issue 28 // volume 42

 

 

Beauty on a Budget

> Worth the splurge: Beautyblender

Lauren Kelly
Assistant Editor

 

n my previous columns

I’ve made sure to focus on
cheap products—mostly under
$10. However, I have recently
started using the Beautyblender
sponge after trying multiple
cheaper versions and being
very disappointed. A friend
swore that for this product, you
had to buy the real thing, so I
splurged on it. It is definitely

Indie Fashion Feature: SciFeye Candy

worth the $28 price tag.

The Beautyblender is
an egg-size sponge with one
round end and one end that
tapers into a point. The round
is for the majority of your face,
but the point can be used for
anywhere needing a more precise
application, such as around your
eyes and nostrils. To use it, you
need to wet and squeeze it out
first, then dot foundation onto
your face use the sponge to blend
it in using light handed patting
motions. It comes in many sizes,

> Putting the play back in foreplay

Brittney MacDonald
Life and Style Editor

 

feel like I have done a disservice
in some small way by not
presenting independent fashion
options from a more local
perspective. Yes, the outside world
is a big, beautiful place filled
with flounce skirts and enticing
handbags, but Canada definitely
has its share of independent
fashion labels to choose from. One
that I see quite often is SciFeye
Candy, a line devoted to nerd
inspired swimwear and lingerie.
With local proponents such
as Lush Prime Cosplay and even
international names such as
Jessica Nigiri toting the quality of
this label I wasn’t surprised to find
that the various styles and quality
of the garments was impressive.
Based out of Toronto, SciFeye
Candy doesn’t shy away from the
sexy, but with the nerdy edge
that puts them at home at the

many Canadian conventions,
including Vancouver’s own
Anime Revolution, which they
have frequented in years past.

Due to its extremely varied
convention scene, Vancouver has
an overwhelming amount of nerdy
day events and adult-themed
cosplay/costume events on a fairly
regular basis—and with summer
just around the corner, the
number of these events popping
up is sure to increase, Half the fun
of these events is being able to
dress up and party alongside your
geeky friends, so having a quick,
cute, sexy look you can pop on
for in the club just in the back of
your drawer is always a bonus.

I'm not going to lie, a lot of
SciFeye Candy’s more costume-y
looks, such as their Sailor Moon
or Kill la Kill swimwear lines
would probably be a pain in
the butt to wear in the water.
However, the quality ensures
that, should you choose to, you

colours, and purposes now, but
the hot pink one is the basic
and most famous version.

I have a fantastic MAC
foundation brush, but I’ve found
that it takes so long to make my
face look perfect with it, and I
don’t usually have the time to do
it. The Beautyblender has been a
huge time saver for me. I’ve even
been able to do most of my face
without a mirror while I’m doing
other things. The coverage is
great as well, and very buildable
which is exactly what I need.

definitely could cannon-ball to
your heart’s content. There’s no
doubt about it, certain styles are
more costumes than they are
day-to-day wear, but with the
variety of styles that this label has
they do offer some simpler looks
you could take to the water park
or sport under your clothes.

My only complaint about
this line is that there is a very
“homemade” aspect to it.
Comparing the garments to
their store bought counterparts;
there is no doubt which one
was made by an independent.
This isn’t necessarily a bad
thing, as it almost makes me
more confident in the quality
of the garments because I can
see how much attention to
detail is paid to the product.

You can find SciFeye Candy
in the Dealer’s Hall of various
Vancouver conventions, as
well as online at www.etsy.
com/shop/ SciFeyeCandy

Just a few words of caution
before you get one. When I
purchased mine, I made the
mistake of going with the “Red
Carpet” version because I loved
the colour. On my first use
of it, I noticed some red dye
bleeding, but I assumed that
would stop after a few uses.

It’s still bleeding after three
weeks, and J am planning to
exchange it for another one. After
researching the product after to
see if mine was faulty, almost all
reviews of this colour mentioned

 

life & style // no. 17

Image via instyle.com

it, and most recommended
switching to the aforementioned
pink Beautyblender, or the
black Beautyblender Pro.
Make sure to watch for these
when shopping for one!

The Beautyblender line
of products is available at
Sephora, as well as cleaners for
their products. However, you
can wash them with soap as
well to save more money. Just
make sure to wring the soap out
well before you use it. Enjoy!

Image via www.etsy.com