Hello, Goodbye

Hey. It’s been a little while.

I don’t know what else to say, except that I’m taking a step away from blogging. I don’t want to say that I’m never going to blog again or that Up the Rollercoaster is going away, but I do know that I’ve lost that blogging spark. In the last six months I’ve definitely lost some of my love for the beauty world – I still like makeup, love skincare and all that…but that I feel compelled to buy five million new lipsticks/foundations/etc every season. Nah.

I will likely still be posting thoughts on Instagram about products, makeup looks, etc. And I’ll be on Twitter, though I probably won’t be posting a lot of beauty-related thoughts. Make sure you follow me on those if you want to keep in touch.

When Moisturizer Just Won’t Cut It: Julep’s Night Shift Sleeping Mask

Do you ever experience that point in winter where no matter what you do, your skin just feels gross and dry? That’s what’s happening to me right now. It’s not even that cold here in Halifax right now, my skin is just grumpy.

I find my that my normal moisturizer just isn’t cutting it anymore and have resorted to using a moisturizing sleeping mask every night to combat the tightness. Lately, I’ve been using the Julep Night Shift Sleeping Mask to appease my skin and it’d been working pretty well, I’ve gotta say.

Julep Night Shift Sleeping Mask

Julep’s sleeping mask is a thick cream that you use like a normal moisturizer, and unlike other masks you don’t wash it off after half an hour. It’s very low maintenance which I definitely appreciate!

My skin does end up feeling a bit oily in my t-zone when I wake up after using the Night Shift Sleeping Mask, but that’s a normal occurrence. In general my skin feels hydrated when I wake up rather than tight and dry. I was a bit worried that it would break me out because of the thickness of the cream but I’ve had no issues so far! 🙌🏻

It doesn’t stay that way (unfortunately) unless I add the right serums and moisturizers to my day routine, but but this mask has been working really well as a night cream for me lately. I’m glad to have this one in my skincare routine at least for the (hopefully) last few weeks of winter.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipsticks in Pink Lace, Show of Pink and Berry Blossom

There’s nothing quite like trying a new lipstick formula, so when these Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipsticks showed up on my doorstep I couldn’t help but get excited. It also helped that they came with these adorable sushi props, which is just adorable. But I digress…

This is the first time I had tried a Marcelle lipstick and if all of them are like this…well, let me tell ya, I’m gonna need some more. They are so hydrating! They feel almost like a tinted lipbalm, but with more pigment. Because they are so hydrating, they don’t last very long on my lips but I’m loving them. Sometimes you need a light lipstick formula y’know? One that doesn’t feel like lipstick, but still gives you that flash of colour.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick in Pink Lace

I thought I had found the perfect nude before this, but I was wrong. I have never worn a more flattering and easy to wear nude lipstick in my life. Pink Lace is sheer, moisturizing and…absolutely beautiful. This is one of those reapply without looking lipsticks and I’m so into it.

So many nudes that are this pinky-peach colour settle into my lip lines or look to milky on me, but not this one. Nope, it’s just perfect.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick in Show of Pink

I don’t go for coral lipsticks often, but with all of the snow that was dumped on Halifax last week I was really drawn to Show of Pink. I am not convinced it’s super flattering on me when I’m pale, but I imagine with some bronzer it will be to die for.

The formula is similar to Pink Lace, though it’s a bit more pigmented do to it’s bright nature. It’s super creamy and light on the lips, though I have to wear a lip liner with it because I’m afraid it’ll slide everywhere.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Pearl Lipstick in Berry Blossom

I don’t really do pink berry lipsticks. They’re just not me. Purple berries, red berries, yes. But this magenta-ish berry is not quite what I’d reach for regularly. That being said it is an absolutely beautiful shade and has a beautiful sheen to it due to the pearlized finish. Berry Blossom is the most pigmented of the three Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipsticks I have here, and it’s once again super comfortable to wear.

Can you tell how much I enjoy this formula? It’s easy to apply, comfortable to wear, and with a lip liner lasts a good few hours before it disappears on you. I really can’t wait to explore this line more!

This post contains products that were sent to me for my consideration. Go here for my disclosure policy.

Chorus Superatural Skincare Review

Y’all know I love trying Canadian brands, and that I’ve been trying to go more green in my beauty choices. This has been on my mind for a few months, so I was thrilled when I heard from Chorus Supernatural Skincare, who were the winners of five Clean Beauty Awards this year!

I was thrilled to try two products from their line of products, which range from skincare to haircare to bodycare and SPF. Both of the products I tried are skincare and are focused on oily skin types.

The first product I tried was the Chorus Supernatural Clarify Moisturizer for Oily or Combination Skin. This is a mattifying moisturizer and my skin is definitely drier in the winter, so I need to add a beauty oil under it or it’s too dry for me right now. That being said, I can tell that my skin will love this moisturizer in the summer! After using this moisturizer my skin feels soft and smooth as if I applied a smoothing primer rather than a moisturizer.

And is it weird that I love the pump? The whole bottle fits really nicely in my hand and the pump is so satisfying to use. I dunno, that feels weird to say, but it’s true.

The second product I tried is the Chorus Supernatural Glycolic Lotion for All Skin Types. This is an exfoliating peel that you apply to the skin, leave on for around ten minutes and wash off, revealing softer skin. Exfoliating is my favourite skincare step and I usually have a preference for physical exfoliators, though I have been known to fall hard for peels as well.

I admit, I didn’t fall hard for this one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely a nice peel, but my skin needs something a little stronger. The glycolic lotion is super gentle (it’d be great if you have sensitive skin!) and unfortunately that means that for it to really have an effect on my skin I need to use it almost daily. That’s great for some people but I am pretty darn lazy with my skincare at night, so it’s a tough one for me to do.

That being said, when I do use it every night or every night my skin feels amazing! It’s definitely worth it to stick it out for the results on this one. I think perhaps a scrub from Chorus Supernatural skincare might be a little better suited to my stubborn skin.

I am so pleased with my introduction to the Chorus Supernatural skincare line – I’d love to try their spot treatment and eye cream, for instance! This company is one I’m keeping bookmarked for future reference (and if I ever end up running out of skincare!)

This post contains products that were sent to me for my consideration. Go here for my disclosure policy.

Fast Fave: FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry

The final FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment I own is the beautiful Cherry. Like the other shades in this lovely range of balms, the Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry is packed full of hydration and has a fresh, lemony scent that I personally can’t get enough of. It comes in a heavy feeling metal tube (that can lead to the balm melting if you’re not careful) that feels oh-so-luxurious. (I mean, it should at $29 for a full-sized tube!)

Cherry is the perfect winter red, and with the light tint it makes a perfect natural, every day tinted balm. The Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry won’t leave long-lasting colour on your lips, but it will certainly keep your lips hydrated even after it’s disappeared.

Unfortunately for me, FRESH isn’t cruelty-free which means that when I do inevitably run out of these balms I won’t be picking any others up. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t enjoy this while I have the chance!

New Year, New Updates

Hello everyone and welcome to 2017! I took a bit of a break from writing, reviewing and makeup in general around the holidays but I’m back and excited to be writing again.

Dylan and I went home to Alberta for the holidays for a much needed visit with both my family and my in-laws. It was so so so so lovely. We hadn’t gone back to Alberta since we moved (2+ years ago) so it was so amazing to be surrounded by all of their lovely faces again. The nieces and nephews had grown up so much and they were so fun to be around. I really hope we get to go back sooner rather than later.

Oh! And I met Rae and Rebekah while in Edmonton! We went out for dinner, and meeting them both (finally) was just the best. They’re such sweethearts, and I’m pretty sure Rae and I could talk cats all day and be happy.

That being said, leaving Korra home was awful. We missed her so much! Pretty much every night we went to bed one of us remarked on how we missed hearing the pitter patter of her little claws on the floor as she came to join us, or how she brings us her stuffed hedgehog at night. It was such a happy reunion! I very nearly cried.

Since then, I’ve just been enjoying having some time off and being back in Halifax. Classes start up again next week, and this week I’ve started working again, but even so it’s been nice to have some quiet time. I’ve been playing SimCity, which I picked up for $5 on sale, and learning to crochet…and trying desperately not to nap all day.

What I haven’t done is think about beauty things much lately. I have a pile of products waiting to be tested, but I’ve been really enjoying keeping my skin bare lately. Instead of makeup and skincare testing, I put my efforts into sprucing up the ol’ website a bit. New year, new layout? I love how bright and clean it is, and it feels less cluttered than the old one. There are still a few things I need to tweak, but all in all I’m loving how Up the Rollercoaster looks. I hope you do too!

As for the future? Well, things are going to be changing a little bit ’round here. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not quitting beauty blogging. I am going to be tilting my focus a bit though. I’ve become inundated with stuff and I really don’t want to have any more of it, so I’m going to be try to bring some more makeup looks into the fold.I’ve gotten so serious (and also lazy) with my makeup, so I want to encourage myself to play more! Another thing that I want to focus more on is beauty that alines with my values a bit more: I’m going 100% cruelty-free, y’all. I know that I’ve talked about it before, but I wasn’t ready to take the plunge yet. Now I can say that it’s time. With that, I’m also going to dip into the green beauty world. I dabbled a few years ago, but I was still so interested with having the latest and greatest that I wasn’t so into it. Now that I’m ready to cut back on some of my consumerism, I’m definitely ready.

Not that I’m saying there’s anything wrong with wanting the latest and greatest launches, or coveting all of the lipsticks or eyeshadow palettes or whatever. There’s nothing wrong with that at all! I’m just not there anymore.

Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed sitting down and writing this very rambly post, and hope that you’ve enjoyed reading it. I hope you stick with me while I go through this little transition and haven’t been scared off by this wall of text. 😉

Much love!

-Jodi

Holiday Makeup Look feat. Quo

Usually, a holiday makeup look features a lot of metallics, red and gold, but this year I decided to use the Quo Cosmetics Holiday All About Colour Eye Shadow Palette, which is all matte. So instead of the traditional colours, I thought of the plums and purples in the palette (and the wine on the Christmas dinner table) and went with it.

I knew that they eyes were going to be the main focus, so I primed my eyes with Kat von D Lock-It Correcting Primer and set it with the lightest shade in the second row of the Quo Cosmetics Holiday All About Colour Eye Shadow Palette.

To create the smokey purple look, I used the plum shade in the outer third of my eyes with the warmer berry shade through the crease. I did have to build the colour up quite a bit, but this could be avoided by using a white base.

In the inner third of the eye, I used the lightest shade in bottom row, which is a light lilac shade, and the lightest white shade in my inner corner and brow bone. Instead of an eyeliner I used the black shadow to create a more smokey effect.

Of course, it isn’t a Quo-centric makeup look without using the Quo Cosmetics Holiday Brow Beauty Eyebrow Kit. I used the darkest shade to fill in sparse areas of my brows, interspersed with a little bit of pencil from Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil and set with the wax in the Quo brow set.

Once the eyes were done, I used Benefit Erase Paste on my under eyes, Vichy Teint Ideal Cream Foundation and set with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. On my cheeks I used Tarte Exposed and of course, the Quo Cosmetics Holiday So Focus Highlighting Palette. I mixed the two lightest shades on my cheekbones, cupids bow and on top of the white shade in the inner corner of my eye. It gives a beautiful light from within look that I can’t get enough of!

On my lips is the custom BITE beauty shade I made at the BITE Lip Lab in Toronto, and my mascara is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara.

It’s not your typical holiday makeup look but I’m really loving it! It’s been my go-to lately, at least before I went on vacation. 😉

This post contains products that were sent to me for my consideration. Go here for my disclosure policy.

LUSH Christmas: Yog Log Roulade & Santasauras Bubble Wand

Is there anything more festive in the beauty world than LUSH’s annual Christmas collection? Between the cozy baths and the warming scents, it’s hard to find something that puts me more in a holiday sort of mood. I have two pieces from the 2016 LUSH Christmas collection to share – the Santasaurus bubble wand and the Yog Log Roulade.

Quo Cosmetics Holiday Collection 2016

It’s finally starting to feel like the holiday’s – maybe it’s because the semester is finally over, or the fact that Halifax actually has snow now, but I am officially ready to tuck into sugar cookies and apple cider over here. Luckily for us beauty lovers, that also means there are heaps of amazing holiday collections on the shelves now too, and I have a few of the goodies from the Quo Cosmetics Holiday Collection 2016 to share with you today.

Two to Try: Brightening Skincare from Paula’s Choice

Can you tell that I’ve been obsessed with brightening skincare recently? I now own far more radiance boosting, moisturizing, brightening skincare than any one person ought to, but with the winter weather starting to roll in I have been so paranoid that my skin is going to turn into a dry ol’ husk. I’ve already experienced flakiness around my nose…I never thought I’d be longing for the oily days of summer.

Paula’s Choice has come to my rescue this time around and has provided me with two beautiful skincare bits to share with you today. So if you’ve been as obsessed with brightening skincare as I have been lately you’re in luck.