The Review: Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry/Opal

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Being the blush lover and hoarder that I am, I was ecstatic to take advantage of November’s ‘Sephora VIB Sale‘ to pick up two blushes that I had been lusting after for months with the discounted price as justification. Now, I’ve been using both blushes a great deal and have been loving both tremendously – spoiler alert – so its about due time to get off my ass and start writing detailed posts on the loved products. The Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry/Opal ($33) is a whipped texture cream blush that has the easiest texture to work with out of any cream-textured blush that I’ve ever tried, blending expertly into the skin with a dab of the fingers. The blush is housed into a compact silver pot but surprisingly does contain 0.20 ounces of product, which is a nice amount.

The basic premise of this range of blushes is that they combine their Beach Tints with their famous Shimmering Skin Perfectors within the mousse product, in a way that is very reminiscent of Hourglass’s aims with their Ambient Lighting Blushes, but instead of re-creating ideal lighting conditions the shades, these pots add more obvious glow, being swirled with a more overt highlighter than Hourglass’s counterparts. More specifically, Becca markets these souffle blushes as the fusion of four different textures, “a powder to add a pop of colour, a stain to give staying power, an illuminating highlighter and a cream for a flawless finish” intended to provide flattering buildable colour with a youthful glow and soothing hydration. I would agree with these claims even though they are, as expected slightly hyberbolic. Without having any obvious shimmer in the pot, – contrary to how the flash picture below might suggest – the muted berry shade offers the most intense natural luminosity to the skin that actually does replace the need for highlighter with its champagne glow that it adds. Although I would agree with the longevity of the formula, this shade at least, begins rather sheer – which makes for a much more foolproof application – but can be built up in the nicest way. Believe it or not, I might actually find these nice and hydrating and not irritating in the least, along with being flattering on those unsightly dry patches that I’m prone to at this time of the year.

Despite how the online images seem to suggest that the Raspberry/Opal is one of the bolder offerings of the line, the warm-toned muted berry is nothing to fear even with those of fair complexions so I wouldn’t be frightened of the colour if you are on the fence. I would say that they wear for around eight hours before beginning to fade but again, I have easy skin for face products to stick to. I’m definitely interested in trying another shade in the line but I think I’m even more impressed by the glow-factor of this product and therefore am most tempted by the allure of Becca’s famous Shimmering Skin Perfectors. In a nutshell, I love the glow and ease of this blush, along with how flattering and unique the muted berry tone is across the board.

DSC_0192Recently Updated49I would appreciate it if you would ignore the random flashed-induced shine patch to the right above my eyebrow – seriously, it is irritating me beyond words. Have you tried anything from Becca?
Maggie, x.

Top Fourteen Products of 2014

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Get ready it’s time for my yearly favourites roundup, likely the most redundant and dull – or redundantly dull perhaps? – post of this year as well as the most laborious for yours truly. For the last month or so, I’ve spent many minutes agonizing over and agonizing over the products that would make up my top fourteen products of last year and I’m excited to share these loves with you all. To state the obvious, these are all ridiculously good and I would get on them pronto if their description sounds appealing…

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup ($48) | review
Knowing my foundation buying slash hoarding problem, you shouldn’t blink at the fact that I’m mentioning at least one foundation — I may or may not have also had to include another, (see below) — and this decision required little to no deliberation. I’ve had the lightweight velvety foundation in my possession for over half of the year and I went through a solid couple of months this summer when I rarely reached for anything else in the foundation department. This foundation is remarkable because despite its velvety texture, it’s flattering on texture concerns and general skin dehydration (bar severe dry patches) and has some lit-from-within kind of luminosity to it. I rather enjoy just how invisible it feels and looks on the skin whilst providing medium and build able coverage.

Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation ($50)
I might have only discovered the radiant brightening foundation early in the Fall as soon as I spotted it here on Canadian shores but it could not be left out. I love just how hydrating yet lightweight the alcohol-free formula is, how much coverage it provides while providing that glow that is generally associated with sheerer foundations, its ridiculous longevity and just how flattering it is on my winter dry patches.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30)
During this spring’s Sephora VIB Sale, I finally bit the bullet and purchased this salmon-toned corrector for a rather large sum of money and ever since I’ve never turned back and now that I’m running out, I actually plan on repurchasing and the thought doesn’t even make me cringe. It has pretty full-on coverage and can crease if you don’t make sure that it doesn’t settle in creases prior to application so its kind of ideal for my hereditary dark circles.

NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46) | review
I enjoy a good neutral taupe-leaning finely milled contouring powder and the rosy-taupe hue in this compact surpasses even MAC Harmony in these respects and is even more foolproof to apply. There aren’t too many days that go by that I want to put on makeup that I don’t reach for this contouring powder – and the ivory-hued matte highlighting powder is nice and brightening for underneath the eyes.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) | review
I do enjoy a good blush far more than I should and I might actually own more blushes than foundation and have a similar unhealthy love for and buying addiction and this cool-toned light pink has definitely been my pick for the year. Just like everybody else, I love the smooth and pigmented long-wearing formula that imparts glow to the skin without obvious shimmer and this shade is perhaps the only cool-toned pale pink shade that I like and its a bit different than the usual.

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Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in 734 Grege ($61) | review
Although it has come to my attention that with the introduction of numerous new shade variations to Dior’s quint line-up, they have discontinued their entire previous range including this versatile and practical beauty, I couldn’t leave out this essential five shade neutral palette. I’ve said numerous times before that Dior eyeshadows have my favourite formula on account of the very little fallout and creamy texture and this palette is impeccable, especially for an everyday all-in-one kind of small palette with its variety of textures. It has a shimmery ivory, a satiny pale taupe shade, another soft-matte caramel shade that suits the crease particularly well, a shimmery grey and a dark matte greyed brown.

MAC Eyeshadow Quad with All That Glitters, Soft Brown, Coquette & Smut ($12/18 each)
Over 2014, I indulged in a few more MAC eyeshadows which I remember fondly as the first beauty products that I fell in love with but among the most used were my smaller palette of everyday shades. In it, I kept All That Glitters, my favourite peachy champagne lid shade, Soft Brown, a nice warm-toned crease shade, Coquette, the grey shade that I adore for my brows and to add depth to the crease and finally Smut, a burgundy-tinged black shade that excels at adding some depth and smokiness.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense Felt-Tip in Carbon Black ($9)
In the last year or so, I have fallen for this easy to use felt-tipped liner pen and have raved about it countless times over here on my blog so regular readers wont be surprised by this inclusion in the least. Nevertheless, I have loved this simple pen-style liner that has brought me over to the realm of liquid liner, from the gel and pencil formulas that I enjoyed in the past and its what allowed me to get a hold on the whole kitten flick thing.

MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy ($19) | review
Although I didn’t discover the peachy-neutral matte shade until this summer, there was no doubt in my mind about what was the one lip product that I was going to include. It’s a creamy matte formula that is not particularly drying or unflattering on my perpetually chapped lips, wears nicely throughout the day and lasts for ages and ages, especially considering that its a lighter neutral shade. It’s another one of those shades that looks great regardless of the whole makeup situation that is going on at any given time.

Biacna Prescription Topical Gel ($80)
Ever since the end of the spring, I’ve brought this alcohol-free prescription gel product, containing 1.2% clindamycin – which is a topical antibiotic to decrease and prevent bacteria-based blemishes – and 0.o25% of the standard prescription retinoid, trentinoin for a good four nights a week at the least and this is perhaps the primary reason that I credit that my skin has remained so much more clear and even. This is definitely a pricy product, if you do not have insurance or if like me, your insurance does not cover the product but its manageable and it does require a prescription. However, I’ve had great results with this product despite having highly reactive skin that does not like to tolerate harsher ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and drying alcohols. During the first six weeks, I definitely did experience some skin purging because of the rapid turnover effect that the trentinoin has. By some miracle, this does not make my skin flake or peel.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Intense Brightening Treatment ($39.99) | review
Throughout the year, I enjoyed using gentle acidic products and this AHA-containing cream-textured serum was among the most intense of those offerings and provided impressive brightening results. The serum isn’t something I can use every single day but with my use, I could see a visible difference after merely a couple of months and I don’t say that often in terms of the usual brightening and texture improvement.

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Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40) | review
Although I didn’t try this rich but lightweight moisturizer out until the end of the summer, I couldn’t imagine leaving this moisturizer out of my yearly favourites — it’s an intensely soothing treatment and moisturizer at the same time and not only contains gentle ingredients, but also has antioxidants and all that jazz as well. I credit this for my skin keeping so hydrated during this lovely Canadian fall and winter without any freakouts in sight.

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Pureology Precious Oil Softening Hair Masque ($50)
At the very beginning of the year, I picked up this oil-rich silicone-free deep treatment and for the entire year, I used the tub with a great deal of frequency – I might not have used it each and every time, but it was used more often than not with great results. It smells amazing – as Pureology products do – and more importantly has a concentrated formula that detangles and nourishes hair like nothing else without adding any sort of weight to my curls. One jar lasted me the entire year so the price might just be justifiable…

DevaCare Arc AnGel ($25/55)
In 2014, I found my ideal standard hair product and its this concentrated, non-drying and lightweight gel that I purchased in the huge litre size and I’ve been using it for months and months with success – and I’m pleased to report that I’m no more than halfway done. This is definitely a gel that controls the hair and doesn’t require a ridiculous amount of product because I suppose the hold is quite strong. However, my wavy curls seem to eat up product and they never get crispy, so I don’t always notice, but this has been responsible for my defined wavy curls that have lasted days on end. A curly-hair gel might sound like a really boring product but it’s a staple that I have come to really enjoy and appreciate.

If you’ve made it to the end of this ridiculously lengthy post, I seriously love you. Sidenote – I’d love to know the products that were your staples below!
Maggie, x.

December Favourites 2014

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Although in December I had more than a few new products added to the rotation, I have to admit that I probably wore makeup less than half of the time, much preferring to leave the time in the first half of the month for surviving the exam season and foregoing the whole application altogether simply to laze around at home in either pajamas or sweatpants. However, there are a good few products that I have been absolutely adoring over the last month…

Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Drama in Soft Brown ($10.99-11.99)

For months, I’ve heard great things about this fibre-infused tinted brow gel and I was ecstatic to find it on shelves here within the last month. I was even more thrilled when I discovered that the lighter brunette shade was on the ashier side of things, so while this gel does not have nearly as strong of a tint as the MAC Prolongwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette, I’ve been adoring how natural the product looks as a result of its colour and subtle pigmentation but brow-thickening effect. It does make a difference on its own but I’ve been enjoying pairing it with a bit of brow powder or another brow product to keep things in place and achieve a natural but defined brow. I actually like the ball tip applicator because I have a whole lot of brow towards the outer corner.

DSC_0133L’Oreal Collection Exclusive Pure Reds in Doutzen’s Pure Red ($11.99)

I may have only worn this semi-matte tomato red lipstick a good handful of times throughout December, but given how bold and gorgeous this shade is, I couldn’t resist including it. The warm-toned orange leaning red hue of this lipstick makes it very flattering on my fair skin and brunette hair and the comfortable formula with good longevity suits dry lips like mine well without any sort of worries. Within the last month I’ve been into that classic red pout, even on lower key days, especially paired with say a grey cozy sweater, skinny jeans and glasses. DSC_0131

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat ($41)

I didn’t exactly make a conscious effort to wear this blush all month but chances are that if I was wearing makeup, this blush was gracing my cheeks and I was feeling it. It’s just as great as the Ethereal Glow shade that I adore, albeit much more pigmented with its stunning somewhat bright warm rosy pink shade – I own a million blushes within this warm corally-pink family but this one is certainly unique, leaning much more rosy and I’ve been enjoying the instant flushed effect that it gives to the face and instant glow.

Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation ($50)

I’m not going to even touch on the fact that I’ve been promising an actual review of this foundation for months on end and have yet to write up a full post on it. Although my skin is surprisingly clear and hydrated at the moment, I put it through the ringer last month with exam-related stress and later holiday madness, but this surprisingly skin-like heavier coverage foundation provided the glow that I love, lasted ridiculously well and did not highlight the dry patches I was experiencing in the slightest. This one’s a keeper for many reasons and one of them is just how well it works under conditions of notable dry patches.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Eau de Parfum Rollerball ($26)

With December, comes the whole holiday season situation where you attend various gatherings where you want to look put together and all that jazz, even if you’re not much of a festive party goer like I am, and perfume tends to be something I reach for more frequently to achieve this and this has been the one I’ve reached for, namely because I’ve loved the fragrance to death since picking it up as a Sephora point perk ages ago and its finally seasonal to wear the slightly-masculine warm musky scent. The three notes are violet, sandalwood and vanilla and even my unsophisticated nose can recognize the floral, musk and good ol’ vanilla aspects and this scent feels very me without being offensive in the slightest. It doesn’t hurt that it lasts and lasts for ages, either.

“The Queen of the Tearling” by Erika Johansen ($25)

One of the very few things that I love as much as beauty products and lattes are books and as soon as I finished my exams, I headed over to Chapters and picked out this dystopian novel to devour and devour it, I did – in a matter of hours. It’s an ‘adult’ novel that has those guilty-pleasure aspects that young-adult novels seem to include with some depth that makes it a little bit more stimulating and thought-provoking. Its set in the near future where as a result of the decaying world and all that jazz, this group of people have rejected all modern technology and sailed to a new world, adopting a feudal lifestyle. I’m pleased to report that that this book is the first within a series and I’m eagerly awaiting news of the next book.

What did you love throughout December?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #48

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It was by no means intentional, but regardless, I seem to have ended up saying most of what I had to say for this weeks roundup post in my introductory ramble for Thursday’s Daily Highlights post – so I’ll allude to it again and add some other general thoughts. I wrote about the weird feelings and attitude that I had towards blogging over the Holiday break, namely that I was beyond excited to finally have time to type my beauty-related musings and publish them over here, but at the same time was burnt out and needed time to just lay in bed, read actual books for fun and all that jazz. As I said before, I’m ready to get back at it again with fresh ideas that will hopefully pave the way for interesting content that will appear with a bit more frequency but I know myself well enough not to make any promises about the number of weekly posts and the like with school on the go – I head back Monday (yikes). I kind of can’t handle how fast my Winter semester is approaching.

I had a rather enjoyable Christmas, filled with family visiting – there were 27 of us at our house on Christmas day – and whatnot and devoid of the usual sense of catastrophic stress. The gifts were also really great and I’m not one to ramble on and on about how glorious gifts are without cause and I’m not going to lie, the mellow relaxation time afterwards was divine and much needed. Strangely enough around Christmas time, we had ridiculously warm weather, reaching about 15 degrees Celsius, and for a brief period I was sweating in my own home from the heat of the oven and like things, but I’m pleased to report that as It headed towards New Years, we got a taste of our authentic Holiday weather, dipping to zero and then almost twenty degrees lower of NYE. My New Years Eve was a lovely night as well, true to my low key preferences, spent with a few friends, hanging out, having drinks and playing Cards Against Humanity.

I’m in heaven blogging-wise right about now with all of the yearly favourites posts scattered through my Bloglovin’ feed and one of my favourites of these posts would have to be Christine of Temptalia’s “Top 10 of 2014: Best High-End Blushes” for obvious reasons, basically because Christine’s blog is amazing and I’m a blush hoarder/obsessor/lover and all that jazz. I’m not going to lie, I’ve both gotten ideas of what blushes to try in the future and have found comfort that she rated two of my latest and most loved blushes highly in the list, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat and the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry/Opal, if you’re curious.

There were a variety of beauty things that I’ve been enjoying within the last week or so, especially because of the small influx of products in the rotation since opening some Christmas morning, but one standout has certainly been the Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil ($55) that I’ve either been applying as a moisturizer or before moisturizer nightly and on a good number of mornings too. I think this might just beat out my love of the single oil treatment products because I find that the soothing and hydrating action even more intense. I’ve been loving this with the cooler weather as it has helped my skin from freaking out and getting all flaky with its grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, rose essential oil and palmarosa essential oil blend. I will note, however, that it does contain some potentially irritating fragrance in the essential oils – I love it, though.

How was your week?
Maggie, x.

Last Night’s Daily Highlights 12.31.2014

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I was not lying – or being anything but genuine – when I went on and on about how excited I was to be able to move my attention back to blogging frequently with the time dedicated that it deserved as soon as I finished exams but somehow the promised blogging action did not quite happen. To be completely honest, I discovered that I was burned out and with family constantly around and a surprising amount of things to do, I did not have the energy to even blog about the things that I love most; I didn’t have the energy to do anything but lounge around in my pajamas, drink copious amounts of coffee, binge-watch youtube videos and netflix and make a dent in the books I got for Christmas to read for fun. But now on the very first day of the new year, I’m back with gusto and ready to rumble and by rumble I mean ramble about my most loved beauty products with a few others thrown in. I had a deliciously mellow NYE with some of my closest friends, a nice little game of the classic Cards Against Humanity and some low-key drinks and I thought I would share some of my favourite things for the night. And don’t roll over in disbelief, I have some non beauty products to share as well.

I’ll begin with the more fashiony bits, but just to warn you, my evening was beyond casual so there’s not particularly interesting and coincidentally they were both Christmas gifts – and much-appreciated ones at that, I might add. My most extravagant gift came from the parents of course, and it was the Fossil Sydney Crossbody Handbag in Taupe, my first leather bag that I love and was absolutely shocked to unwrap. I enjoy a good handbag and often find myself admiring the most gorgeous ones, but I have trouble putting the investment into a higher quality one so I was thrilled to find one in my possession and it doesn’t hurt that it was an actual practical purchase, being a small bag, as I tend to go for the larger ones that can hold the kitchen sink. In a nutshell, I love the quality and versatility of the bag, the fact that it’s a practical crossbody with two nice compartments inside. I’ll stop now. The other fashiony item worthy of note was the Garage Tartan Scarf, another lovely part of my Christmas gift from my friend Laura and her family and I love it because it looks nice and all that jazz along with being practical and warm in our recent cold winter weather. I never thought I would be a tartan kind of girl but I have to say that its yet another nice addition to my large scarf collection. It doesn’t hurt that it’s mega soft, either.

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Now we are moving onto makeup, beginning with the newest product to me, the L’Oreal Paris Lineur Intense Brush Tip Eyeliner in Carbon Black that I picked up a few days before Christmas in hopes to be able to create a more precise wing on account of the wetter texture. While this liner is definitely one of those traditional difficult-to-use liners that I’ve always shied away from, I have to say that when I have the patience and the steady hand required, I love the precision that this provides while creating a little wing. Even though I certainly was not doing much, I wanted to go for quite the smoky eye, as I tend to do and the majority of this was based around my MAC Eyeshadow Quad; believe it or not, I actually neglected Coquette completely, reaching for All That Glitters all over the lid, Soft Brown through the crease and Smut in the outer v to add that smokiness. On the lips were a fairly recently acquired product, the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita and I’m leaning towards feeling devastated that I’ve been ignoring the perfect rosy hued lip pencil in recent weeks in favour of either full-on bold lips or my typical sheerer nude shades.

DSC_0100I’ve raved about the DiorSkin Star Fluid Foundation a good number of times in the last few months but I couldn’t resist mentioning it again. Sidenote: I do insist that my long ago promised review of this foundation will happen soon but my love of it is so strong that I take reviewing it as something that must be done in precise detail. Although the foundation in shade 20 is not my ideal winter shade, I’ve been making it work by actually applying it down my neck and that’s the only somewhat negative thing I can say, this foundation is so good. It’s flattering on my dry patches, lasts a ridiculous long time and just looks like natural but perfected luminous skin. The last makeupy bit that I just had to mention on account of the awe I felt after applying it was the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Rasberry/Opal. It’s the most gorgeous luminous mellowed-out wine toned blush and despite having a mousse-come-cream texture, it might just have the easiest and most foolproof application method, just tabbed on with the fingers. The glow is crazy and I’m pretty sure I could apply this nicely very drunk or half asleep.

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My apologies for the questionable iPhone photos! How was your NYE?
Maggie, x.

The Beauty-Related Christmas Additions

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I’m someone who really enjoys scrolling through posts detailing what others received for Christmas but I’m lacking the organization of pulling off a post of that magnitude without writing a small novel while I’m at it, so I’ve come up with a compromise here; I thought instead that I would give you a rundown of handful of gifts that I received of the beauty variety and share some preliminary thoughts and information while I’m at it. Also, I figured it would be helpful to share my most recent product acquisitions so you all would be able to let me know what you would be most interested in hearing about in coming weeks.

First off I thought I would begin with the couple of goodies given to me by my close friend Laura who has graced the pages of this blog before and her family – starting with the one and only makeup related item I opened – a Benefit Cosmetics Posiebalm and Posietint Duo. It’s no longer available online, but it came from a set that included a four-part set including a full-sized balm with a sample size of the matching cheek and lip stain – believe me I checked. I’m absolutely in love with the beyond comfortable warm-pink tinted balm and I enjoy the stain as well, but I was surprised to find out that the balm is far more warm-toned and corally than the stain. She and her family also got me the Essie Nail Lacquer in Wicked ($8-9), a blackened purple polish that is so up my alley that I haven’t been able to resist applying it to my nails – I’m sure some of you are well aware of my feelings for vampier polishes.

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I have to admit that the rest of the gifts, all of which came from my mother (and father too I suppose), weren’t quite as surprising because I sort of gave her a push, nudge or shove into the right direction but I’m equally as excited about these products. I’ve waxed poetic on my love for the Caudalie Vinosource range before so its only fitting that after falling in love with facial oils in the last year or so, I would want to try out their offering. The Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil ($55)  has greatly impressed me thus far despite its hefty price point for intensely hydrating and soothing my skin with a few drops. Its a blend of oils, primarily composed of grapeseed oil, jojoba seed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower seed oil and rose flower oil and although I know that its not fabulous for the skin, I quite enjoy the rosewater scent that the product has. The other skincare product that I received was a toner and I was curious because its been ages since I used one – I cut them out of my routine as they contained alcohol and like irritants – and this one seemed promising, formulated with soothing ingredients rather than the usual alcohol. The toner in question comes from a brand that I’m quite familiar with and fond of, Kiehls, and its titled the Kiehl’s Cucumber Herbal Alcohol-Free Toner ($22.50). The main claims or interesting particulars about the product are its inclusion of promising ingredients such as Sodium PCA, Aloe, Chamomilia Flower extract and Cucumber and claim to soothe and hydrate the skin and so far, so good.

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Given my recent rekindling of my interest in all things hair, it should not be particularly shocking that I asked for a few hair products for Christmas and magically they appeared in my stocking – poof. Ever since I got my first cut at my local Deva-approved salon, I’ve heard great things about the DevaCurl No Poo Cleanser ($25) and have consequently wanted to try the gentle detergent and silicone-free cleanser and I’m pleased to have it in my collection. It’s rather nice and I enjoy the minty sensation along with how its not drying in the least and is the gentlest on my knot-prone hair. A good couple of years ago, I remember being interested in the Sally Hershberger line, after seeing her videos online and so when I spotted a few of her products about a month back, I mentioned my interest and voila. The product in question specifically is the Sally Hershberger Glam Waves Texture Spray ($12.99), a product that I’ve tried and have been pleased with as a hydrating oil-enriched and mineral-infused product to add texture and moisture to both wet hair in the styling stage and to refresh my wavy curls without weighing them down in the slightest.

Were you lucky enough to get any beauty-related Christmas presents?
Maggie, x.

Two Haircare Acquisitions

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After failing to book a hair appointment for over eleven months without any real cause other than sheer laziness, I buckled down and got a good few inches taken off and loads of layers put it on Friday morning. I’m a fan, already despite not being good with change – but it shouldn’t be a shock considering that looser wimpier curls like mine always look more bouncy and voluminous while layered. Anyway, I also used the salon as an opportunity to pick up two products and I thought that I would share my purchases and some preliminary thoughts.

DSC_0068DSC_0070Pureology Curl Complete Moisture Melt Masque ($50 CDN)

After using the Precious Oil Softening Masque for almost a year and loving it, I recently ran out and given my love for the brand, it should not be a surprise that I went to pick up another deep treatment from the brand when I got my hair cut. There is no getting around the fact that this deep conditioner is pricy but in my experience, Pureology offerings seem to be worth the investment, concentrated and effective. I was interested in the new curl range from Pureololgy as soon as I heard that it launched but as soon as I heard that lots of the products not only included silicones, but also boasted about their detangling and shine-enhancing properties in their claims, I was more than a little bit wary, however, upon discovering that the silicone was amodimethicone and hearing my hair stylist praise the product, I decided I would give it a go. I’ve used this twice in the place of a regular conditioner – I tend to use deep treatments in this way consistently – and I’ve been very pleased with the results. It has a hydrating oil-infused but lightweight texture that is quite gel-like and what struck me was how effective it was at detangling my mass of hair and how conditioned yet bouncy it left my hair. It might just do what it promises, conditioning while enhancing curl and not weighing down the hair in the slightest. Two other noteworthy properties were the impressive novel pump packaging and the slightly different floral scent that was still luscious.

DevaCurl Set It Free Moisture Lock ($26 CDN)

I hadn’t intended on picking up a second product with my hair cut but upon discussing my hair once again in relation to products to my stylist, she voiced her opinion that this misting spray would solve a multitude of my hair issues — add texture, especially to clean hair, add moisture to the hair and refresh the curls after being slept on. I mean I’ve heard loads of people with similar hair concerns rave about the spray before but this was the final push that made me bite the bullet. I  appreciated that this was one of the few sprays of its kind formulated without silicones and have been enjoy using this spray both on wet hair as a leave-in and to refresh it, but I can definitely assert that it should be applied into the hands first and then scrunched into the hair especially on dry hair — the beeswax that helps to add texture to the hair in the product can feel quite sticky otherwise. I have to say that while I’m not altogether put off by the jolly-ranchers-esque scent that the spray has, I do not particularly enjoy it and it’s potent.

Have you picked up any hair products recently?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #47

Recently Updated47Until maybe the last day or two, I’ve been in this odd sort of post-exam funk where I haven’t known what to do with myself now that I don’t have classes, required readings or essays and exams to study for. I’m not complaining but its been an interesting adjustment – it’s felt weird not to be constantly on the go and such. I’m also in absolute disbelief that Christmas is just so soon.

Speaking of Christmas, I’m pleased to report that my personal shopping is now done and when I finished, I also picked up a bit of a treat for myself, a book to read for fun. I enjoyed it and I’m not afraid to admit that I demolished it in one evening.I was feeling something different so I picked up ‘The Queen of the Tearling’ by Erika Johansen after hearing that it was a recommended new novel and mistakenly believing that it was historical fiction. Although I was wrong about the time the novel was set — it’s actually dystopian future where there is a return to a feudal system –, I swallowed the novel whole finding it to have that guilty pleasure vibe that young adult novels can have with an added maturity and complexity to it. I have my eyes out for news on the next book in the series.

The last few days have been a bit more fun, festive and fast-paced. On Sunday night, I got together with two of my closest school friends to exchange gifts, have drinks and enjoy a nice meal together, along with our usual craziness. It was great. It also gave me the excuse and motivation to stop being lazy and actually get all into the full-on makeup thing with winged eyeliner (courtesy of the brush-tip version of L’Oreal Lineur Intense), vampy lips with my also newly acquired NYX Butter Lipstick in Licorice, along with the usual glowy skin situation. On Monday, I joined my cousins for an adventure, braving the mall so close to Christmas and although I was pretty much done shopping for Christmas, I enjoyed hanging out, looking around and goofing off. I may or may not have been motivated to go in for a chance to visit Sephora but before you judge me, it was to make an exchange. I know I included the Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in 456 Jardin in last week’s post and have raved about the quality and uniqueness of the quint, however, after much deliberation I had decided to exchange the quint for a more versatile everyday option that included both matte shades and shimmers that worked well as a solo source of shades. Although I wasn’t expecting to go for the hyped Cuir Cannage palette, I have to say that I’m pleased that I did on account of its wearability and versatility – expect more on this soon. Another exciting find came in the form of a 500-point-perk – this really interesting Formula X Kit. I haven’t tried out any of the four products as of yet (the nail cleanser, base coat, neutral rosy polish and top coat) – I plan on remedying this today – but I thought it deserved sharing because of its great value as a reward.

How was your week?
Maggie, x.

The Beauty Bargain |Annabelle A-14 Angle Brush

DSC_1378DSC_1377I don’t know about you, but for me there are few makeup products that are as unenticing to invest in as makeup brushes, despite how much of a difference they can make to makeup application. I might not always admit it, but brushes can make such a difference to how your makeup looks and the ease of application and it’s very exciting when you find comparable brushes on an actually affordable budget. And before you assume otherwise, I am actually talking about a brush not made by Real Techniques and it’s a bit more affordable too!

A few months ago, I was perusing the aisles of Shoppers Drugmart and somehow I ended up at the cash register with the Annabelle A-14 Angle Brush ($7-8 CDN) and while I may have felt a bit of buyers remorse then, I don’t have any sort of regret now. I bought it because of my intense love for my pricy MAC 266 Small Angle Brush – a lovely offering from MAC that does unfortunately set you back $24 dollars – and desire for a second one because of its versatility in my daily makeup routine. Brushes in this format are my staples for filling in my eyebrows with power but I also adore them for either gel or using eyeshadow as liner and I was getting frustrated about having to clean the brush after each use so I’m pleased to admit that while I wouldn’t call this more affordable offering a complete dupe, it’s extremely comparable in both shape and quality, working effectively to fill in eyebrows with powder – and it’s nice with the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade that I’m currently testing out – and line the eyes like its more expensive counterpart. The only difference between the two brushes is that the head on the Annabelle A-14 is a hair larger and not quite as dramatically angled… see for yourself below, if you’re interested, though:

DSC_1381 I’m disappointed to say that while the Canadian brand has a website that ships both here and to the US affordably with their products — they’re only available locally here in Canada — they’ve conveniently left their brushes off their website. I am not pleased in the slightest with this news, I’ll have you know. Nevertheless, if you have access to Annabelle, I would definitely recommend checking out their brush line with this one in particular.

What’s your current favourite beauty bargain?
Maggie, x.

The Essential: La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP

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I do apologize for bombarding you with posts featuring the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP Anti-Irritation Anti-Scratching Lipid-Replenishing Body Balm ($29.99/39.99) with this raving review after featuring it in my recent empties post but it’s due time that I share my intense love for this product in due detail. This is likely going to sound oxymoronic, however, the amazing thing about this body moisturizer is that while it doesn’t perform instant miracles, the ingredients are backed and the product as a whole does what it says; there’s no sort of ridiculous marketing gimmick. As the lengthy descriptive title would suggest, it’s supposed to provide anti-scratching relief to dry skin for 24 hours by replenishing lipids while having a fast-absorbing and rich creamy texture. I don’t agree that the intense relief after merely applying it once, but otherwise I do agree with the claims, as it presumably helps to stop the cycle of itchy skin through rebuilding the moisture barrier and it does certainly replenish and soothe severely, dry itchy skin. My only warning with the soothing thing is that it can really sting when applied over skin that you have already scratched and irritated because of the nature of applying cream on such skin but on the positive side, it’s a powerful way of trying to reduce the amount I scratch my eczema – knowing that I’m going to apply this cream later works as motivation. It should be noted that the soothing and anti-itching situation comes around over time and does not instantly remove all urges to itch ever – the itchiness becomes reduced over time.

Although this is a drugstore product, it’s not exactly the cheapest product but I think it’s certainly worth the extra few dollars because of the impressive ingredient list. It might seems no-frills at first glance, filled with basic emollients and nothing interesting like irritating alcohol or fragrance, but this is something that I look for. The nice concentration of Glycerin and Shea Butter is nice but the quantity of the antioxidant known as Niacinamide that has been proven to help tremendously in restoring the barrier that leads to irritation like eczema and serves as an anti-irritant. For my eczema at least, I’ve become dependent on this cream for nourishing the skin in typical moisturizer fashion as well as helping to treat the condition.

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Have you tried anything from La Roche-Posay?
Maggie, x.