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

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

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.

ColourPop... too good to be true?

I have always wanted to try some of the indy makeup brands that are based out of the US. Morphe (see past blog post), Makeup Geek, and ColourPop were always on the top of my list. Being "international" has always held me back due to outrageous freight charges and customs fees as well as the exchange rate. A few weeks ago, ColourPop held a sale for four days, which was 20% off all KathleenLights favourites. That's pretty amazing as ColourPop is pretty affordable as it is. When I saw that they offer free shipping for international orders $50+, I was in. First of all, I ordered on the last business day before Christmas and I received my order within two weeks. That's amazing, especially as those two weeks are very busy with packages and there are government holidays in there. Shipping had me VERY impressed.

Not only did shipping have me impressed, but the packaging was amazing. The box was very cute and well-designed. Also, there was so much foam padding inside that everything made it to me safely. Well, one eyeliner had a piece break off, but that had nothing to do with the packaging.

Not only was the packaging amazing, my order also included a hand written note and a booklet which explains how to use each and every product that they offer. I was so incredibly impressed.

EYE SHADOWS

I ordered a few of their Colour Shock shadows to try out. Most people rave about the metallic ones but really don't enjoy the matte shadows. I actually really enjoy the matte shadow I chose. I used Central Perk and it's a beautiful deep burgundy. Smoking it out on the lower lash line is amazing. I also love to throw it in my crease for a more dramatic look. The texture of these shadows is very unique. The only way I can describe it is that it is similar to a pancake with syrup soaked into it. Yes, that's a very strange comparison, but there is nothing else I can compare it to. They're soft, slightly spongey, and a little moussy.... sort of? These shadows are best applied with a finger, but I love applying them with a synthetic brush for a smokier effect in the crease or lower lashline. I also ordered the KathleenLights "Where the Night Is" quad. It is SO beautiful. I created one of my favourite eye looks to date using it.

Telepathy ~ Lid

Weenie ~ Transition/Inner Corner

Midnight ~ Outer V/Crease

Porter ~ Lower Lashline/Above Crease

Mr Bing Gel Liner ~ Waterline

EYELINERS

I ordered a few of their coloured liners to try as they are another raved about product. I do really like these as they are pretty pigmented, last a long time, and are $5 each! That's so affordable! The only thing I noticed is they slightly irritate my eyes when I first apply them to my waterline, but it goes away within seconds. I don't use them every day, but when I need a punch of colour on an eye look, I will pull them out. I ordered a bright blue (Beesting), a bright green (Teaspoon), a dark teal (Fast Lane), a warm brown (Mr Bing) and a nude (Honeydude), 

LIP PRODUCTS

I wanted a variety of lip products. I got a lip liner (Skimpy), lip gloss (Piranha), satin liquid lip (November) and two lippie stix (Aquarius/Lumiere). The lip liner is very creamy and works amazingly. I don't use lip liners too much, but it's a great one to have in my collection. The lip gloss is nice, but not my favourite formula. It is sheer and something nice to layer over a nude lipstick, but I do generally prefer a gloss that isn't transparent. I will definitely keep this in my collection. The satin lip is another formula that is raved about. I find it.... ok. I love liquid lipsticks, but because this doesn't dry down matte it will transfer. I also find that this formula got thick on the inner rim of my lips, which wasn't pleasant, however I could have just applied too much. I will keep testing this out to see if my mind changes. The lippie stix were great! They have a scent that reminds me of caramel corn (especially Aquarius). I wear Aquarius all of the time. The cream formula is amazing and comfortable. Lumiere is beautiful and the formula is matte. This one wears longer than Aquarius and I find it almost as comfortable.

HIGHLIGHTER

I wanted to try one of their cheek products, so I decided to give a highlighter a try. It's the same pillowy texture as the eye shadows and I use my fingers to apply it to my cheeks. To blend it for a more subtle look, I use a duo-fiber brush to work it in. Lunch Money is beautiful for my fair skin. I also use it to highlight my brow bone and my inner corner with some eye looks. I love how pigments can be used for multiple effects. 

Overall, I'm very happy about this purchase. They are an amazing company, cruelty free, affordable and great quality. I was so excited when they announced they were coming out with pressed panned eye shadows. You know I was on that website today at 1pm EST ordering them as they became live. As soon as I test them out, you guys will be the first to know.

Have you guys tried Colourpop before? What are your favourite products? Is there anything that you would like me to try out? Let me know! I want to know what you guys want to hear about! I'm currently testing out different mascaras for an upcoming post. Stay tuned for that!

As always, you can reach me on Instagram @cherrytrish or on Twitter @cherrytrish17. Let me know what you guys think!

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!