The 2015 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | Under $25 & Stocking Stuffers

Welcome to Gift Guide Week! All week long I am going to have cherry picked gifting ideas for you that I've personally tried and tested and can vouch for their incredible awesomeness. Today I am jumping in with the Under $25 range as well as Stocking Stuffers. Whether it's for a secret gift exchange at work, or a token gift for a friend or just an extra to add to an existing present, I've got some great ideas for you!

The Face Oil for People Who Hate the Feel of Oil | NUDE ProGenius Omega Treatment Rescue

One of the first things I hear when I tell people about facial oils is: "You put oil on your face!?!". There's a stigma attached to oils with many connecting oil to breakouts, but what most don't understand is the difference between good oils and bad oils. Mineral oil? Bad (clogs pores, doesn't absorb by the skin, is a cheap filler that has no skin benefits). Rosehip oil? Good (helps reduce ages/sun spots, hydrates and balances the skin). The second thing I hear is: "But I don't like the feel of oil on my face!" and that is where NUDE ProGenius Omega Treatment Rescue Oil fits in friends. It's the oil for people who don't like, or are scared of oils. Let's talk about that...

Laura Mercier Matte to Metal Caviar Eye Colour Set for Holiday 2015

One of the best purchases I made last year was the holiday set of Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Colours - I  did a full review of it here.  As a big fan of the formula and ease of use, I was thrilled to see that for Holiday 2015 there was another set, the Laura Mercier Matte to Metal Collection*, this time with six shades, including two more satin finish versions!

The Problem Solvers Series | Avoiding the Dreaded Cake Face

One of the biggest problems I find with applying makeup, especially foundation, is that it sometimes just doesn't sit very well on my dry skin. Oppositely, when you have oily skin and need to layer your products to ensure lasting power, sometimes things get a little much. I'm talking about cake face people. It can happen when there is too much product, or the skin texture isn't smooth, or purely because it isn't the right product for your skin type, and it's not pretty. Here's my tips for getting that flawless base without the dreaded cake face.

Urban Decay X Gwen Stefani | The Palette

When I heard that Gwen Stefani of No Doubt fame was teaming up with Urban Decay and designing a limited edition eyeshadow palette, I instantly knew I 'needed' it. As a fan from the early days, I've always found Gwen to have bold, unique style, which is a bit of a match made in heaven for Urban Decay as a brand.  Needless to say, I was reasonably excited when the Gwen Stefani Palette showed up this week (or unreasonably so - there might have been a squeak of joy or two!). Keep reading for a breakdown of the shades included in the post below!

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream

I suppose it is time I had this much-hyped, ridiculously long-named product here on Girl Loves Gloss. I'm of course talking about the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream* (seriously, could there be any more words in that name!?). The brand claims that this product combines a full coverage color correcting ("CC") cream with an anti-aging serum, and a broad spectrum physical SPF of 50. Besides these huge claims, the product has a huge following so I knew it was time to put it to the test.

Charlotte Tilbury Does it Again! | Eyes to Mesmerize Eyeshadows

I might be at the point where I wonder if she can do wrong when it comes to the cosmetic world (besides the fact that she openly sleeps with her makeup on!), but the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize have knocked it out of the park earning another hit for the makeup marvel. 

I recently got my hands on some of these little pots of self proclaimed 'long lasting easy colour' to put them to the test, and I was not disappointed... 

Sunday Splurges | Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm

With the colder winter months approaching it seems like no betting time to me to treat yourself, or someone special to a luxurious, uber moisturizing body balm. After getting an incredible arm massage from the Tata Harper representative a couple months back with the Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm, I was sold.... or should I say my Grandmother was sold because she very kindly treated me and herself to this amazingly lush balm. I've raved about Tata's products before, and this balm is no exception. Besides the fact that it is free of synthetics, toxins, fillers, artificial fragrances and colours, the brand is also cruelty free. So what is in it that makes it so amazing?

The Artistry Series Vol #2 | Laura Mercier (+ Giveaway!)

"Love Yourself Before You Can Love Someone Else"

-Laura Mercier

I'm thrilled to be bringing you all another volume of The Artistry Series, this time spotlighting the beautiful Laura Mercier. Starting out in a Parisian Art School for drawing and painting, Laura's career jump started in 1985 when she moved to New York to work for Elle Magazine. Then after a photoshoot for Vogue, she was hired on as Madonna's personal makeup artist (that might be when you know you've 'made it' so to speak!)
Celebrity name dropping aside (because Laura never actually had the desire to work with movie stars and pop princesses for her career goal in the beginning, she just aimed to make women feel pretty), I think the brand has to be one of my favourites simply because I know the products are reliably well made and make for effortless prettying up.  Keep reading to see what my must have Laura Mercier products are, as well as stick around to enter the giveaway (open worldwide!)

Revisiting H&M Beauty | The Colour Essence Eye Pencils

I posted a couple weeks back that I had picked up a lipstick from the new H&M beauty range and that it had really surprised me in terms of texture, formula and pigment - you can read the review here. So naturally I had to pop back into H&M to see what else the range had to offer, and after covering both hands and wrists in swatches, and testing almost every darn product in the 700 piece range, I chose to try the Colour Essence Eye Pencils which were a super affordable $7 CND. I have some definite thoughts on these, and the rest of the range, so let's break it down...

MASCARA MONDAY | YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara

I always really love doing the Mascara Monday post on a luxury brand mascara, because for years I was 110% a drugstore mascara girl and truly felt that something priced at $36 couldn't possibly be better than my $10 favourite. 

Well sometimes that is true, and sometimes it isn't. Today I am putting an absolute cult classic to the test, Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara to see if it really is as good as everyone says it is!

Shopping a Sale Savvy | My Picks for the Sephora VIB Rouge 2015 Sale

If you've spent a questionable amount of money at Sephora in the last year than you might have VIB, or even VIB Rouge status. If that's the case then you my lucky friend will get a chance to shop with a 20% discount for the next few days! Now all that choice can be overwhelming, so I've compiled some tips for shopping the sale, as well as my picks for some amazing items to pick up with the awesome discount...

This Just In | Urban Decay's 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencils

Having been a huge fan of Urban Decay's 24/7 Eyeliner Pencils for years now, it's no surprise to me that the brand finally released a new eyeliner that is actually formulated to stay around in waterline. For some this might mean nothing, but if you have watery eyes like me, struggle with allergies or are prone to get product buildup in the inner corners (nothing like gross black eye goop!) than the Urban Decay 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencils  are seriously worth considering. I got ahold of all five shades in the range and put them to the test to see if they really do hold up to their big claims, keep reading to hear my thoughts...

Favourites | October 2015 Best of Beauty

We're a couple days into November now and I feel like the Vancouver weather has suddenly caught on that this is normally the dreary season. The last few weeks have been rainy, cooler in temperature and have wrecked a little havoc with my skin. This of course has led to some incredible skincare bits in my favourites this month, as well as some more Autumnal makeup choices. Keep reading to find out what I kept reaching for this last month...

Sunday Steals | E.L.F Smudge Pot Cream Eyeshadows

Possibly one of the best Sunday Steals going in terms of price, the E.L.F Smudge Pots check in at $4 CND! When I saw these I instantly doubted they would be any good, because most of my run ins with drugstore cream shadows have left greasy, creasing messes. Knowing that E.L.F (that stands for Eyes Lips Face, if you're new to the brand) makes some pretty decent products for an insanely affordable price, I figured it couldn't hurt to pick up a few for trying. So, did they hold up to higher end cream shadows?