Ebates

Hey guys! I decided to write about Ebates, because a lot of people been asking me what it is and how it works. I've been using Ebates for less than a year now and I already got over $100 in cash back! Which is amazing! Let's put it this way, Ebates basically pays you for shopping! It's so simple and easy! If you love to shop online, I highly recommend that you create an account with them!

So, first things first. What is Ebates? Ebates is a company that gives you cash back, when you go through their website and shop at one of the stores that are on their website. Ebates is basically an affiliate to many stores. That means that, Ebates makes a small commission when they refer people to businesses. The stores are paying Ebates for advertising and they get commission off your orders! Instead of keeping all of the commission, they give you back a small percentage! That way, not only are they getting business, you're getting money back for helping them make business! Best of both worlds, right?

Ebates logo (taken from their website)

Ebates is an affiliate for many many many stores! Some examples are Sephora, Walmart, Aldo, Forever 21, Asos, Expedia, Groupon and much more! Just take a stroll on their website http://www.ebates.ca/stores (Canadian website, but simply click on your location on the side!). 

To be honest, I was kind of hesitant to get started. But, I saw so many Youtubbers talk about it and I got curious and I did my research! Like, it really is that simple and it's not a scam! You're not getting a huge percentage back, like for example Sephora is usually at 4%, which is not a lot! It basically means, if you spend $100, you get $4 back, which is nothing. However, throughout the year, it adds up! Sometimes, Sephora offers double the cash back and even this one time it was at 12%! What I normally do is that I make a list of products that I want from whichever store. Then, when I decide that it's time to treat myself, I keep checking online at Ebates to see what the cash back rate is! If I don't need the item right away, I just wait until the cash back rate is higher! When it comes to foundations or clothes, I normally try it out in store to see if I like it and then I go online to order it! To be honest, once I discovered Ebates, I mostly buy my makeup online. If you're getting cash back, why not? Here is basically my cashback history:

My cash back history

It's really easy to get started and they even have a video on their site that explains how to set up your account! You basically need to sign up with an email address. Then each time that you want to shop online and Ebates is an affiliate for that store, you go on the Ebates's website and sign in. If you're not sure if the store that you're shopping at is linked with Ebates, you can check by going under the "Stores" tab, which will show you a list of all the stores that Ebates is linked with! Then, let's say you want to shop at Sephora. What you do is, on the search engine you write Sephora or you can look it up under the "Stores" tab. You click on Sephora. You will get this on your screen:

As you can see, it gives you all the details about Sephora, as in if they ship to your country and if they collect duty fees and taxes. They even have promotions and coupon codes that are currently valid! Then, what you do is, you click on the red tab that says "Shop Now" and that will take you to the Sephora website. Then you sign into your Sephora account and then you purchase whatever you want! It really is that simple! Just make sure that when you're on the Ebates site that you're signed in with your email or else you won't get the cash back! Normally within 2-5 days, you'll get a email from Ebates telling you that you earned this much amount from shopping at this store! You can even check all your cash back history by clicking onto "My Account" on Ebates and then going to "Summary". That way you can keep track of how much you been getting in cash back! 

There's honestly no twists it's that simple! The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that, Ebates sends out cheques only during a certain period. Here are the dates that they send out cheques:

Also, let's say you started on March 29th and you didn't get more than $5 in cash back. They will just add whatever you made onto your next pay cheque, because they don't send out cheques that are not more than $5! I get my payments by cheque, but you can also get it through Paypal! 

 There's honestly no limitations to Ebates! You can spend as much as you want or as little as you want and you'll still get cash back on whatever you spend! Even if I place a small order of let's say $20, I still go through Ebates, because hey at least getting something is better than getting nothing! It really is that simple and honestly, it's a good way to get money back! It does get tempting to shop when the rates are high! For example, I didn't need to buy makeup a few months ago, but since the rate was 12%, I just went for it, because when does Sephora ever have sales?! Even during the 2 VIB sales that they have yearly, I buy more than I need to, since I'm saving more by going through Ebates! Honestly, who knew you would get paid for shopping! I hope I answered many of your questions! I also want you guys to know that I'm not getting sponsored by Ebates or anyone to talk about this. I simply just wanted to share it with you guys, so that you can save just like me! The whole idea of creating this blog is to share my thoughts and opinions with you guys! So, I hope you enjoyed this post and you found it useful! I know I been lacking posts this month, but honestly guys, time is flying by! I have so much to do before school starts, but believe me, I'm trying to get posts out there for you guys! xoxo

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop: Hot or Not?

Look what's back in stock!!! Yes guys, the famous Champagne Pop by Becca and Jaclyn Hill is finally back in stock on Sephora (online)! It may also be available at your local Sephora, so go check asap! If you read my July Haul, then you already know that I'm in LOVE with this highlighter! Hands down, it's one of my favorite highlighters! I honestly wasn't expecting it to come back in stock, but since it is, I decided to write a mini review for you guys! I'm sure you guys have seen this everywhere, so I won't be talking too much about it!

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop

First things first, the packaging is the same as the other Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors. It comes in the circular spaceship compact. The only difference is that it comes in a gold box with water droplets on it. It's actually so beautiful that you won't throw the box away! It comes with 8g of product and costs $46CAD. As mentioned, it's currently available online at Sephora! If you guys know any other places that carry this, then please leave a message down below!

Another look

The box

If you're a makeup addict, then you obviously know who Jaclyn Hill is! She's a famous beauty Youtubber  that's been around for a long time! I've only heard about the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors through her and I'm obsessed with them! Therefore, when I heard she was coming out with her own shade, I just HAD to get it! I love all her recommendations and heard nothing but good things about her other collaborations! Even though I don't know her personally, I'm just so happy for her collaboration with Becca! She's so down to earth and I've learnt so much about makeup through her videos! Anyways, let's talk about Champagne Pop! Basically, the shade is a pale gold with a bit of peachy undertones! The one thing that I love about this shade is that it basically suits any skin tone! I have medium skin and this looks flawless on my skin! It has the right amount of gold, which doesn't make it appear too yellow! It's a pale gold, so it looks amazing on people with fair or light skin! However, even though it's a pale gold, it still looks amazing on people with dark skin! I find because of the peachy undertones, the highlighter sets nicely onto darker skins! It doesn't wash them out! I know Becca has the shade Moonstone, which is too light for darker skins, but trust me, Champagne Pop is perfect! Lately, when I do makeup on other people, this is the highlighter I been using on everyone!

Close up (no flash/edit)

Swatch with no flash or edit

What it looks like on me (no flash/edit)

It's the same exact formula as the other Shimmering Skin Perfectors! Jaclyn Hill only made the shade and not the formula. It's very finely pressed. It's super pigmented and smooth! It blends really nicely! You can build up the color or sheer it down! You can wear this highlighter for more than 12 hours and it won't fade away! It's the perfect metallic shimmery highlighter! It seems like it's too much when you swatch it, but on the skin, it just gives you that beautiful natural glow! The shimmer is not overpowering like some highlighters!


I know the price throws some people off! However, these highlighters last forever! I've had Opal for years now and it barely looks like I used it! Basically, a little goes a long way, so it'll last you forever! As mentioned, it's a shade that suits every skin color! If you're someone that changes color by the season, trust me this shade will look beautiful with your tan and without! There really aren't many highlighters out there that are universal like this one! So, pick it up before it sells out guys! It's limited edition, so you don't want to miss out on it!

Cover FX: Illuminator in Moonlight Review

Honestly, you can never have too many highlighters! I just really been into highlighters lately and I feel like I need them all! So, one day on Sephora's website, I just typed in the word highlighter to see what kind of highlighters they had. That's when this Cover FX illuminator popped up and I was like hmm, maybe I need it. Surprisingly, I haven't really heard anyone talk about the Cover FX illuminators and because I'm into this whole blogging thing, I just went for it! I love reviewing products that nobody talks about! I find a lot of times, when there's a popular product out there, the same thing is being said over and over again! So, I wanted to try something new and different! But honestly, this illuminator seriously needs to be raved about!

The Cover FX Illuminator in Moonlight

The Cover FX illuminators comes in 2 different shades; Moonlight and Sunlight. I chose to go with Moonlight, because on Sephora's website, Sunlight looked a little too dark (I have medium skin).  So, I went with Moonlight to be safe. It looked like a peachy highlighter that I would get good use out of!

Moonlight

So let's start with the packaging. It's honestly nothing fancy. It comes in a regular compact with a mirror inside. It doesn't feel sturdy! I feel like if I ever dropped this compact, the product inside would shatter! I would be scared to travel with this. I find it delicate and I would be so scared to get the product damaged! However, the price for this highlighter is not bad. It costs $28CAD and comes with 10g of product. Most highlighters at Sephora start at $35, so the price isn't that bad for the amount of product you get! You can buy this online at Sephora! I haven't seen them in store and I know my Pharmaprix sells Cover FX products, however they don't carry the illuminators.

     The compact

       Another look at the compact

The product itself is beautiful. In the pan, it looks like a warm peach. When you swatch it, it's a silver satin finish with peachy undertones.  The swatch is very different from what it looks like in the pan! The formula is also really smooth (like butter)! It kind of feels like that gel to powder formula. It's very pigmented! It also blends really nicely! I love to use my M497 Fan brush by Morphe to apply this product. It's said that this product gives you a subtle glow, which I agree with, but you can definitely build it up for a more intense glow! I normally like to pack on 2 layers of it. It's also supposed to hydrate and treat your skin. To be honest, I always use primers and lotions to hydrate my skin, so I didn't really notice a difference. What I can say is that, it doesn't look flakey on the skin! It really leaves a glow within, which I love! The other plus side of this product is that, it's vegan and doesn't contain harsh ingredients like parabens or talc.

Another look at Moonlight

Close up

When swatched (no edit and no flash)

No edit and no flash

No edit with flash

Since this product has a really nice formula, it wears perfectly! As mentioned, it looks like you're glowing within! You can wear this product up to 12 hours and it won't budge or move around! It wears really nicely throughout the day, even if it's humid outside! I noticed with the 13-14th hour, it slowly starts to fade away a bit. I also love to apply this highlighter in the inner corners of my eyes to really make my eyes pop! It's a nice addition to my collection, because most of my highlighters are gold!

No flash and no edit

Here's a close up, no flash no edit

I highly recommend Moonlight for almost any skin color. You don't have to worry about the highlighter being too light or too dark! If you're fair or light, this will work perfectly on you! It's going to give you a beautiful natural glow! If you have medium skin, like myself, it will also work on you perfectly! It's only if you have dark skin that it may look like it's a bit too much. However, it's not a typical silver highlighter! This one has a hint of peach to it, so it's not as overpowering! As mentioned, the swatch is really different from the pan, so don't be afraid to try it! It's a beautiful highlighter for a reasonable price!


I definitely want to pick up Sunlight now, because I'm so impressed with this highlighter! It's absolutely beautiful and I really hope in the future Cover FX releases other shades! You guys need to check this highlighter out and let me know what you think!

The Baking Technique

Hey guys, so I wanted to share with you guys this technique that has really stepped up my makeup game! It's actually been trending all over the makeup world recently. I've heard about it through Amrezy and we all know her makeup is always on fleek, so I just had to give it a try. I'm telling you it's life changing! I have terrible under eyes! I have so many fine lines and intense dark under eye circles. No matter which concealer I use, it always creases into my fine lines and I look like a complete mess! Even when I set it with powder, it still manages to crease within a few hours! I've tried numerous eye creams and none of them did me justice! However, this baking technique has really made a huge difference! I just started getting so many compliments on my makeup recently and even in pictures, my under eyes just look amazing (for once)! I can basically go through a whole day without having to worry about my under eyes creasing!!! Amazing, right?! I decided why not share this technique with you guys!


I'll break it down into steps for you guys!


1)Prime your face and apply a hydrating eye cream
You're going to start off by doing what you normally do, which is priming and hydrating your skin! I personally like to apply a moisturizer 10 minutes prior to doing my makeup. Then, I just use primers to fill in my pores and I apply a hydrating eye cream under my eyes. I won't go into which primers I use, because I'm writing a separate post on it, but the hydrating eye cream I use is by Bobbi Brown. I'm currently living on the sample size of it, but I'll definitely be getting the full size. I find this eye cream really hydrates and smoothens the whole under eye area. It helps the foundation and concealer go on really nicely, without having it settle into your fine lines right away.

2)Apply your foundation
I use several foundations, but my current go to foundation is the L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation. I did a review on it, if you guys are curious http://makeupcheckbydivya.blogspot.ca/2015/06/loreal-infallible-pro-matte-foundation.html .

3)Optional
Most people do their eyes right after they apply their foundation. So, you can do that. However, I personally always do my highlighting/contouring before I do my eyes. I don't experience any fallout with my eyeshadows, so why not?

3)Apply your corrector and concealer
If you have really bad dark under eye circles like myself, you need to apply a corrector! Anything with a orange base will cancel out the dark circles. I bought a Morphe Concealer Palette that came with this bold orange corrector and that's what I use. However, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, MAC and so on, all have correctors that you can use! Just make sure it's orange or peach! As for concealers, I absolutely love the Maybelline Fit Me concealer. It's been my go to! It has full coverage with a creamy texture! I know a lot of people love to get concealers with that apricot and peach undertone to brighten up the under eye area. My MAC Pro Longwear concealer actually has a peach undertone to it and sometimes I add a tiny bit of it  to my Fit Me concealer to help brighten that area! I don't like to use that concealer on it's own, because it's like the same color as my skin and it won't brighten anything (we don't want that). Always go a few shades lighter! Also, make sure you're packing on the product and not swiping it! You also really want to make sure that you cover the whole under eye area and that your concealer is blended!

4) Time to Bake!
Now this is the interesting part! You're going to take a setting powder and you're going to apply it in the highlighting area. I love the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder! I know it's expensive, but legit it's the best translucent powder I've ever used! It's very finely mild and silky! It also has that vanilla/light yellow tint to it, which I really like, because it brightens everything! It leaves a flawless finish and it doesn't cause flashback! It also doesn't make your skin look dry or leave any dry patches! It's expensive, but it'll be worth the investment (trust me)! For this step, I also recommend you use a damped Beauty Blender or any sponge to pack on that powder! You'll need to pack on several layers (I pack on 2-3 layers at least). It's going to be a bit messy, but trust me the more powder the better! Then, let the powder sit for 5-10 minutes. The longer you keep it on the better! Baking helps your natural oils rise to the surface. Normally, when you dust on a setting powder,  you're not giving it enough time for your natural oils to rise to the surface, which is why within a few hours, your concealer starts to crease! The oils builds into your concealer and it starts to slip around your face! With baking, you won't experience that, because we'll be swiping off the powder with the built up oil! This will stop your concealer and foundation from creasing! You won't get oily and it'll just help you look more alive throughout the day! Baking will also soften up the whole under eye area and just create an airbrush look.  It'll also help your makeup stay on longer! The powder is  key to prevent your makeup from melting down! The more layers you pack on, the less chances you have from any creasing or melt downs! Also, make sure you have something covering your clothing, because the powder will fall onto your clothes!

Necessities for cooking/baking

Laura Mercier Translucent powder is key!!!

The areas to bake (I'm sorry I look hideous!)

As you can see in the previous picture, I focused the powder mostly in the under eye area! I packed on several layers! I put red circles to show you guys the other areas that you can bake. I mostly just focus on my under eye area, because that's the area that everything creases!



5)Brush off the excess powder
Now that your powder has been sitting on your face for 5-10 minutes, you'll just need to brush off the excess powder with a big fluffy powder brush! Go back and forth several times, because you want to make sure there's absolutely no excess powder left on your face! Once you're done, just touch your face and tell me how soft it is!

Brush away!

6)Lightly dust on your highlight shade to set it even more
This step is to help you blend everything together and awaken the under eye area even more. I love to apply the Banana powder in the Anastasia Contour Kit (or any yellow undertone powder). If you're dark, it's best to apply a powder with a peach undertone to it.

Anastasia Contour Kit

What it looks like before you blend everything out

Fine lines are barely visible

You can still see a few of my fine lines, because that's how my skin is. But trust me, it's not as bad as it normally is!


7)Finish up the rest of your makeup
So after you're done those steps, just finish up your makeup like you normally do!


8)Set your makeup with a setting spray
I love to use the Urban Decay All Nighter Spray as my setting spray! It really helps my makeup stay on all day! This setting spray leaves a matte finish! However, if you're going for a dewy look, I recommend MAC Fix Plus. It'll just help your makeup blend together nicely without looking too matte! I always alternate between these 2 sprays!

Done! (no flash no edit!)

Honestly, that's it! As you can see, baking is really just an extra step to your makeup routine! It really works for me, so I highly recommend that you guys try it out!  I always struggled with my under eye area and that was one of the reasons why I was always scared to take pictures of my makeup! Like you guys can go on my Instagram @divya_patelxo to see what my older pictures looked like! Yup, major under eye struggles! Now, I just feel so comfortable and I don't have to worry about my under eyes creasing! I know a lot of you guys are not going to want to spend $50 on a setting powder! I haven't used a setting powder that works just as good as the Laura Mercier one! I have the Sephora translucent setting powder and the Elf high definition powder, which both causes terrible flashback! If you're not planning on taking pictures with a flash and you want to bake daily, then I do recommend those 2 setting powders! They'll leave you completely matte, without making your skin look dry or flaky! They're also not that expensive! The Sephora one is like $18CAD and the Elf one is like $5CAD. Other than that, the Givenchy translucent powder is also amazing that doesn't cause flashback, but it's more expensive then the Laura Mercier one (it's around $60CAD)! Anyways, let me know if you guys tried this technique and if it worked for you! Also, if you want me to talk about anything else on my blog, leave me a message! Have a good week my lovelies!