Sisters, Not Twins

A lot of women ask me what the difference is between our colour correcting tinted moisturizer (CCTM) and our MakeSense Foundations. Why would you want one over the other? I love both of these products and I utilize them in different ways. It all depends on what I’m doing that day and what kind of coverage I need. Some women love a natural look whereas some women prefer full coverage.

On an everyday basis, I love our CCTM. Not only does it moisturize your skin, it actually helps balance out the redness on your face (which I have a lot of) and feels absolutely weightless. On top of that, it helps decrease sun and age spots. It honestly feels like I’m wearing nothing at all, which I love for my more casual days, and I can apply this with my fingers. It’s so quick and easy to apply. Every day I work out in a warehouse managing shipping, so most of the time I don’t want to feel like I’m wearing makeup at all. I want to look polished, but still natural as I run around and organize paperwork with skids. Freckles still poke through, which I love some days. I’m embracing the freckles!

When I want a little more coverage and to look like I have a flawless complexion, I will reach towards our MakeSense Foundation. This stuff is amazing! I apply it with a brush, however you can also use a sponge or even your fingers if you wish. It goes on so well and blends like a dream. Our MakeSense Foundation is water-resistant and lasts on me all day long. Many foundations will break down on me at the 5 hour mark (which is inconvenient for those of us with a 9-5 job!) and will look terrible by noon hour. This foundation lasts until I decide to wash it off. Below shows a photo of me waking up after a fun night out, when I fell asleep without washing my face first (this is a big no-no! You should always wash your face before bed time). But our cosmetics are jam packed with our incredible SeneGence skincare, so although it’s not great to sleep in your makeup, my skin did receive some anti-aging benefits!

               

Full Disclosure: This was after a night of heavy 

drinking, dancing, sweating, and eating.

This foundation also has our mechanical shield in it which is equivalent to an SPF 15! If you top it over our Day Time Moisturizer, that shield bumps up to the equivalent of an SPF 30!!!! I love our makeup and skincare. These babies also colour adjust to adapt to your skins pigmentation. That technology in a foundation is so cool and very much needed. That means that there is minimal stress when picking a shade.

So whether you’re looking for lightweight and natural, or full coverage flawlessness, we have you covered! Both will give you a different look, but one of these is right for you. Hey, maybe even both.

Until next time, good night my friends.

Xo

CherryTrish

Volcanic Bliss

People have asked me over the years if it really is important to exfoliate your skin. The answer is always YES! Whether it is your body or your face, exfoliating your skin is crucial because it sluffs off old, dry, flakey skin and exposes the youthful, radiant, healthy cells that give us the sexy glow we all crave. However, when choosing an exfoliator, there are some things to think about.

Some exfoliators can be way too harsh on your skin and actually end up causing more damage than benefits. If the exfoliating particles are too large and too sharp, you can actually tear your skin and cause infection. That is NOT the result we are ever looking for. People think that they require an abrasive exfoliator to see any results. This definitely is not the case.

One of the most incredible, natural exfoliators on the planet is volcanic ash. Not only is it a very fine particle, it does more than just sluff off the dead cells. The Vanuatu volcanic ash that is used in SeneGence products also has anti-bacterial qualities which makes it great to help with skin rashes, blemishes, eczema, psoriasis, acne, and yes, even cellulite and stretchmarks (heck yah!!!!). This volcanic ash is also high in sulphur which is an active mineral ingredient to help your body resist bacteria AND also destroy it. What an awesome ingredient this is that makes a HUGE difference in your skin!

When it comes to looking after your skin, all over your body from your head to your toes, you really should be taking advantage of the natural wonders of the world. Look into ingredients that people have been using for centuries and embrace them. I love finding the skincare secrets of the world and experiencing them myself. When I was able to discover products with Vanuatu volcanic ash as a main ingredient, I was blown away and I will definitely be using these for years to come. My skin is healthy and glowing, smooth and radiant. I use the Body Scrub with Vanuatu volcanic ash before I self-tan (to help get the streak free glow I love) and the Polishing Exfoliator twice a week to keep the dead cells off so my skincare can treat the healthy cells and penetrate deep to correct any damaged ones. Both of these products (as well as the Facial Resurfacer) also include the amazing SenePlex Complex! In a nutshell, this patented formula works to rejuvenate your cells 23.3% faster. That means that plumper, healthier cells are coming to the surface quicker. This is a GAME CHANGER in your skincare regime.

Overall, understanding your skin care ingredients are crucial to ensure that your skin is getting the pampering it needs so that you are looking your best at all times. Utilizing some of nature’s hidden secrets is also a great way to care for your skin and begin to understand other cultures from around the world. To me… it’s a win-win!

Until next time, goodnight my friends!

Xo
CherryTrish

No Make-Up, Make-Up!

As much as I love glam, rock star make-up, a natural makeup look is more my go-to. It’s also something that a lot of women want for day to day. When I do makeup demos on my clients, a lot of them ask for a “natural look that looks like me… only better”. I completely understand that. Women are learning to embrace their natural beauty and I am completely living for it! I love how women want to let their freckles show or maybe a memorable scar. Women are really embracing their unique and imperfect images and I love how powerful it is! I, too, am embracing my natural beauty and love showing people who I am.

Sometimes women just want to look like themselves, only a little more polished. People always ask me how they can achieve a natural look, but still look flawless. The main thing you want to do to achieve the no make-up, make-up look is to even out your skin tone. If you want a true natural look, you will still have your freckles and unique marks to show through, but you’ll most likely want to even out any redness or discolouration on your skin tone. Using something like a tinted moisturizer is a great way to get the sheer coverage you desire, yet balancing out any uneven tones in your skin. I am obsessed with our Color Correcting Tinted Moisturizer (CCTM) and wear it every, single day. I only wear foundation to events and special occasions now (when I want to look perfected and glam). I have a lot of redness in my face. My cheeks, around my nose, my chin and even my forehead are covered with redness throughout. But when using the CCTM, it helps balance everything to turn my face into the perfect, canvas for anything else I’d like to add on top of that. I am only wearing three products in the photo below, which means this face was quick, easy and looks like I’m wearing nothing at all!

*Color Correcting Tinted Moisturizer – Light

*First Love LipSense with Glossy Gloss

*Eyebrow Pencil to fill in any sparse areas

I wasn’t even wearing mascara this day (which is absolutely unheard of for me) but I loved this look! To me, this really is what no make-up, make-up is all about. Do you want some product recommendations on helping to recreate this natural look?

~ Tinted Moisturizer (or even mixing a little bit of your Original MakeSense Foundation with your Daytime Moisturizer to create your own CCTM in a pinch!)
~ Neutral LipSense Colour (shade suggestions – First Love, Apple Cider, Nude, Bella)
~ LashSense mascara (Black-Brown or Black colour)
~ BrowSense or an eyebrow pencil to fill in any uneven areas

~ ShadowSense waterproof, crease proof cream to powder pigments

These are my favourite products to use every day. ShadowSense is marketed as an eyeshadow, but I love using it for everything on my face. Eyeshadow, eye primer, eye liner, eye brows, blush, bronzer, highlight... everything! I love using colours like Moca Java, Mulberry, Sandstone Pearl, and Candlelight to help cover my redness and veins on my eyelids. They’re a great, versatile product to use on glam days or no makeup days. I am OBSESSED (as most of you already know)!

I love my no make-up, make-up days. I wear this look more than any other! I am truly embracing all of my natural beauty, and enjoying every second of it! I hope you are too!

Until next time, goodnight my friends.

Xo
CherryTrish

Miracles Happen When You're Fast Asleep

There’s a lot of truth behind this statement. I have just spent the last week battling one heck of a virus. My favourite defense? Sleep! I love sleep normally, but when I’m feeling worse for wear there is nothing like a full on, 10 hour, coma-like sleep. You can wake up feeling like a million bucks! Do you also remember your mother and your doctor saying “go home and rest” whenever you were sick or injured? It’s a real thing!

Did you know that when you’re asleep is when your body’s cells repair themselves? That’s why whenever you’re not 100% rest is really important. Your cells will fight off bacteria, heal infections and beat those not-so-perfect cells into oblivion! It wasn’t until I understood this that I understood why a night cream is really beneficial for you. I was always the girl who would only use one cream. One for the day time and the same one for at night. Why invest in two creams (the night cream being the more expensive generally) when the day cream does the same thing? In reality… they are very different.

A day cream usually has a thinner consistency compared to the night cream, as it is generally worn under makeup, and can have some sun protection in it (hopefully a mechanical shield as opposed to chemical, eek!). Night cream is the gold mine. Your night cream is filled with all of the goodness of the day cream, only at a much higher potency. This works in conjunction with your skincare routine and amplifies the results. While you’re asleep, your cells will take all of the vitamins and minerals in your night cream and help repair those cells on your face, neck and décolleté. Although night creams generally don’t have any sun protection, as you really wouldn’t need it at night time, it is jam packed full of all the ingredients you skin requires in order to help restore your skin to being the most healthy, youthful, radiant skin that you could possibly have. I have found how essential having a night cream is in any persons beauty regime, especially when anti-aging is a concern for you.

Not only is our night cream filled with SenePlex Complex, which is a kinetic enzyme that increases cellular renewal, but it’s also loaded with ingredients like Algae Extract, which hydrates skin and helps enhance skins ability to repair itself, and also Yeast Extract, which aids in formation of new healthy tissues and promotes new cell formation. This baby works hard while you’re dreaming of big things!

So, now I’m a true believe in the power of a night cream. I won’t go back now! My skin has seen a huge improvement and I think it’s partially due to the impact of benefits my skin see’s while I’m fast asleep. The potency of the night cream is key to improve your skins health and appearance. I’m sold for life!

Until next time, goodnight my friends!

Xo
CherryTrish

Starting A Business Isn't For Me.

For years I had looked onto people starting their own businesses and not understand why they were doing it. How could someone not live with a solid, weekly paycheck? How could someone put all of their energy into something and not know whether it would succeed or fail? How could someone start something without knowing what the road looks like in 1, 5, or 10 years? That was enough to send my anxiety into overdrive.

Take my brother, for example. He has been a proud co-owner of an MMA gym for the past few years. When he first began this venture, I was so proud of him, yet also very surprised. How could he want to begin such a risky venture? It wasn’t until I understood that, to him, the risk was worth the possible reward. His passion is with MMA as he has trained for years and with some of the most prestigious trainers all over the world. Yes, he worked 7 days a week. Yes, he also worked at a restaurant to help keep some money in his pocket while he invested everything back into himself and his business. I didn’t understand why he would work so hard and so long at something… until I saw how successful he was becoming. I saw how much he loved going to work at his own business every single day and spend his days helping others. He loved working with men, women, teens and even children to help get their confidence up and their strength peaked. It made me intrigued to start my own business but I didn’t know where to start. What was I even passionate about?

If you want to know where your passion lies, follow your mind when it wanders. What do you want to spend your free time doing? For me, it was learning about skincare and cosmetics. I loved the artistry of makeup, the science behind skincare, I loved it all! I would spend hours watching videos and reading articles, just to wrap my mind around all of the different techniques and formulas I could. I knew I wanted my career to head in this direction…. but how? After much soul searching, I began to realize that my dream job would be to travel the world and teach people about amazing cosmetics and skincare that actually work. About one month after that I had discovered SeneGence and their superstar product, LipSense. I fell in love with the product and immediately wanted to learn more of what they offered. I joined originally for the discount. Being able to get 20% - 50% off of all orders for a year sounded amazing to me! That wholesale customer membership, which only costed me $55, was the best decision I ever made. When I mentioned to a few close friends that I was using LipSense, they all wanted to try it! I then immediately (and accidentally) turned my wholesale membership into a side business! It took off much faster and higher than I ever anticipated it would. 

Before I knew it, I was building a team and running with the most amazing women I could have ever dreamed! This business was simple and very profitable. I was thrilled! It wasn’t until I was couple of months into this venture when it hit me. I am currently working my dream career! I am teaching people about amazing cosmetics and skincare that do exactly what they say they are supposed to do. I am working on going to trainings and events in Calgary, AB and Tulsa, OK. I am working on earning trips to Sydney, Australia, Costa Rica, and even Disney World! To top it all off, I am also in the process of getting MUA Certified through SeneGence. This business has opened the doors to so many opportunities for me and I couldn’t be more grateful. All because one incredible lady offered me the opportunity to purchase some lipstick and get a great discount. I am forever indebted to her.

If any of you have ever felt the passion to pursue something similar, let me know! I’d love to answer any questions that you have about the business or the products in general. I am always here to help! If you did have interest, you should know that for the month of January if you purchase a wholesale membership/distributorship at $55, SeneGence will give you $55 in product credit! That means your sign up is basically free! This is unheard of and I had to share. Just like Dini shared with me!

I hope you all have had an amazing start to the New Year! LET’S ROCK 2018!

Until next time, goodnight my friends!

Xo
CherryTrish

New Year... New You?

With the fresh start to the New Year upon us, millions of people around the world will start making promises to themselves that they, most likely, will break within the first 30 days. I find that most people (myself included) have wanted to drastically change themselves over night just because we changed the last digit of the year. But, like any goal, if you set your eyes on the end result and focus on that too closely, you might get completely overwhelmed and instead of taking two steps forward you end up taking ten steps back. I have fallen into this category before. A few times actually. Sometimes, it sets us up for disaster.

However, if we determine what we want our end goal to be, or even the general direction that we want to go, we can start to map out the steps involved in getting us there. Personally, when I lay things out into smaller, bite size steps it makes it so much easier to tackle the giant goal that I want to reach. Whether it’s to lose weight, to climb Mount Everest, to move to a foreign county… any goal you have can be broken down into more manageable steps.

For example, I am currently obtaining my MakeUp Artistry Certification through SeneGence. In order to be certified, you must master many different makeup application techniques as well as be knowledgeable in products and the science of skin care. When thinking about everything required to become certified, it can be very overwhelming. However, if you break up the goal into manageable tasks, you can stay focused, stay on track, and obtain the goal. I have broken this out into categories such as eye shadow techniques (how to make eyes appear larger, rounder, smaller, etc) blush techniques (depending on face shape) science of skin (oily/normal/dry/combo) and so on. By focusing on each of these categories, one at a time, I am able to obtain the information and take the steps required to get my booty certified!

So, this New Year, instead of making a big, bold statement on a “New You” you want to become, maybe make a smaller promise to yourself that you won’t get overwhelmed with. Or, if you do go bold and make a big promise, break it into smaller, bite size chunks that won’t be overwhelming. Whatever it is that you want to do, I hope you do it! I hope you achieve any goal you put your mind to. You can do anything!

Until next time, goodnight my friends!

Xo
CherryTrish

Anastasia X Nicole Guerriero ~ Glow Kit

The second this palette was revealed, I knew I had to have it in my collection. The colours were absolutely stunning and for some reason, it spoke to me. I'm sure other makeup junkies would understand... like yourself! You feel me... It's not even because I have been a follower of Nicole's for a few years now, for even if her name wasn't on this palette I would still need it in my life. Keep in mind, too, that I don't own any of the other Anastasia Glow Kits. Something about this palette just hit me, and hit me hard. 

For those of you who don't know, Nicole Guerriero is a YouTuber from Tampa, FL. She's been making videos for over 7 years I believe, which means that she is an OG in the community. Not only is she amazingly talented with beauty makeup, she also has incredible Halloween tutorials that gets the world excited. Behind all of this talent is a personality that you are sure to love. Plus she loves cats.... so she's great in my books. 

This palette is a set of six stunning highlighters that can be customized to fit almost any skintone. I, myself, am fairly pale but I think I should be able to get away with four of the shades as is, and all of the shades if I mix them with Forever Lit. Forever Lit is a white highlighter with a slight blue reflect in it, however in my photo's it is coming off more blue/green. I was so excited to get this up for you guys that I had to take product shots at work which means that lighting is limited to office lights. Please forgive me! When I first opened it, I was in awe of the gorgeous colours that it offers, especially that orange shade. It will be hard for me to pull off with my skintone, but I will find a way to make that work. You can't own something that stunning and just let it sit there. When I looked a little closer I did notice that these highlighters are swimming with glitter. This always scares me as I'm going to be 30 this year and the last thing I want is to be walking down the street with glitter flying everywhere. However, when I applied this to my cheek to test them out, the glitter didn't look chunky. It just gives your skin a beautiful, almost wet looking, effect. As I mentioned, I don't have any of the other Glow Kits so I'm not able to compare to previous ones, however I can say that I will be keeping this palette and I am so excited to play with it over the next few weeks.

Swatches in artificial, office lighting.

 Swatches in natural lighting on a gloomy day.

Can you imagine those gold tones in the summer on bronzed skin? Mmm mmm mmmmmmmm! I can't wait. Until then they will make phenomenal eyeshadows to help make my green eyes pop. That's another thing I love about this palette. If any shades are too light or too dark for you, you can easily use them as eyeshadow. Can you imagine some of these on the inner corner? GIRL! 

Nicole and ABH, you both did an incredible job collaborating on this. The palette is stunning.

This palette will become available online at Sephora.ca/Sephora.com/Anastasiabeverlyhills.com this Friday, March 3rd and will be $52 (CDN) and I believe $40 (USD), but I need to confirm US pricing. It won't be in stores until March 15th, which feels like forever away! My suggestion is order it online, get it to you as quickly as possible, and start playing! 

As always, I want to know your thoughts! Did you grab this palette? What shade are you most excited about? Tell me! I'm dying to talk to someone about this... I think Will is getting tired of my makeup talk.... poor guy. You can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish, Twitter @cherrytrish17, and even SnapChat which is simply CherryTrish. I am always swatching and snapping.

If you want to check out Nicole Guerriero, you can find her at:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nguerriero19

Instagram: @nicoleguerriero

Twitter: @nguerriero19

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nguerriero19/

Until next time, goodnight my friends!

Topher's Beard & Soap Co. ~ Bath Bombs & Bubble Bars

I am a very big fan of baths. There is nothing like laying back and letting hot water soak into a tired, aching body. When Topher asked me to test out some of his bath products, I was pumped. I live for baths and anything to make that experience better.... I'm all for it!

I had never used a bubble bar before. I love bubble baths, but I never understood how this ball could turn into the mountain of bubbles I crave. I was skeptical on this, but I very quickly became a fan. The idea of having a bar instead of a liquid inside packaging that will just be thrown away, intrigued me. I like the idea of minimal waste. Just rubbing this bar under running water for a few moments will quickly fill your tub with any amount of bubbles you desire. The longer it runs under the water, the more bubbles you will have. This bar has also lasted me quite a while. I actually haven't finished it yet and I've had three baths so far. These should be available on their website in the spring, but they are currently available at select retailers and also through them directly. These are only $5 (CDN) each and worth every single penny. I will be repurchasing these to keep in my collection. You never know when you need bubbles!

I was also fortunate enough to try a few of their bath bombs. At a first glance they are a bit smaller than the ones you might be used to, but they are more affordable as well. At $3 (CDN) each or 4 for $10, you can't go wrong! I was concerned that the slightly smaller size would affect how they would perform, however they still fizzed and completely filled my bath with natural ingredients that my skin could soak in. I do have some videos on my instagram showing these bombs in action. For you men out there, they now have bath grenades which have some of their most popular beard bomb scents. I know some of you men out there love a good, hot bath. Now you'll have a better excuse to enjoy them! I highly recommend these bath bombs and these too will be repurchased. I enjoy hot baths a couple times per week, so having items like this and the bubble bars on hand are very necessary... aren't they? These, too, are not available quite yet on the website, but are available at selected retailers and through Topher directly. They are definitely worth a try.

Topher's Beard and Soap Co. has many products on their website, even something for your fur baby! They are local, natural, and a lot of products are even vegan. If you are interested in checking out the products that they offer, their website and social media information is listed below. They are available in many stores across Canada and even a couple in the US. You can find a full list of retailers on their website, along with the products that each one carries. It is best to contact the individual retailer to confirm stock quantities. Of course, you are always welcome to shop online! They will ship worldwide as well (for my international friends!).

Topher's Beard and Soap Co.

http://www.tophersbeardco.com/

Instagram - @tophersbeardco

Facebook - Topher's Beard & Soap Company

Twitter - @tophersbeardco

As always, you guys can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish or on Twitter @cherrytrish17. I also do that SnapChat thing, which is CherryTrish. Let me know if you have tried anything from this company or are interested in trying anything. Did you enjoy these products as much as I did? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

And until next time, goodnight my friends!

Topher's Beard and Soap Co. ~ Dead Sea Spa Products

Over the past few weeks I have been testing out some items from Topher's Beard and Soap Co. They are a local company that started with beard care in 2015, but have expanded into bath products as well. They have a Dead Sea Spa Line which includes Detoxifying Dead Sea Bath Salts, Dead Sea Salt & Shea Butter Scrub, and a Dead Sea Mud Mask. I have been testing out the scrub and mud mask over the past couple of weeks.

Dead Sea Salt & Shea Butter Scrub (6oz $12 CDN)

Dead Sea Mud Mask (8oz $22 CDN)

I started with the mud mask, which can be used on the face and body. I have combination skin, which leans more dry in the winter and oilier in the summer. I do also have very large pores with blackheads, so mud masks are usually something I lean towards generally. I was very surprised at how fine the particles were in the mud and how easily the mud spread across my face. I was quickly able to apply a thin, even layer. Immediately you could feel the mask start to work it's magic, but at no point did it ever burn or feel uncomfortable. Within fifteen minutes the mask was totally dry and ready to be removed. The part about mud masks that I really dread is removing them. It usually consists of scrubbing and pulling at your skin, which is NEVER a good idea. This mask came off so easily with warm water. There was no harsh rubbing required. Once the mask was removed my skin felt smooth, soft, and my pores visibly smaller. I will say that after the first use, there was a dry patch on my nose, however when I followed up with my night cream, everything was fine. I also relate that to the season we are in. After the second and third use there were no dry patches, my pore size has reduced dramatically and my overall skin tone has improved. I usually battle redness, which nothing has ever helped, but this mask has been able to reduce that as well. Compared to the L'Oreal mask I reviewed a few weeks back, this one is much more effective and is actually cheaper per oz (L'Oreal is around $15 CDN/1.7oz and this mask sells for $22/8oz). When you're comparing on the other end of the scale, there is GlamGlow SuperMud Treatment. This is a mask that is very hyped up in the beauty community that I did try a few months back and it was nice, but I do find better results with the Dead Sea Mud Mask. GlamGlow is also $79 for only 1.7oz!! Overall, I would highly recommend this mud mask for anyone looking for a pore purifying, skin smoothing result. I think that anyone could use this mask, however if you have very dry skin I would follow up with a moisturizer (which you should do anyways). I was so impressed that I will be repurchasing this mask in the future.

I did also try out the Dead Sea Salt & Shea Butter Scrub. When I saw how large the granules were, I immediately lowered my expectations as I thought that either a) the granules would be too harsh for my sensitive skin, or b) they wouldn't do much as they would be too large to exfoliate properly. I tried this product out on my arms and legs as I have dry skin all over and "alligator skin" on my elbows. As soon as I rubbed the salt over my skin I could feel an instant improvement to the texture. By lightly rubbing granules over my elbows, I was able to penetrate the "alligator skin" and moisturize the layers underneath. Within second my body was able to absorb the natural oils and sluff off the dead, hard skin. I then rinsed the area with water and I couldn't believe the results. I did not apply moisturizer after as I wanted to get the full effect of the oils. After 24hrs, my elbows did have some dryness, however that is a drastic improvement to the "alligator skin" that they were the previous night, and this was after only one use! My arms and legs also still felt just as moisturized, soft, smooth, and healthy as they had the night before when I rinsed the product off. I am very impressed with this product and the effect it has had on my winter skin. I highly recommend this for anyone in the winter months, especially those with very dry skin all year round. I believe this product will become your best friend. However, I will say that you do need to be careful when using this product in the bathtub/shower as the oils will make it slippery. I always have to give Will the heads up when I use this so that he uses extra caution when he goes in to bathe after me.

Overall, these two products were very impressive, especially the Dead Sea Mud Mask. If you are only wanting to try one item from Topher's Beard and Soap Co. first, I would recommend that, especially if you have oily skin. If you are on the drier side, try the Dead Sea Salt & Shea Butter Scrub. I am confident that you will be impressed!

Topher's Beard and Soap Co. has many products on their website, even something for your fur baby! They are local, natural, and a lot of products are even vegan. If you are interested in checking out the products that they offer, their website and social media information is listed below. They are available in many stores across Canada and even a couple in the US. You can find a full list of retailers on their website, along with the products that each one carries. It is best to contact the individual retailer to confirm stock quantities. Of course, you are always welcome to shop online! They will ship worldwide as well (for my international friends!).

Topher's Beard and Soap Co.

http://www.tophersbeardco.com/

Instagram - @tophersbeardco

Facebook - Topher's Beard & Soap Company

Twitter - @tophersbeardco

As always, you guys can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish or on Twitter @cherrytrish17. I also do that SnapChat thing, which is CherryTrish. Let me know if you have tried anything from this company or are interested in trying anything. Did you enjoy these products as much as I did? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

And until next time, goodnight my friends!

*NEW* From Bite Beauty!

The average person will eat 7lbs of lipstick in their lifetime. Let that sink in. Do you know what's in your lip products that you are ingesting every, single day? Bite Beauty is well known for using organic, nourishing ingredients in every, single lip product they make. The Founder, Susanne Langmuir, had a vision and was inspired by kitchen chemistry. Then, out popped Bite Beauty! I have used their matte lip crayons, glosses and the Amuse Bouche formula before, but I was lucky enough to receive the new Bite Beauty #TheLipPencil before they are even released! I am so excited to be able to put them to the test and give you my real thoughts. As you all know, my goal for this blog is to try things out and give you guys honest, unfiltered feedback so that you aren't wasting your hard earned money!

I have spent the last couple of days testing, playing and LOVING the new lip pencils from Bite Beauty. Typically, I was not one for lip pencils. I didn't understand the point. Generally, I was a liquid lipstick fan and didn't feel like a lip pencil was needed. Lately, I have been going back to the classic lipsticks. When using a standard, tubed lipstick, especially in a darker colour, I find a lip liner is very helpful. When it comes to nude lip liners, I love using them with a sheer gloss over top. It provides the long lasting colour with a beautiful, glossy effect.

When testing out pencil 044 today, with the Amuse Bouche lipstick in Whiskey, I had found it lasted three times as long as to when I just have the lipstick on. This colour might seem a little too drastic for some, but the shade is perfect and makes teeth look extremely white. That is always a plus as I find so many shades out there give teeth a yellow tinge and that's the opposite of what anyone wants. The lip liner is so smooth and applies so easy, yet stays on lips without sliding around. I have worn the lip liner on it's own as well and I find it a really comfortable, matte lip option. This combination will be my go-to dark lip if I want a vampy look. I have a feeling I will be wearing this a lot during the winter.

I also tested out the new lip pencil in 020 with the Amuse Bouche lipstick in Honeycomb. I can definitely see why this colour is a favourite in the beauty community! It truly is the perfect nude. I know that I will be wearing this lip liner alone, with Honeycomb, or with a sheer gloss over top. It's absolutely versatile. I'm going to wear this liner every day this week with a different topper. I will update everyone on Snapchat, Instragram or Twitter, so be sure to follow me on all platforms if you're interested in updates. 

These liners will be making their formal debut in Sephora this February, so keep a look out for them! I recommend getting a few colours as they are the best lip liner formula I have found thus far. I would get a nude, a dark, and a red. Those should have your bases covered. I would also highly recommend getting the Amuse Bouche lipsticks. They are creamy, pigmented, and not formulated with chemicals or anything yucky that your body doesn't need. I am really intrigued by Souffle and Persimmon. Hopefully they will bring out lip liners that match, or at least similar to these shades, and I might just have to pick those up. You can never have too many lip products, right?

Are you guys thinking about picking these up? Do you have any questions? LET ME KNOW! I'd love to chat! You guys can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish or on Twitter @cherrytrish17. Also, I do have Snapchat, if you're into that, and you can add me - CherryTrish!

Until next time, goodnight my friends.

{These products were sent to me for free to review via @Influenster and @BiteBeauty. As always, my opinions are my own and will never be swayed because of how I receive the items.}
#contest

WunderBrow.... Lasts for Days???

The first time I had heard of this, Tati (@GlamLifeGuru) was reviewing it for her channel. She gave it really good reviews! I have always loved exploring new ways to complete my brows, so I was intrigued. She had mentioned buying it online and I'm always skeptical on buying things through websites I'm not well aware of. When I went to look into the Morphe items at Showcase here in Canada, I was pleasantly surprised to see this there as well. I got it on sale for $25 (CDN) regularly $35 (CDN). I grabbed it and figured I would try it out for you guys!  

This product claims to create the "perfect eyebrows that last for days". It also says it takes "less than two minutes" and it will "last for days". If these claims were true, it would be a miracle! I don't mind going without makeup, but I find that my eyebrows have a little sparseness to them. Having something like this that is water resistant on a vacation would be incredible.

The WunderBrow came with the product, a spoolie, and instructions. The shade I purchased was blonde. I also wasn't sure about the applicator, so I purchase a dual ended ELF brush (spoolie/angled brush) for $3 (CDN) as I had thought it might be easier for a novice like me.

I have been testing this out for a few weeks now. The applicator the WunderBrow comes with is very difficult to use. It's basically a brush, similar to a small paint brush. I don't understand how they would choose that applicator for this product, but when I use the ELF brush it works wonderfully! First, I spoolie my brows in the general direction that I want them to lay. I have been loving fuller, more natural looking brows lately. I start by lining the base of my brow with WunderBrow using the ELF angled brush. After that, I flick up to blend in with my natural hairs and diffuse the harsh line. Using the pointed end of the brush, I start to create hair like strokes upward and outward. This helps create fuller and more natural looking brows. Using a spoolie, brush the product through to ensure there are no clumps. This will help your eyebrows seem more authentic. If need be, go back through filling in the sparse areas.

 This is a photo of myself (right) and my friend, 

Jackie, at her baby shower. I am rocking 

the WunderBrow here.

Now for the claims... I do believe this product wears for a long period of time. It will only come off when I go to take it off. I believe that I could go swimming or go to the gym and feel confident that my eyebrows would be in tact (at least for the most part). I don't believe it lasts for days, unless you just refuse to wash your face which I find a little unrealistic. This comes off fairly well when using a make-up wipe (as I usually do first) and then the remainder comes off when I use my face wash. You will need to reapply (or at least touch up) the next day. Also, I think that if you're an eyebrow pro you could get great eyebrows within two minutes. I, however, am not so it does take me longer than the claimed time.

Do I think this is a good product? Yes. I think that this is something I will continue to use on days when I have a little more time to get ready. During the week, I do a basic face of makeup and I use something like Benefit Gimme Brow to just add a little volume to my sparse brows. I don't generally have time of creams or pomades.

Would I repurchase this? Yes. I think when I run out of this I will repurchase. I think it's the best eyebrow product that I have used thus far and would be my vacation buddy if there were a beach or swimming pool involved. I really enjoy that it looks so natural, I could even wear it on days that I don't wear much makeup. That is what really makes it travel bag friendly. If I go to a beach, I want to wear SPF moisturizer, waterproof mascara, tinted lip balm, and this.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried this before? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? What did or didn't you like about it? LET ME KNOW! I'd love to find out more about the eyebrow products you're loving, especially for vacationing! Tweet me @cherrytrish17! Or, you can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish!

Until next time, goodnight my friends.

ColourPop ... Swatchfest!

Some of you have asked me if I would post swatches of my ColourPop items that I spoke about in my last post. Your wish is my command!

KathleenLights ~ Where The Night Is

SuperShock Shadow Quad

Top to Bottom:

Weenie

Midnight

Porter

Telepathy

No Kill Los Angeles

SuperShock Shadows

Raising Funds and Awareness for NKLA

Top (very faint):

Puppy Love

Bottom:

Cat Nap

Top:

Lunch Money

Highlighter

Bottom:

Central Perk

SuperShock Shadow

(Telepathy swatch in the top, right corner)

Creme Gel Pencil (Eyeliners)

Top to Bottom:

Mr Bing

Teaspoon

Fast Lane

Beesting

Honeydude

Top to Bottom:

Aquarius

Lippie Stix

Lumiere

Lippie Stix

November

Ultra Satin Lip

Piranha

Ultra Glossy Lip

There were two items that I forgot to swatch. One was my Lippie Pencil in Skimpy (which is just a basic nude) and my Ultra Glossy Lip in My Jam (which I purchased a few weeks prior at Showcase). My Jam is a very shimmery copper. I always think it looks like a brand new penny melted onto my lips. That does make it sound a little crazy, but I love it with certain looks! A nice dark brown, matte smokey eye would look beautiful with that lip choice (and we all know how much I love a matte smokey eye). If you guys would like swatches of those, I can get them this weekend when I have to natural light again. If you didn't know, I work full time during the week, so the only time I can get perfect lighting product shots is on the weekend. Kind of limiting, but I will always make it work!

Anyways, let me know what else you guys want to see! More swatches? More reviews? More Battle of Brands comparisons? If anyone finds any Pintrest hacks you want me to try, let me know as well! I'll be your guinea pig.

As always, you can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish or on Twitter @cherrytrish17.

Until next time, goodnight my friends.

Drugstore Face Mask.... is it better to splurge?

First of all, I want to apologize for being absent for the past few weeks. Between Christmas and New Years I got hit with a cold that morphed itself into a flu virus of epic proportions. I am just starting to feel like myself again, so I knew it was time to get back at it. Time to play guinea pig!

One of my goals with this blog is to try things out and give my unfiltered thoughts so that you guys (my friends) don't waste your money on things. It's so hard to to know the honest reviews of people on the internet, because there are so many sponsorships (both announced and hidden) that can alter how someone presents something. I will not do that. I'm hoping that you guys can look to me to find out the truth on how a product performs for me. As always, if you guys have any questions about products, please feel free to ask me via Instagram, Twitter or even as a comment here! I would love to help in any way that I can. This is my passion!

Now, onto the review.

Last night I tried out the L'Oreal Pure-Clay Mask, Exfoliating & Pore Refining. This is the one with the orange coloured clay. If you didn't know, I have the largest pores I have ever seen. I'm not saying this to be overly critical of myself, I'm saying this as it is an absolute fact. Anything that says "pore refining" or "pore minimizing" always gets my attention. They also have a green mask that is "Purifying & Mattifying" and also a black one that is "Energizing & Brightening". Everywhere I looked people were talking about how much they enjoyed the "Energizing & Brightening" mask and how it was a dupe for the GlamGlow masks. If that is something that you think would benefit your skin and you pick it up to try, let me know what your thoughts are on it! I moreso needed the pore shrinking variety which is why I swayed the way I did. Plus, I hadn't heard anything on it.... good or bad.

First, let's look into the claims that this product has. It is said to:

          ~ Unclog and tighten pores
          ~ Exfoliate dead skin cells and smooth skins texture
          ~ Draw out build-up of impurities, dirt and pollution
          ~ Refresh skin and allow it to breathe

Not only that, but it claims visible results IMMEDIATELY. These claims include:

          ~ Skin texture looks refined and smoother
          ~ Pores are visibly minimized
          ~ Dead skin cells, dirt and oil feel removed from skin

This mask was pretty simple. Apply a thin layer to your face, avoiding the eye and mouth area. Let sit for ten to fifteen minutes. Rinse off using circular motions to help exfoliate skin. Applying it was very easy, it has a really nice texture that isn't difficult to apply to the face. To me, it felt almost whipped with fine particles for exfoliating. It didn't burn or tingle at all, which was great! It was very comfortable.

I let it sit for the full fifteen minutes and began to wash it off. I will say that, because of the soft texture, it wasn't very difficult to wash off. One thing I dislike about most clay masks is that it takes you twenty minutes of scrubbing and harming your skin in order to get everything off. I don't like to use anything too harsh on my face and cause any damage.

Now, the results.... my skin did feel a little bit smoother and cleaner than before the mask, however my pores didn't look any smaller. I was slightly disappointed as my main goal was to minimize the appearance of pores, at least a little bit. My skin does feel like it can breathe a bit better, which was great when it came time to using my night cream. I felt like it really was able to penetrate the skin and get the layers nourished.

Would I use this again? Yes. I will definitely use this face mask until I use it up. It did make a slight difference in my skin and made it much easier for my night cream to apply. I did also notice that my makeup went on nicer today as well, however these results are typical of many other exfoliating face masks I have tried.

Would I repurchase? Most likely not. Again, these results are pretty typical to most other exfoliating face mask I have used. If I were to recommend a drugstore face mask that exfoliates AND shrinks pores, it would be the Black Sugar face mask by Freeman. You can get it at Walmart for around $3 (CDN) and it is amazing. This L'Oreal face mask was $13 (CDN) and that was even on SALE! Unfortunately, this didn't do enough to justify a repurchase. I may look into the "Energizing and Brightening" one as there is a lot of hype around that formula.

If you guys want me to give one of the other two a chance and review it on my blog, let me know! I would love to try any products you guys are curious about. Anything I can do to help save you money, I am down for. Speaking of which.... have you thought of any Pintrest beauty hacks you want me to try? Leave me a comment down below and I would be happy to look into it!

I hope this review has been helpful for you. I'm always up for trying new products or answering any questions that you have. You can reach me on Instagram @cherrytrish or Twitter @cherrytrish17 anytime!

So, until next time, goodnight my friends!

Special Delivery!

It's been a rough week, personally. Doesn't it seem like everything always happens all at once? Good or bad... when it rains, it pours. I shouldn't say it's been a rough week... more or less just overwhelming. Although the most positive news during this chaotic storm is that I will be getting a sister! My brother proposed to his girlfriend last night which is pretty amazing. I'm excited to have her officially be part of our family.

So, after almost a week of patiently (for the most part) waiting, I received my TooFaced Sweet Peach order. Now, part of me was nervous to open it because there has been so much hype around this palette since the Spring when it first launched. Almost nothing in this world will live up to it's hype, however with the Morphe surprise we just had, I was liking my chances. 

I obviously had to start with the eyeshadow palette. It honestly has the most beautiful colours in it. Some people argue that it is a Spring/Summer palette, but I won't let that stop me. Depending on how you use it, you can use almost any palette, any time. This eyeshadow palette smells absolutely incredible. A combination of peach juice, peach rings and peach schnapps, all of which I enjoy. The scent does linger, but I don't find it too strong once applied to the eye. So far I am enjoying this palette much more than the Chocolate BonBons palette, but then again this one is brand new. I did some quick swatches tonight. The lighting isn't the best, but it gives you an idea of what you'd be working with. These are one swipe in the pan, one swipe on my arm. 

The lighter shades on the right in the bottom photo have a hard time showing up because of my skin colouring, but they are beautiful. No shades were chalky and all seemed very smooth and blendable. I played with a couple of different eye looks tonight using as many shades as I could. So far I haven't found a shade that I don't like. As I create more looks I will be posting them on my Instagram so that you can get some ideas on how you can combine the colours. As much as I wish I could create the eye looks the beauty gurus post tutorials on, I have a hard time following. My eyes are very hooded and my crease is never able to be seen. Therefore, I have to create a crease using eye contouring techniques. I work on these more and more everyday and it's learning trial-by-error. Having incredible eyeshadows makes learning much easier. So does having good quality tools. I recommend this palette to anyone who is drawn to it. If you see colours here that inspire you and get you feeling creative, then that is a palette you need in your collection. I know I will be reaching for this all the time, no matter what season we are in.

I also purchased the Sweet Peach Creamy Peach Oil Lip Gloss in Peach Tease. Whew. That was a mouthful. The peach scent in this lip gloss is much more intense than the eyeshadows, but I really enjoy it. I don't find the gloss sticky at all, but I do find it very moisturizing which is just what I need during the winter. My lips can get so dry this time of year, even with using a moisturizing lip scrub every few days and an intense balm every night before bed. Having something like this in my purse will work wonders when I need a little boost. This particular colour is medium coverage with high shine. I have found (so far) that it lasts very well on the lips but, like most glosses, you will need to reapply a few times throughout the day. When I'm wearing a gloss I don't mind that at all. Especially when it has a light peach flavour. (SIDENOTE: Many people have claimed that there is no flavour to the lip gloss, however I find a very light peach taste when I'm wearing it.)

I was so excited that I got my hands on these two products when they were released last week. Most of the items have sold out online, and I now must wait until January 6th for when they are released in Sephora Canada stores to get anything else I am thinking about. (The eyeshadow palette will be in stores on December 26th, all other items appear to be arriving January 6th). I really enjoy this lip gloss, so I am thinking about picking up the colour Papa Don't Peach which is a nice, deeper peach colour. I think that anything lighter than Peace Tease (pictured above) might make my lips look milky, which isn't really the look I go for usually. I'm seriously considering the blush, or even the highlighting palette. Maybe, because I've been such a good girl, Santa will leave one or the other under the tree for me. Or even a Sephora Gift Card would do ...

You can bet that you will be seeing posts of makeup looks using these products in the near future. There will also be looks using the Chocolate BonBons palette, the Morphe 35O, and many more that I have gotten in my hands lately. I am so excited to show you all my journey as I get better and better with this. Makeup and skin care is truly a passion of mine and I'm so happy that I can share it all with you all. Having somewhere to talk about it is really fueling my spark even more.

As always, you can tweet me at @cherrytrish17 to talk makeup/skincare. I want to know if you love this palette or hate this palette! Hearing people's opinions on makeup really intrigues me. I want to know why it didn't work, or why it worked so well! Also, if you want to see some looks I come up with using these palettes you can find me on Instagram @cherrytrish.

I look forward to hearing from you guys!

So, until next time, goodnight my friends!

Morphe: An Honest First Impression

I didn't plan on coming on here tonight and writing. I've had a long day. I took the day off work to enjoy, and somehow a "vacation day" turned into a "get-everything-done-possible-day". I guess because Christmas is only nine days away, we're all pretty busy.

For about two and a half years I have been intrigued by Morphe. It's one of those "YouTube Companies" that give every person and their brother an affiliate/discount code. You hear almost every beauty YouTuber talk about how amazing Morphe eyeshadows are and how affordable Morphe is as a company. I had always been curious to know if the products really were that great or if the YouTuber's were just spewing lines of B.S. in order to make their commission. I have debated many, many times on ordering from the Morphe website because there were only sold online and in their retail store, which is in California. But when you take a $25 (USD) eyeshadow palette and convert it to Canadian dollars, plus add in international shipping charges, and then add on the customs fees that are applied to cosmetics.... that $25 eyeshadow palette suddenly jumps to $50+ (CDN). When you're talking those prices, I would much rather go buy a palette at Sephora that I can swatch in store and confirm whether or not it's worth purchasing. Well, my fellow Canadian friends... I have some great news! Showcase (As Seen On TV) carries Morphe! I was able to go to the store, see the palettes close up, and swatch a few shadows to test. Not only do they carry some of the eyeshadow palettes, they also carry Morphe brushes, contour palettes, and gel liner! I'm hoping they get the blush palette back in store at my local store, because I would love to have that in my collection. Not only does Showcase carry Morphe, but they also carry a few ColourPop lippies which is another brand I have been dying to test (but haven't due to the international issue I stated before).

Now, the items are marked up a bit. When I say a bit... I mean huge! I purchased the 35O palette which is listed on Morphe's website for $22.99. Showcase sells the exact same palette for $49.99! I know the exchange rate is crazy right now, but come on! That is more than double the price! I refused to pay that, especially because I only wanted to dip my toes in the Morphe pond, as opposed to jumping right in with that red bill. Today, Morphe items were 25% off (I believe) so I could handle that a little bit better. Especially because when I saw the 35O palette in person, it was one of the most beautiful palettes I had ever seen. The colours and textures were outstanding. The picture online looks very blah. It does it no justice! Without hesitating, I grabbed that palette. I also wanted to try the M330 crease brush because I feel like I had heard every YouTuber talking about these brushes. I also grabbed the M224 brush which is a medium sized flat paddle brush (most likely for concealer). It was only a couple of bucks after the sale discount, so I figured I would try that one too. The markup on the brushes was a little brutal as well. Online the M330 sells for $5.99 (USD) and Showcase was selling it for $19.99. The M224 sells online for $2.99 (USD) whereas I believe Showcase was selling it for $6.99 (CDN). I purchased a few other things at Showcase that you will be seeing First Impressions on soon. I won't tell you what, but I'm pretty excited!

NOTE: A lot of these shadows are pulling more grey/blue tones as my lighting isn't great right now. I will be taking more photos in natural lighting this weekend. The shadows are mostly browns, oranges and reds.

As I mentioned before, I have had a long day. All I wanted to do tonight was curl up on the couch and watch a movie. But, if you know me, you know that I lack patience. I couldn't wait to jump into my Morphe palette. I had been waiting over two years to test this out... I physically could not wait any longer. I started swatching the shadows and I was absolutely impressed with the quality. I couldn't believe how pigmented most of them were. Yes, there are a few shadows in there that don't really get me excited, but four out of thirty-five really isn't bad. At all. I feel the same about some more expensive palettes that I own. My excitement grew and before I knew it I was practicing eye looks in the mirror. I wanted to see how they would perform. Finger swatches on your arm can only show so much and I wanted to know what I could expect when using them. I will insert some picture of two quick looks I did. One is more bold, which is more my speed. The other is a little softer. It shows how versatile this palette really is. Also, I didn't mean to use only drugstore/affordable products in these looks, but conveniently, that is how it worked out. Now, please note I don't have any foundation, concealer, or powder on. You are getting my bare skin. Blotches, giant pores, and all!

Milani Eyeshadow Primer ~ Wet N Wild MegaGlo Contour Palette (highlight shade to set my eyelids) - Dulce de Leche ~ Morphe 35O Palette ~ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk ~ Covergirl - The Super Sizer Mascara ~ NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder

Milani Eyeshadow Primer ~ Wet N Wild MegaGlo Contour Palette (highlight shade to set my eyelids) - Dulce de Leche ~ Morphe 35O Palette ~ L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Smouldering Eyeliner - Black ~ Covergirl - The Super Sizer Mascara ~ NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder

Unfortunately, it is 10pm so my lighting isn't the best. It's not picking up the absolute beauty that these shadows are in person. The shimmer shades are incredible. On my softer look, the entire lid is coated in a cream shade that shifts to a soft pink. It was such a surprise when I swatched it because I was not expecting a shade like that. I have never seen a shade similar to that one, and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to play with it some more and create some new looks! I wasn't even this excited with my TooFaced Chocolate BonBons Palette I recently received. This palette blows that one out of the water (in my opinion, of course).

So, now that we know how much I enjoyed the palette, lets transition over to the brushes. Honestly, I didn't use the M224 tonight but it feels soft, sturdy, and everything I would look for in a concealer brush. I was thinking about using it when I practice cut creases. It might work well for that. I did, however, try out the coveted M330 crease brush, which everyone raves about. At first touch it is super soft and fluffy. But, once I used it with shadows on my eye, it started to shed immediately. Not just one or two strands, but upwards of ten to twelve! I'm hoping that this was just getting rid of some loose hairs. At this rate, the brush will only last me a week!

One last thing I wanted to mention about the eyeshadows was that they do leave a slight stain on your lid. After washing off my eye makeup tonight, I noticed that orangey/red side had a pink tint to my eyelids. This isn't something that bothers me personally though, so it's not a deal breaker. I have a photo below to show the slight discoloration that it left on my lid.

     not stainedslighty stained

Alright guys, I am off to bed! Again, this was just my first impression using these items and I will keep you updated as I use it more. Opinions could change, but as it stands right now I am thoroughly impressed. Good job, Morphe!

Let me know if you have any Morphe items that you love or even any that you don't! I love hearing about different products working for different people. 

Again, you can always find me on Twitter @cherrytrish17 or on Instagram @cherrytrish.

Until next time, goodnight my friends!