Naked 2 Tutorial & How I cover my acne scars

Hello my lovely readers/subscribers!

So I recently did a Get Ready with Me video where I used the Naked 2 Palette and also showed how to get a natural but full coverage over acne/acne scars (and any hyperpigmentation really).

I like having a nice natural look so I powered through a natural smokey eye with the Naked 2. I honestly get it, it's a product with a cult following/a lot of hype but I reach for this palette quite frequently. I would reach for it daily but I make a conscious effort to switch it up.

Check it out here :)

Acne - and even acne scars can be a complete pain! Even the 'fullest' coverage foundation sometimes can't get the job done (that or you look like a cake face - let's be serious here) - so I highly suggest investing in a good concealer. I personally use the BareMinerals Correcting Concealer in Medium 1. It has an SPF (so it will protect hyperpigmentation - especially if you're using a dark spot corrector) and it looks really natural on your skin. I paired this beauty with a Sephora Pro Airbrush #57 brush and it's smooth sailing.

I know a lot of people rave about sonia kashuk brushes, bobbie brown, mac, and everything in between, but I really feel that the sephora pro brushes deserve more credit. A lot of people look at them and think $41 for a foundation brush, that's ridiculous. But! Here's the point of difference - the brushes are hand made by brush artisans! And that doesn't mean children in a sweat shop that they affectionately called 'brush artisans' it means real professionals that go through the bristles to ensure only the best are used then hand glue & sew them. I have bobbie brown brushes that I've had for a couple years falling apart and my sephora brushes are still holding strong. I honestly feel with these brushes that you're paying for quality - not for some designer name to be plastered on it.

If you want to check out the video in full then click right here  and if you like what you see then I highly encourage you to subscribe! 

Also, I kind of felt like a sales person in this blog post (just my passion for brushes/products that need more credit I guess). But I'd like to point out that this post was not/is not sponsored and I do not represent any of the brands. I just really wanted to power through some small details that not a lot of people may know about these bad ass brushes. 

Have a lovely day guys, and don't forget to put a bow on :)

xo Hill

My Channel Trailer

So I put together a quick Channel Trailer that is 50 seconds long. I wanted to demonstrate who I am, what I do, and what you can expect by watching my channel and reading my blog.

Click here to view Trailer

My Channel Trailer

I'd love it if you guys could check it out, pass it on, etc. And as always, all constructive feedback is always welcome :)

Don't forget to put a bow on (because you're a prize)

xo Hill

My Yorkies

So I was recently tagged to do the Furry Friends Tag on YouTube. I decided to accompany the video with a blog post so I can introduce you to my two puppy babies, Ivy and Remi.

It was just over a year ago and I was graduating from my bachelors of arts. I knew I was moving home and was getting puppy fever. I've wanted a yorkie since I could remember. I would constantly creep petfinder.com or breeder's websites, but I never seriously inquired. I somehow convinced my parents that it was a good idea to get a puppy. At the time I had my 15 year old Bichon Frise (Basil). He was a Christmas present when I was 8. He unfortunately passed away this past January and I miss him everyday, RIP Basil :(.

Basil lounging in his chair

I also had my 3 year old cockapoo, Sawyer. I adopted him from a rescue when he was 8 weeks old. He was initially from a puppy mill. The puppy mill sold him to a pet store where he was bought by a family. The family returned him after they discovered that he dislocated his knee at his first vet appointment, and off he went back to the puppy mill. The puppy mill usually puts puppies down if they're unwanted (because they can't make money off them) but this puppy mill luckily had a deal with a local rescue where they'd give the unwanted puppies to them. 

I initially planned an appointment with the rescue that day to see a female westie-poo (and she was adorable, she actually looks like a golden retriever puppy full grown) but I fell in love when I saw Sawyer.

He was so chubby and adorable. He was extremely hyper too. I just couldn't leave the rescue without him. So off i went with my little ginger fluff. He is my first baby and I will always love him.

Sawyer with his ice cream cone

So back to where I was, Ivy. I had already done so much research on a bunch of breeders and decided to go with a breeder that had yorkie/silky cross puppies. She had a male yorkie, a male silky, and then a few silky females. Majority of these dogs were rescues too - so power to her! 

I emailed her just in time, she was taking deposits for a new litter. I let her know that I wanted a female and Ivy was the last female to get claimed (she initially was going to keep Ivy but decided not to at the last second). I obviously fell in love with Ivy, she was the sweetest little thing ever.

Baby Ivy the day I took her home

Flash forward to a year later. My mom wanted to get a yorkie because I'm moving away for school this September and taking Ivy with me. So we went back to the same breeder. While we were there I fell in love with one of the puppies and quickly decided that I was going to adopt another one so that Ivy would have a buddy. 

Baby Remi!

So this is my little happy puppy family now. I wish I could take Sawyer with me to school but he gets really bad separation anxiety so I don't think he'd handle me being away in class or at work very well. So he is happiest at home with my parents for now. He has also grown attached to my mom's puppy, Mati, so maybe it is for the best.

with my furry minions!

Ivy and Remi absolutely adore each other. She protects him like a little brother and she likes that he's not overly dominant or hyper. 

If you want to see a video of the day I picked out Remi (and my Mom picked out Mati) Then Click here (the formatting is kind of off for the video)

so sweet

You can also check out more details about Remi & Ivy by checking out my YouTube channel here

Nail Polish Haul (...I have a problem...)

So I've been on a huge nail polish kick lately. Why? Because I feel completely maxed out on make up, skincare, and fragrance. My nails are still recovering from my shellac experience where they put acrylic tips on (why did I do that again? ugh) so I just want to make them pretty again.

My awesome friend/sorority sister Liz shared the most amazing (yet terrible) information with my yesterday (p.s you can check out her blog here). She let me know that http://www.nailpolishcanada.com had major sales on a bunch of nail polish AND there was free shipping. I tried to resist the urge but it was pretty much impossible.

I've heard a lot of beauty bloggers talk about Deborah Lippmann nail polishes and could never seem to find them in Canada (and it's a blessing in disguise - these polishes are $20+). They are currently getting rid of the brand (for whatever reason) and the polishes are around $13. I know, I know, $13 is pretty steep for a polish. But I'm so sick of spending anywhere from 6-12 dollars on a polish and having it chip or completely peel off. I have yet to hear a negative review about DL polishes so I figured, why not give it a go?

I only ordered them today but I will do a follow up review later showing the colours and the pigment on my nails (and maybe a follow up showing how it holds up after a week). Anyway, onward to the colours!

So the first colour I grabbed is called "Whatever Lola Wants". It's from the collection that Deborah Lippmann paired up with Kelly Ripa for. I'm hoping that the polish is soft and gives a nice pink iridescence to my nails.

The second colour is called 'Purple Rain'. My hopes are that it is a lavender colour with a pearl finish.

The next colour is called "Let's Go Crazy". It is a polish from their Fall 2012 collection. The glitter polishes are what first got me with this brand. I don't know what the heck it is, but they just look so good!

The next polish I got was the Umbrella Waterproof Top Coat. I know what you're thinking - why the heck does a nail polish need to be 'waterproof' - isn't it already? Well apparently not so much. The coat says it is waterproof and UV-resistant with a high shine. It brings oxygen to the nail to makes it chip resistant. I am still on the search for a good top coat so I'm hoping this little gem doesn't disappoint.

And last but not least, I grabbed some colours to do nail art with. There's this one brand called 'Art Club' that carries nail polishes with the long thin brush (so that you can draw on your nails precisely). They had a set of 8 pastel colours for $33 - so I definitely couldn't resist! The colours are: Pastel Blue, Lilac, Lavender, Sky Blue, Pink Pastel, Mint, Natural and a top coat sealer.

I had my nails done recently with a bow (yes, I know I know) and I've been dying to recreate the look at home. So I'm hoping that the Art Club colours do not let me down - I will definitely do a review and a tutorial with them once they come.

bows on bows on bows

So that's all the excitement from my purchases. I could resist discounted nail polish with free shipping. Keep your eyes peeled for my tutorials/review. I will be posting the videos on my YouTube Channel, my Twitter, as well as the written portion here :).

I hope you all have a lovely Monday, and don't forget to put a bow on!

xo Hill

But seriously - Who Am I?

Hello World! My name is Hillary and I am a puppy addict, a bow enthusiast, and a Youtuber/Blogger (I guess you could say that). If you haven't stumbled upon my blog, YouTube channel, or my social media before then let me give you a quick run down of what you can expect.

Click here for my YouTube Channel

If I was to choose 3 words to describe myself then I'd say: tenacious, passionate, and resilient (all in the best way possible). I'm a highly energetic individual, a lot of my friends know me as the fun spontaneous friend that is always in for an adventure (but actually, I've been woken up in the middle of the night by friends to go have a snow ball fight at 2 am, bake cookies, or go jump on the next door neighbour's trampoline). I'm an optimist, and I believe that there is good in every person and every situation in life. 

I have plenty of passions in life. I absolutely love my pets and would do absolutely anything for them, I love to paint, I absolutely love music (especially the Foo Fighters- Dave Grohl is amazing), I love DIY's (I mean I have to, being a sorority girl and all), and I LOVE trying new things. I actually made a bucket list with one of my friends last summer to ensure that we made the most of it and tried something new every day (and I highly suggest doing it - it was so fun! Maybe I'll do a summer bucket list video?)

I am extremely passionate about beauty products - I have this thing where if I'm going to know something then I have to research it extensively and legitimately understand what I'm talking about. I don't like giving people advice or speaking about something if I'm unsure or don't feel like I have enough information. Therefore, I can assure you that I have researched every product extensively before I share my thoughts on it (whether that be here for my YouTube channel). That being said, I'm not perfect, and I'm always open to hearing your opinion and advice. 

I don't really want to peg my channel as a 'beauty channel' or myself as a 'beauty guru'. I think that's kind of silly because I feel like I'm pigeon holed. We're all plastic (not barbie plastic!). What do I mean by this? I mean that we are ever-changing. You are who you are, but don't let that stop you from exploring new opportunities and further developing who you are.

I don't want to close doors to where I may take this blog or my YouTube channel in the future. I'm not saying I'm going to stray and be inconsistent, that definitely is not the case. I'm just saying that I want to take my infectious happiness and share it with the world - and how I share it will be driven by what currently makes me happy and what you (yes you reading this right now) want me to talk about. This isn't just a one way street of me blabbing at a camera and tickling the keys of my laptop. This is a conversation - a friendship if you will. 

All I know is that my channel will always have beauty (inside AND out - let's be serious here), DIYs, gluten free (and vegan!) cooking, fashion, and important life advice (but like actual advice, seriously). So if that sounds like your cup of loose leaf tea then feel free to subscribe to me here and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Have a lovely day and don't forget to put a bow on (because you're a prize)

Xo Hill

Sephora VIB Rouge!!!

So I don't know if I should be proud of this, or ashamed, but I had a lovely little email in my inbox today congratulating me on reaching VIB Rouge status at Sephora.

What does that mean? Well, it means that I've spent $1000 in the store since January (ya, I know, but I did buy TWO clarisonics in that time and my mom/sister put their points on my card sometimes). It works exactly like the VIB does (but more!). So if I qualified today that means I'm qualified until July 25th 2014 and then it extends to December 31st 2014 - how awesome is that? I didn't know that before, I always thought that it meant I was a VIB (or VIB rouge) until the end of the calendar year (so December 31st 2013), but a whole other year of bonuses? Yes please!

What else? You get a swanky red card with a red bite lipstick (I still have to go pick mine up). You also get free shipping from sephora.com, free make up applications (unlimited), and 'special surprise gifts'. I've heard a few other rumors but who knows if they're true (such as bigger perks beyond the 500 points, meet and greets with brand designers, and other cool stuff!). I'll be sure to do a separate post once it's officially announced, I don't want to be passing around rumors or anything.

My New(ish) Skincare Routine

So I Recently got into a new skincare routine and have been seeing amazing results! I'm really big on staying away from sketchy chemicals that may be carcinogenic (cause cancer) or are harmful to my body in other ways. However, I still want my skincare to work (& I don't want to be throwing stuff on my face that may be 'good' for me but have no benefit for my skin). So off I went to Lush!

I used Lush skincare a few years back (I mean I've gone from Lush, to Dior, to Aloette, to Nude - and plenty of other skincare lines in between that I'm definitely forgetting). So what sparked this sudden turn around to Lush (aside from the fact that you can read and understand EVERY ingredient in their products and why it is there)? I was actually stuck in the Orlando airport a couple weeks ago and decided to stop by the shop and have a little chat to pass the time. Next thing you know I was sitting in a chair with a mask on my face and a hand massage. I loved the products but I settled for a toner and a sample of a moisturizer and was on my way. I don't like sampling products just to get some free stuff - I will typically buy something if I try it and I like it.

Just a little background on my skin. I used to have amazing skin (but seriously). I never had a single blemish, blackhead, or any other 'imperfection' on my face. The texture of my face was normal (sometimes combination based on the weather) and I had no sensitivities (minus extremely potent tea tree oil - that definitely burned my skin). I had zero worries in the world, I never wore foundation, tinted moisturizer, nothing, why? Because I didn't need it.

Flash forward to now. My job requires that I wear a full and 'inspirational' face of make up. Working long hours with everything from primer, to a full cover foundation, and a setting powder (and everything in between - you think of it, and it's on my face) caused my face to go 'HILLARY WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!" next thing you know, I had insane break outs, blackheads putting up shop on my face, and oily skin. I didn't know what to do, my skincare routine that I was so loyally committed to did not have a 'treat' step that was focused on break outs. I knew I had to change but I was honestly kind of scared - being 22 years old and JUST dealing with break out prevention was extremely weird - wasn't that suppose to happen like 10 years ago?

So my first step in the right direction was towards my Clarisonic (I initially had the Mia, but then I gave it to my mom and bought the newest model - the Aria). Why the Clarisonic? It works with the elasticity of your skin (the brush oscillates back in forth rather than spins like other brushes - spinning can tear your tissue and be rough on your skin), it pulls out the impurities, and it completely changed the texture of my face. You can use it twice a day - seven days a week. It is seriously an amazing investment.

My Clarisonic Aria with the deep pore cleansing brush

So after a few months of trying a bunch of skincare lines (which were lovely - but just couldn't get my face back to what it was) I finally settled on my first love - Lush.

Now I know, I know, I shouldn't sing my praises until my complete cell turnover (minimum 28 days) but I've already been so happy that I just can't help but to share my excitement! I will do a follow-up in 28 days though - with photos of my face (day 1 and day 28) to see if there's a change.

Now Down to the Routine...finally....

So for a cleanser I went with the Ultra Bland which is an amazing gentle cleanser & make up remover. It comes in a pot in a cream form and you just rub it into your dry skin and then wipe it off with a warm damp cloth. It honestly gets all my make up off - which I find is a very difficult task. 

I went off brand with my exfoliating scrub. I went with Burt's Bee's Acne Solution's Scrub. I got this because I wanted something natural that still had a salicylic acid in it (and willow bark - which is natural) to help with my break outs. I find that this scrub is gentle and has definitely helped with the texture of my skin.

Now I'm a HUGE mask junkie. I will typically do a mask at least once a week, if not twice a week. I fell in love with the one that I got to try out at the Lush store - and that was the Mask of Magnaminty. This mask is amazing! It has peppermint in it so it is super cooling on your skin. It also has china clay which acts as a magnet for pulling impurities out of your pores. The vanilla helps with redness and the honey soothes your skin. It honestly is everything I want in a mask all thrown together (and it's green - my favourite colour!)

Blue Steel -MEEEYOW!

It's Hulk Paste!

I chose the Tea Tree Water for my toner and it is unreal! I used it on my plane ride as a refresher and my face was the happiest little panda. It helps with redness, kills bacteria, and the best part? It's alcohol free! 

just the baby bottle for now

And lastly, a moisturizer! I went with the Vanishing Cream and oh man, this bad boy is the best. My skin feels so great and I don't have that awko taco oily residue going down. It has witch hazel (which is awesome for blemishes) and it is an extremely light lotion that completely melts into your skin (also, a little goes a heck of a long way!)

So that's all for now! My findings thus far? The Rocky Mountain that took up camp on my face has almost vanished, and the little ski hills are simply distant memories. My face has a beautiful (healthy) glow to it - it used to look like a perfect place to sautee some mushrooms. I was actually comfortable enough to leave the house today with NO make up on - just an itty bit of lip gloss and mascara (because why not?). I'm starting to wonder why I ever left my beloved lush - they have such an amazing variety of products and it smells like absolute heaven there. Not to mention - you get a free fresh mask every time you bring back 5 of the black pots (so that they can recycle them into new pots).