Canadian Gift Guide

I love that beauty brands are increasingly getting that one size doesn’t fit all – or one colour, as it were. More often than not, the beauty gods are leaving it to us to mix our own perfect hues for a lot of products – and today I’ve picked out five budget-friendly ones worth looking into if you’ve never quite found that right shade in your ideal product!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Sculpting Brow Palette – $51 @ Sephora
Eyebrows are the curtains to your eyes – or some silly expression like that. Either way, brows are getting more attention than ever these days and for good reason; a well-groomed brow can make your eyes pop without a lick of makeup! MAKE UP FOR EVER has recently released two kits to tame your brows. Start by applying some wax to keep them in line, then mix and match your perfect brow filler colour, and finish with a little highlighter on the brow bone. It’s not only great to find that ideal brow shade, it’s perfect for travel.

Viseart Corrector, Contour, Camouflage Palette – $100
The wrong concealer can quickly make your look go from amazing to cakey and wrinkly. This movie set-quality collection is an ideal way to nail your face ‘base layers’, with twelve different cream products to neutralize redness and dark tones, and elegantly contour the face. Plus it comes in two colour palettes for different skin shades.

MAC Custom Eye Shadow Palette – $42
While some products are designed to have you blend your own perfect formula, M.A.C. takes things a step further by letting you craft your own custom palette (which can be refilled, natch). I created the pretty shadow palette you see above, but you can also create a one-of-a-kind palette for everything from concealers or blushes to some combination of various products.

Bite Beauty Lip Lab – From $55
Canadian beauty brand Bite Beauty has specialized in all-natural, highly pigmented lip colour for a few years now. Now you can go the bespoke route with them by visiting their Toronto-based Lip Lab. You’ll concoct a perfect lipstick, tailoring the colour, finish, and even the natural scent / flavour of it (like coconut or mint). It’s a super fun idea for a bridesmaids’ night out, FYI!

Clean Six Piece Travel Spray Layering Collection – $67 @ Sephora
Your own bespoke fragrance could be closer than you think. This sleek little travel set of perfumes all smell amazing on their own, but can easily be mixed and matched to create the perfect aroma to match your mood. For example, on a day you just want to feel comfy cozy, pair Reserve Blend Warm Cotton with Reserve Blend Rain.

These are just a few of my favourite mix and match products for DIY beauty – what are some of yours? Do any of these catch your eye?