amazing. I'd definitely recommend checking the company out!

FOOD/DRINK

• CRUNCHWRAP SUPREME: Basically.. Taco Bell is my boyfriend. I'm obsessed. A bit back I posted my recipe for my homemade Crunchwrap Supreme annnnd I'm still loving it. It's expensive both financially and from a calorie standpoint to consume Taco Bell as much as I'd like, so I played around and made my own bundles of deliciousness at home! Again, TRY IT :~)
• WATER: How lame is that? LOL. I don't know.. lately I can't get enough water. It's all I want to drink, it's more refreshing and delicious than usual. It's just so satisfying. You can tell my health and diet is drastically improved when water is in my favourites.. #sad
• QUEST PROTEIN BARS: These are so good! By far the best protein bars I have ever had! My only wish is that they were more accessible in Canada, but in the meantime I order them online from the Quest website. The prices are almost double on amazon, so I'm so pleased Quest at least ships their protein bars to Canada. In the future I'm going to do a full post on more health & fitness related things like that, so I'll share my favourite flavours then!
• FONTAINE SANTE HUMMUS: I recently got a package of 2 large tubs of this brand of hummus from Costco and I've been obsessed! One of the best hummus' I've tried, especially when you factor in the price. I love pairing it was Stacy's Naked Pita Chips.

MUSIC

• WORK SONG by HOZIER: The entire album is amazing, but this song is probably my favourite. The album sounds amazing on vinyl and I always find myself repeating this song. The lyrics, the music.. just amazing. He is so, so talented. If you've yet to experience Hozier, listen away!!
• WHERE ARE U NOW by JACK U ft JUSTIN BIEBER: If you haven't heard, 'Jack U' is the lovechild of Skrillex and Diplo. Together they've created an album and Jack U is the result. While this type of music isn't really what I'm into, something about this song pumps me up! So fun to dance around and let loose to.
• FLORENCE + THE MACHINE: I used to listen to F+TM years ago. Not a clue why I stopped. I don't know what made me randomly start listening again but I'm happy to be listening again!

TECH

• Wii ZUMBA: Basically I needed a new, fun workout. I heard from a friend how great this was so I decided to try it out and it's SUCH a blast, you almost forget it's a workout!
• SPOTIFY PREMIUM: I've had spotify for several years ever since being in the UK, but back in North America it had no popularity, so when I came back here I gave up on it. But about a year or so ago it began gaining more popularity, so in the summer I switched over to a North American account any got back in business! However it wasn't until just over a month ago I made the wonderful decision of going to premium. In my opinion, definitely worth it. 
• MARBLE MACBOOK SHELL: I always buy MacBook shells from amazon, normally in solid colours. Previously I've had pink and black mainly. I was searching for a white one when this gorgeous marble one came up and I'm obsessed! It looks so chic and different from anything I've seen, I'm in love!
• GOLD CHEVRON JCREW PHONE CASE: I absolutely adore JCrew's phone cases. They're so cute, such great quality and feel so comfortable! This month I finally picked one up for my 6 after months of looking and I'm obsessed. My phone feels so different in the best way, not to mention it looks even cuter!

I've noticed there are quite a few exclamation points in this post.. Guess I'm pretty pumped! Hope you enjoyed, be sure to leave me a comment with some of your favourites!

xLB

Haul || H&M, MAC, Drugstore..

I recently picked up a few odds and ends on a little mall trip and thought I'd show you all :)

Shoppers Drug Mart

❤ 2 x Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara - my all-time and only favourite drugstore mascara, and it was on sale ;) so I stocked up, obviously

❤ Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 17 - again, it was on sale, and I'm on a quest for work friendly neutrals that won't wash me out. This one is a pink-nude.

H&M

❤ Mirrored Phone Case - this case is so cute! ..however it tarnished two days after having it on. VERY disappointing. I love how it was mirrored.. I'm not that vain, am I?

❤ Earrings - they were on sale for 3$.. I couldn't refuse, easy as that

❤ Change Purse - with getting lots of change in tips from work I really needed a coin purse for my change, this one is super cute and so soft, I'm in love

❤ Purple Cross Body Bag - another sale item, 15$! I love the colour of this bag as well as the size and amount it holds. I find myself reaching for this bag almost everyday

❤ Silver Statement Necklace - I was lusting over a similar one at one of my other jobs which was three times the price, so when I saw this on sale you bet your bottom dollar I snatched it up!

❤ Patterned Shorts - H&M always has the cutest shorts; majority of them being in the 15$ price range. When I saw these I loved how they could easily be dressed up or down. Hoping to have a styling feature on these babies in the future!

❤ Loose Basic Tanks - I got this shirt in three colours; the striped, black and white. Great basics and wonderful for layering, and at 5$ you can't go wrong! They're so lightweight and breezy. Loved them on my trip to Boston!

And from MAC I picked up three lipsticks:

BRICK-O-LA: an orangey/pinkey/browny red.. if that makes sense. It looks different on everyone, I swear! A girl I work with said it looked brownish red on her, but on me it has orangey tones sometimes, and pink tones others? I don't even know.. either way, I'm in love with it. I love it as an understated, less bold, everyday type red!

REBEL: I've previously owned (and loved this one) but then lost it ages ago on a night out.. I finally repurchased because I missed it THAT much! It's a gorgeous pink/purple and it looks so different and beautiful on every skin tone!

SYRUP: I've heard rave reviews about this one, one of those 'your lips but better' colours which I really need more of for work. This lipstick has now become a staple for me, and I find myself reaching for it most work days.

Brick-O-La - Syrup - Rebel

xLB

Naked3 - Swatches & Review

Hello hello! I am thrilled to be sharing this post with you all - the much anticipated Naked3. Follow up to the coveted Naked and Naked2. The Naked3 features rose toned hues perfect for everyday neutrals, to more bold looks.

So far I'm loving this palette, however the Naked2 is still my favourite of them all. The colours are all very wearable, but a lot of the ones I'd reach for in the Naked3 aren't super pigmented, and you have to build them up quite a bit. The colours on the 2nd half of the palette are very similar to the ones in the Naked2 palette, with a bit of a twist to them. I really do like this palette however, and it will be a new staple to my collection!

L-R: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

Swatches L-R: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart (from black line to black line, as some are sheer)

Look for it in stores 12/16!

xLB

September Favourites

Hey all, so as you may or may not know, about a year ago my blog/youtube/gmail etc were all hacked and deleted so I've been trying to start from scratch. I've been at the blog for awhile, but I've only just started to put more focus into my youtube. That being said, I have a new youtube video up and it would mean the world to me if you checked it out :) bonus points if you give it a thumbs, a comment and give the subscribe button a cheeky little click ;)

thanksssss x




♡ I'M WEARING ♡
Top - VS Pink
Scarf - EXPRESS
Lips - Rimmel Kate Moss 107

♡ FIND ME ♡
twitter: @lbechkos17
instagram: @lbechkos17
keek/vine/snapchat: @lbechkos17
blog: glalamorous.blogspot.com
tumblr: corazon--gitano.tumblr.com / glalamorous.tumblr.com

♡ PRODUCTS MENTIONED ♡
BEAUTY
Nars - The Multiple, in Orgasm
Nars - Nail Polish in Adelita
Maybelline - Neon Baby Lips in Oh Orange & Pink Shock
Jesse's Girl - Liquid Eyeliner Pen
YSL - Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
Ren - Clear Calm 3 Replenishing Night Serum for Blemish Prone Skin
Revlon - Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon
Tangle Teaser
FASHION
Brandy Melville - Moselle Sweater
Steve Madden - Troopa Boots
Topshop - Cat Socks
Tie Dye shirt
FOOD
Cashews
Quaker - Harvest Crunch Quinoa Granola Bar in Chocolate Nut Medley
Nestle - "Scaries" Smarties candy
Starbucks Fall Drinks - Pumpkin Spice Latte, Salted Caramel anything..
Starbucks - Reusable cup
Purple Halloween Fairy Lights
NEST - Elton John White Peach Mango candle
Bath & Body Works - Sea to Santorini candle
TECHNOLOGY
iOS 7
Winners - Cat phone case
New Girl
Tumblr (rediscovered)
MUSIC
Stay the Night - Zedd ft. Hayley Williams (of Paramore)*
Hold On (cover) - Pia Mia*
I Wish - Cher Lloyd ft. TI*
ALBUM
Pure Heroine - Lorde*

* I do not own any of he music listed above. All rights to the artists and their respected labels :)

Ipsy Bag -- May 2013

Ipsy is wonderful with shipping, before I even had received my tracking information my bag was in my hands being played with! I have to say this is quite possibly my favourite Ipsy bag to date - the products were amazing and the chevron bag was too cute!

This month's theme was 'Spring Fling' - adorable!

This months contents: 

1. Yaby Concealer - I quite liked the formula of this concealer, it goes on smooth and has great coverage, but the colour I received was a bit too orange toned for me to wear to conceal blemishes, but it works great for under eyes I've found! Ps, I have the shade 'honey'!
2. Zoya Nail Polish - Zoya is a great brand for nail polish, great range, great prices, great staying power. I love when Ipsy includes it, but unfortunately this shade makes me hands look a little sickly.. So I graciously passed this one along to my sister who loves all of my beauty rejects :~) I love that the brand is vegan and 5free, and also while being a pastel shade it goes on very opaque which is rare! Love Zoya. Shade is Blue.
3. Nume Finishing Serum - Immediately after receiving my bag I decided to pair this serum with my trusty Josie Maran Argan Oil (received initially from a prior Ipsy bag, ps!) and WOW, the results were amazing! My hair was so soft and shiny, I've never received so many compliments on my hair! Not sure if its just due to the two of them together, but I'll definitely have to try it solo to see if I get the same results. So far, in love! Very lightweight and non-greasy, and effective. 
4. Mirabella Colour Sheers Lipstick - I haven't gotten too much wear out of the lipstick yet as I've really just been working a lot and haven't had the chance yet to swap out work-friendly lipsticks . but that doesn't mean I love it any less! The colour appears exactly as it says - sheer. Which I quite like. The formula is very light and balm like, with a bit of gloss to it. I received the darkest colour, Posy, so I'm not sure how the lighter colours work out but I love the effect this one has. Colour appears almost like a 'your lips but better' shade as the lipstick is a sheer. So far, love! I couldn't help but notice online that they offer a shade called Peony.. *grabs credit card*
5. Pacifica Roll-On Perfume - I wish I had gotten the other scent, Tahitian Gardenia, instead of Island Vanilla as I'm not a fan of the scent of vanilla for perfumes (I'm a floral kinda girl) but I do love the Pacifica brand and if I did like vanilla I'd love this perfume. The scent has great staying power and rolls on with ease. 
6. BONUS: Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow - I also received a bonus for being me (if you're an active member of the Ipsy community they'll occassionally throw in a little somethin' somethin' extra as a thank you) so I was quite pleased! While I'm not much a fun of anything cool toned this is still a gorgeous shadow that I'll definitely use for inner corners or a dramatic look, or accents.. I'll figure it out! I would have preferred one of the more bronze-y shades, but I received Moonspoon and feel like I will like it once I find more a use for it since it's not an everyday shadow for my complexion. Very happy to have received this however!

And a little price breakdown:

1. Yaby Concealer - retails 5.23$ (5.23$)
2. Zoya Nail Polish - retails 8$ (8$)
3. Nume Finishing Serum - retails 29$ (5$)
4. Mirabella Colour Sheer Lipstick - retails 22$ (22$) 
5. Pacifica Roll-On Perfume - retails 12$ (12$)
6. Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow - retails 20$ (20$)

Bringing the grand total to 53.23$ + 20$ bonus = 72.23$/10$ as always, a great value :~)

xLB

Exam Look

Hello friends! As I'm sitting here munching on birthday cake flavoured oreo's (sooo good, you have to try them!) and doing revision for exams, I figured I'd take a quick little break and post a little post! 

In the midst of all the craziness that is finals, beauty gets put on the back burner. My rationalization is that I'm only going to be out in public for 3 hours max then I'll be back in my room like a hermit. Nevertheless I still feel the need to put a little effort into my appearance and not look as if I've just come off the streets. That being said, I present to you my go-to look!

❤ Topknot with leopard print bow elastic band from Forever 21

❤ Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer

❤ Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes mascara

❤ Nars blush in Super Orgasm

❤ Whatever lipbalm I can get my hands on..

xLB

Ipsy Bag -- April 2013

I've said it once, and I'll say it again - the best day brightener is always a bright pink Ipsy package in the post! That being said.. today my April Ipsy package arrived, hurray!

This months theme is 'Pretty in Pink' - first impression, I LOVED the bag! So simple, so cute!

This months contents:

1. Be A Bombshell Blush in Sweet Cheeks - this blush swatched so nicely, it's such a great velvety texture. It seems like a great quality blush, buuuut the colour just didn't suit me too well. Its a fairly bright pink with blue and silver undertones which are a no-no for me. I have olive toned skin with yellow undertones, so gold is my thing. 
2. MicaBeauty Mineral Eyeshadow in Earth - this was one of the either/or products for this month and let me tell you I was so pleased to have gotten this one! The other option was an eyeshadow duo by Two Cosmetics which I probably would never touch.. so I'm happy! It's a gorgeous shimmery barely there pink shade, and the texture is really lovely!
3. BigSexyHair Powder Play - I've yet to try this but I've heard wonderful things, and love the brand so I'm so excited to have gotten this one! The other option was a soy renewal which is equally fab, but I'm more excited to try this baby out!
4. Sation Nail Lacquer in Of Corset I'll Call You - I was hoping for the other colour since I literally just purchased a new pastel pink polish, so I'll likely be giving this to my sister (she gets all my makeup rejects) but the colour is super pretty!

A quick swatch of the blush - super pretty and velvety, but not for my skin tone :( 

And the Mineral Eyeshadow - a barely there shimmery pink!

And a little price breakdown:

1. Be A Bombshell Blush in Sweet Cheeks - retails 16$ (16$)
2. MicaBeauty Mineral Eyeshadow in Earth - retails 14.95$ for 2.5 gm, sample was 2gm (11.96$)
3. BigSexyHair Powder Play - retails at 15.95$ for 0.53 ounces, sample was 0.07 ounces (2.20$)
4. Sation Nail Lacquer in Of Corset I'll Call You - retails 5$ (5$)

Giving an overall 35.16$/10$ so a great value indeed, as always :~)

xLB

Mini Haul: Tea, Sephora & Topshop

Hello hello hello! I hope you're all doing well :) sorry I've been quite absent, again, it's just so hard with school finishing up to find time for all the little things; reading, blogging, shopping.. etc. But I managed to make an exception and go shopping with my best friends at one of the most lavish malls our country has to offer. Mind you, I was only able to lust after the gorgeous Louis V, Mulberry and Prada bags and made some very typical purchases instead. With that, here is a little bit of what I got :)

The loot! From David's Tea, Sephora and Topshop

Tea! As you may or may not know, I am an avid tea drinker! I normally go for really fruity types of tea (greens and whites are my favourites) but since I don't have a david's tea in close proximity to me, I like to grab the ones that are more exclusive to David's than the ones I can find a Teavana, etc. So I got Birthday Cake and Red Velvet Cake :~)

Nars Blush in Super Orgasm: I have the full size in Orgasm and I love it to pieces, so I'm excited to try this peachier version of the cult classic, perfect for summer! 

Philosophy's Purity Cleanser: this is one of my all time favourite cleansers, I can always just feel the grossness just melting off when I wash my face. And I love the texture and scent of it as well. Always a constant repurchase for me.

Tarte's Amazonian Clay Double Detox Mask; I was given a sample of this mask and I'm so excited to try it! As you probably know, I looooove my face masks! 

Nails Inc. Feathers polish in York; It's not a trip to Sephora without buying a nail polish.. I've been dying to try this out, so I'm super excited! Full review after I've had it on long enough! Love this colour though, again, super excited!

Sephora Creamy Body Wash in Peony; It came in peony.. enough said. 

Topshop lipstick in Charmed; Somehow managed to come out of Topshop with only a lipstick.. it wasn't a very satisfying visit.. however I'm dying for some spring colours so I'm excited for this coral-y orange!

School will be finished for me in 2 weeks, then back to me going into crazy blogger mode, and you all getting sick of me ;~) thanks for bearing with me! Soon!

xLB

Ipsy Bag - March 2013

Before I even knew it, or got my tracking code, my Ipsy bag was delivered! It's always super exciting to come home to that bright pink package in the post :) Unfortunately, I was not a fan at all of this Ipsy bag.

My first impression was obviously the bag - I thought it was cute, but not my style nor anything I'd ever use. Then I felt the fabric of it - it feels super cheap. Not impressed. 

This months bag was called 'The Great Escape' - very nautical! 

The contents of this months bag..

1. GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette - This is one of those things that is cute, but I'd never actually buy. Basically it's a palette with a magnetic bottom to attach whatever shadow pans you'd like, so long as they have magnetic bottoms. Definitely not something I'll be using. Mainly because nothing is ever going to fit perfectly in it, which will definitely make my OCD flare up! 
2. Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist - This for me was the star of the bag. This is the kind of stuff I love getting from Ipsy. I stick to a lot of the same makeup, so for me it's super cool trying more stuff like this. I'm not sure yet if this is something I'd repurchase but so far I'm really liking it! I find it really freshens up my face if I use it in the morning, or at night after washing my face.
3. Yaby Eyeshadow Refill - The purpose of these shadows is to go into the GlamRX palette. However, I won't be using neither of them. I think Ipsy really needs to come up with some type of colour system, because no one is ever content with the colours they receive. The blue is something I will never wear, and the sand colour blends right into my skin! Probably something I'll end up giving to my little sister. 
4. LA Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover - I already have a makeup removal system and do not need to switch it up at all, so this is definitely something else I won't be using. Mind you, I'll keep them as they might be something I could use in the future. I found them to be very large, so when I used one I only used 1/4 of the wipe and ripped it into pieces. I've read lots of reviews from the other girls saying these stung their eyes, so I was very cautious.  

The eyeshadows swatched

Overall, I'm not sure if this bag got my worth, but I'll definitely still stay subscribed. Really not impressed with this bag however. But what can you do! You have your ups and your downs with these things. Looking forward to the April bag already! 

xLB

Mini drugstore haul!

Earlier this week I had to make a stop at my bank, and half an hour later I found myself walking out of the drugstore next door with a bag full of goodies and no recollection.. OOPS. This happens too often..

I actually needed this magazine for class, so this isn't TOO bad..

Love me some baby lips! So soft!

On the left/top is Coral Crush, and the right/bottom is Peach Kiss

I feel like everyone in the beauty community and their mum have raved about these bad boys, so I had to grab another colour! Revlon Lip Butter in 040 Red Velvet - swatched

And the colour on - couldn't resist a selfie ;~)

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in 04; I loooved this colour on the swatch..

..on my lips, not so much, quite scary upon initial application

But I really liked it once I blotted it down quite a lot, so this will definitely be high maintenance for me

And finally, Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara; The brush (R) compared to the original Great Lash mascara (L)

The brush is tiiiiiny, so cute! I liked it a lot for my bottom lashes and my harder to reach inner/outer top lashes, but I couldn't use this on the regular, I'm verrrrry particular about my eyelashes, keep that in mind. I like them very full and natural looking and I feel like this didn't really do that enough for me to repurchase, but I'll definitely use this one, and as always I'll repurchase the original Great Lash mascara - it's the drugstore mascara I swear by!

xLB