An Everyday Lip Combination

DSC_0477

DSC_0456

There are very very few things that I like less in life than bullshitting around the truth so I’m just going to cut to the chase; this post is only happening because a, I liked my makeup and b, I managed to get some decent shots of it and therefore it had to be documented here. However, when I picked up my pen and my moleskin book of blogging, inspiration struck me instantly — me, the girl who doesn’t tend to be faithful to daily routines and doesn’t really do that whole lip combination thing has found a staple one as of late and that begs for some sharing. I might even be converted to the realm of lip liner more than once a year.

Putting a balm down first, as obvious as it appears, makes a world of difference to sensitive chapped lips like mine and for this I like the moisturizing but not particularly glossy or fussy EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit ($3). These balms might not work miracles but they’re a nice hydrating balm that work without any sort of fuss.

I’m sure regular readers around these parts might be rather surprised about talking a lip liner as an everyday staple but rest assured, I have not had a personality transplant but rather the uber-affordable Annabelle Lipliner in 405 Demure ($4-5) has stolen my heart and might just have converted me. The creamy but precise liner is a warm muted rose that strikes me as the perfect cliched ‘my lips but better’ shade for me that can be worn on its own as well as a liner with other lipsticks etc. And if you’re wondering, this Canadian brand is available to you Americans on their website for affordable shipping rates…

The lipstick has been mentioned many times before around these parts, which should not be surprising in the least considering that MAC Patisserie Lipstick ($19)is easily my favourite lipstick of all time with its flattering hue — a slightly sheerer version of the above liner, a glossy rosy shade with some subtle understated brown to it that flatters my pale lips — and it’s actually moisturizing texture that doesn’t highlight dry patches on the lips or irritate them when they’re in the lovely chapped state. There is miniscule shimmer in this shade but I never notice it on my lips, even when these fade. I know for some MAC’s Lustres can be glorified and overpriced tinted balms but for me they’re the best balmy lipstick that still offers on the pigmentation front and sticks around without much fuss. I must pick up more… it’s clearly a necessity.

The trio is comfortable to wear but still sticks around for about four hours with some minimal eating and drinking in there. Aaaaaand without looking obvious on the lips, it makes my lips look sort of symmetrical and brightens the whole face. A few of the items here may or may not be gracing a monthly post at the end of the month, if you know what I mean. Spoiler Alert.

What’s your go-to everyday lip?
Maggie, x.

That First Nail Post

DSC_0440

DSC_0443

I’m going to start (yet again) with something I’ve said before on multiple occasions: for most of my life I haven’t been a nail polish girl due to my inadequacy and general lack of skill at the task and its tendency to chip insanely fast on my nails after the effort was made. This in mind, while the Nails Inc. Nail Polish in Bakers Street ($11.50 CDN) isn’t flawless, the formula of this neon cobalt hue delivers the compromise on the fronts of my issues of application and longevity; the polish is easily the most opaque that I’ve ever tried, one of those one-coat wonders — but I wore two for good measure — and requires minimal talent to apply, drying quickly to boot and it might not last for a week like the best Essie shades, but it comes pretty damn close, wearing nicely for 4-5 days (I’m on day three here in the pictures).

It also doesn’t hurt that it is quite possibly the most quintessentially “me” kind of shade, vibrant enough for summer but with that different kind of edge that keeps things looking a little bit cool and less manicured to perfection and fussy. If you’re from overseas, I’m sure that these polishes are old news but now that they’ve come over to Sephora, this Canadian girl has got her hands on one and doesn’t plan on stopping with this one.

Have you tried Nails Inc polish?
Maggie, x.

P.S. I’m choosing to ignore the unfortunate gradual-tanner between-the-fingers situation.

The Daily Face #17: ‘My Face But More Attractive’

Weekly Medley #20I’ve been meaning to do one of those popular but interesting to read nevertheless “no makeup” makeup kind of posts for ages around these parts but as I tend to be an all or nothing kind of girl — either a full face or authentic no makeup –, I’m hesitant at calling my attempts successful in the endeavour of wearing makeup to look like you’re not wearing makeup but rather look better – with clearer skin and brighter eyes than before — but here is my take! It also took about seven minutes which is ideal for a daily kind of basis when you’re like me and tend to benefit from more definition than just mascara on your lashes and shadow through your brows. But now looking at the finished result, I reckon that this is very similar to the picture in the sidebar from my Daily Face #12 – just in case the uncanniness was bothering you in the depths of your soul.

DSC_0437

DSC_0426

I don’t think its necessary for me to point out the humidity in the air today — my out of control hair does all the talking for me — but it’s a rainy day so I skipped out on the sunscreen as its such a bother and I’m extremely lazy. I’m pleased to report that I’m through with the purging that resulted from adding tretinoin back into the skincare routine but I’m still suffering from the scarring and dullness that has been left behind; to combat this, I’ve been going in with the smoothing and subtly pearlescent Annabelle CC Colour Control Luminous Finish Instant Perfecting Base before going in with the skinlike Revlon Age Defying Firming + Lifting Makeup in 10 Bare Buffthat manages to somehow glide over dry skin and uneven texture while offering medium-to-full coverage and a damp sponge to maximize the effect. Although it didn’t make much of a difference because the imperfections that I was looking to cover up were no longer inflamed but rather textured scars, I went in with a small synthetic brush and the Make Up For Ever 5 Camoflage Cream Palette in 1and then I went for the radiant but invisible Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in 125 Very Fairto brighten up the skin underneath the eyes.

Before starting on the eyes, I made sure to slap the EOS Summer Fruit Balm on to ensure that there would be no further chapping of the lips. Because nothing kills the ‘no makeup’ effect like shimmer overkill, I went in with the translucent NYX HD Eyeshadow Baseand while I was waiting for it to set, I filled in my brows with the matte light ashy shade from the NYX Parisian Chic Love in Paris Palette.For the eyeshadow, I was feeling the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, so I patted Strange into the inner corner, applied the peachy sheeny shade named Burnout all over the lid, blended Nooner through the crease and then concentrated the plummy Factory in the outer corner. As I’ve said before, I’m someone who really benefits from liner even on basic makeup days so I applied the Annabelle Smoothliner in Blackto the outer half of the lashline and smudged it, diffusing the line. I tried to keep the lashes looking natural with the separating and thickening L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess on the upper lashes only.

I targeted the dull skin problem further, by applying the sheer and undetectable-looking Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator in 200 Pink Lightonto the tops of my cheeksbones with the pads of my fingers and I must say that it made such a difference in terms of making me look wide awake, revitalized and all that. Because of the minimal nature of the whole ordeal, I shockingly skipped bronzer and instead opted for a cream product, the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose, which I applied in dots quite high on the cheeks and blended into nothing with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I skipped the powder altogether because this foundation really doesn’t require it and I find it makes face makeup that much more noticeable on the skin.

I’ve been really loving my new Annabelle Lip Liner in 405 Demure and I’ve been using the creamy rosy pencil to line my lips and fill them in as well. On top, I applied the slightly deeper but flattering Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose yet again, as it actually appears to work well on the cheeks and lips. I acknowledge that this might not truly be a “no makeup” makeup kind of deal but it’s my slight alteration on it and I hope you enjoy nevertheless.

What do you reach for on an everyday “no makeup” look?
Maggie, x.

The (Kind-Of) Beauty Bargain: Bourjois Cream Blush in 04 Sweet Cherry

DSC_0412

DSC_0392

Hiiiiii I’m here hoping you’re doing as well as can be expected on his June tuesday and here bringing you another one of these budget beauty posts in a relatively short span of time. I do admit that it is rather difficult to call this a bargain in these parts as the Bourjois Cream Blush in 04 Sweet Cherry retails for $20 Canadian in these parts but they are less expensive than MAC and don’t cost considerably more than the more expensive drugstore brands (L’Oreal, Physicians Formula etc.) and if the darkest shade is anything to go by, they are a fantastic formulation in their own right. In terms of details shmetails, there are four shades in the “cream to powder” range housed in these compact pots with 0.08 oz of product and they do have quite a perfume-y scent to them.

Sweet Cherry is a subtly warm-toned slightly dirty rosy mauve shade that gives that natural-looking rosiness to the face along with seamless definition. In the picture above it’s the only product on my cheeks in terms of colour, if you’re interested. Although it seems to be marketed as a cream formula that loses its creaminess as it sets, I wouldn’t necessarily agree and for me and my dull dehydrated skin this is a good thing — the lightweight mousse-y cream formula is easier to work with than traditional cream formulas but it doesn’t lose the gorgeous finish of a true cream, leaving the cheeks luminous but without any shimmer or glitter. The cream blush has surprising longevity on the cheeks by itself and has impressive buildable pigmentation that allows them to give off colour without being overwhelming. And look, I managed to take an in-focus swatch picture on my new camera – yay:

DSC_0415

Although I’m someone who is intrigued by the radiance and texture-smoothing properties offered by these cream-textured blushes, I tend to find them more difficult as they can be more difficult to apply than their powder counterparts but this formula is an exception for me and makes me want to pick up the rest of the range. When it comes down to it, unless you’re of a dark skintone where it’s unlikely that any of these shades will show up without looking chalky, I highly recommend giving these a go if you’re interested in a creamy formulation of blush!

Have you tried any of these? What’s your favourite cream blush?
Maggie, x.

 

 

Oops I Did It Again…

DSC_0399

Remember when I said that I was going to stop with all of that impromptu not-too-small drugstore haulage and instead be much more careful and contemplative about my purchases? Well that didn’t happen – whoops; it was a meh kind of rainy day and my friend and I were taking a casual stroll through Target so I’m sure you can surmise what happened. And I indulged my book-loving soul at Chapters (the Canadian generic bookstore if you were curious) because you can’t come out empty handed, obviously.

I’ll get the books out of the way first. Wait, that made it sound like they were a burden when in truth I love them as much as my favourite beauty items (shock-horror). Well, first I picked up a Father’s Day gift (for the father obviously, who happens to be quite possibly the most difficult person to buy gifts for because if there’s something out there that he believes is worth the $, he will go out and buy it for himself)– Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East— which I can happily report went over with great success as despite not being a huge reader like myself, he enjoys this kind of general knowledge and will converse on these kind of subjects frequently i.e. casually at the dinner table. Because there’s nothing as life-affirming as perusing the shelves of the bookstore and coming out with at the very least a few, I picked up two for myself as well. After picking up a few books that fit under the young-adult umbrella, some weeks back for the first time in ages, I was tempted to pick up the next book in Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian’s series, Fire With Fire, as despite the cliched names of the books in the series and how superficial they appear, they were actual enjoyable reads that aren’t anything resembling brainless and mindnumbingly adolescent and juvenile despite being centered around the lives of high schoolers who decide to seek revenge on those who have wronged them. The final purchase was a typical kind of selection from me, I’ll Be Right There,an introspective and seemingly poignant novel of a twenty-something woman coming back to face the traumatic events of her past, written by Kyung-Sook Shin.

Moving on to the Target purchases of the beauty variety, I stuck to more of a basic theme going for yet another foundation, a primer, a concealer and an everyday sort of lip-liner. Obviously I did not need another foundation (when do I ever?) but I couldn’t resist picking up the fairly new Revlon Age Defying Firming + Lifting Makeup ($16-18)that didn’t appear to have any SPF (here in Canada) and I had heard was a nice medium-to-full coverage foundation for drier skin types with a pump so when I saw this for less expensive there, I had to grab it. I went for the second lightest shade, 10 Bare Buff, which is the second lightest shade out of 11 and considering that there were no testers, I’m convinced I did a magical job as estimating my shade as it has slight yellow undertones and suits my skin with a wee bit of colour to it. I didn’t go for it for its anti-aging properties as I’m twenty years old so I can’t report but I have to say that thus far I’m impressed with this buildable-to-full coverage foundation with a natural finish that remains looking like skin even over dry patches. And, it’s lasting power is fantastic, hardly developing any shine without powder and not fading after 15 hours yesterday.

I’ve tried a few primers and have given them a good shot but I haven’t exactly found my one yet or even my verdict on their efficacy on my dehydrated skin suffering on the texture front and I’ve been contemplating actually purchasing one and giving it a go and when I spotted the Annabelle CC Colour Control Instant Perfecting Base in Luminous Finish ($15-17)and saw that it appeared to be formulated without the usual irritating ingredients, I overlooked its cliched status as a ‘cc’ cream and picked it up. It’s just a primer, to be honest, without any coverage but its silicone-based texture seems to help foundation glide over dry patches more smoothly and add a subtle shimmer-free opalescent glow to the face. Thus far, it reminds me of a more siliconey and subtle-in-a-good-way version of Laura Mercier Radiance Primer. 

Back to Revlon, I was interested in a heavy-duty kind of concealer that would be much more compact than my beloved MUFE Palette and I had heard good things about the Colorstay Concealer in 02 Light ($10)in that context so into the bag it went. I’ve only used this once so far but it seems to be a nice spot and pigmentation concealer – it’s a bit dry for underneath the eyes – and the shade seems impressive, moderately fair with beige-to-yellow undertones, especially in comparison to the offerings of other drugstore concealers in my opinion.

I went for another Annabelle product it appears and it was definitely induced by the bargain-price of the Annabelle Lipliner in 405 Demure ($4-6), my recent success with products from this Canadian brand and the nice selection of natural-my-lips kinds of shades. I’ve mentioned before that I haven’t found that perfect everyday shade and that I’m not much of a lip liner girl but this one seemed to have a bit more warm pink to its neutral-browny tone rather than the dull peach generic shade and I’m glad that I did. The liner is creamy and slides nicely over my drier-than-dry lips and is the perfect match to the my lips but better lipstick favourite of mine, MAC Patisserie. I’ll keep you updated on this one but I suspect all you will hear in the future will be overwhelmingly possible. You catch my drift? Oh, and below I’m wearing the lip liner alone all over my lips and the foundation and primer mentioned earlier…

DSC_0298

Have you tried any of these products? Have you picked up anything lately?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Medley #21

Recently Updated13

(1) The notable trio of products (2) Tea drinking featuring Essie Absolutely Shore (3) The amazing Lisa Eldridge tutorial that I hung onto every word of (4) My mug with the featured products above (5) Notable and enjoyable weekly reading (6) Fringe, the show with the sci-fi edge that I obsessively watched on the wonder that is Netflix (7) Operation clean and move desk complete.

Another week has passed and regardless of how I might make it sound, nothing particularly groundbreaking in an exciting or catastrophic manner has happened and deviated from the usual pattern too much much – stressing about my whole jobless state but not doing anything about it other than consoling myself by staring at various beauty products and gushing about them in the archives here (and to anyone who can stand to listen in real life) plus the whole escaping the heat situation outdoors. Actually scrap that; this week my cousin’s family who own the house next door (and a pool), have returned for the summer (they have lived abroad for years) and have opened their pool this week which obviously lead to some swimming in the gorgeous water. However, in my typical clumsy fashion I managed to injure myself, at the very least straining a muscle in my arm preparing the pool for swimming, before somehow casually ending up locked in their basement bathroom for nearly half an hour without being noticed. Luckily someone else was looking to use the toilet and after they pushed on the door from the other side to unlock it, I was discovered with my lovely dark bruise on my thigh that I acquired in an actual attempt to break down the door. I wasn’t overly injured or actually in an anxious state so that’s a small victory for me especially considering that being trapped in locked spaces was a fear that plagued me as a child.

As much as I’ve enjoyed the change in pace with these posts away from a standard account of my standout products of the week, I’ve missed sharing a few of my staples so I thought I would go back to my roots and highlight a few. First there’s the Vichy Thermal Spa Water,one of those overpriced water mists that I swore I would never succumb to the allure of. In my defense, the mother passed this onto me after receiving it as part of a gift (so I didn’t actually spend money) and I’ve enjoyed using it in the place of an alcohol-based setting spray to help makeup sit on the skin in a more flattering way. The next product, the Now Solutions 100% Natural Shea Butter, follows along with the same theme of simplicity except without any of the gimmick. I have tried many many things to deal with my uber-itchy and sensitive eczema-ridden legs and this balmy texture works better than even coconut oil at soothing these patches. Plus, the thick-textured balm doesn’t leave that oily feeling for minutes afterwards so you know that it’s one to try. I swear I didn’t intend on this but the third is also of simple and nondescript variety but it’s definitely one I’ve come to appreciate in recent weeks. MAC Harmony Powder Blush, despite its name is obviously an ever-so-slightly warm toned contour powder that never fails to add natural looking definition and colour to the face without ever verging into that orangey or muddy territory.

So I’m now off to prepare for helping my cousin get ready for prom (hair and makeup etc.) and follow her around obsessively on this so-called big day in her life. Man, I’m starting to feel old…

What were the highlights of your week?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

The Beauty Bargain: The “True Nude” Lipstick

DSC_0261

DSC_0267

Following the usual theme here at beautylitandramblings, I really intended to bring you the second post in this series much sooner than this but obviously I agonized over what product deserved to be featured next and got distracted – at least I’m honest with myself. Like future-editions-to-come, I’m talking about a product that I’ve reviewed before but I believe still deserved its own mention in this new category of affordable beauty purchases. While the Maybelline ‘The Buffs’ Colorsensational Lipstick in Blushing Beige ($9 CDN)is a little bit too pale and too much of a true nude to be one of those less-traditional nude shades with more colour to them that can be even flattering with even the most minimal makeup (a la MAC Patisserie) but nevertheless, it’s the ideal shade to pair with an authentic smoky eye for that classic vibe.

I’m sure I said this in the initial review here, but I’m mentioning how similar (yet improved) this shade is to the classic MAC Creme d’Nude yet again; it’s not quite as pale and has a much more forgiving and flattering formula on the lips but has that same strong peachy undertone that keeps things from looking ghastly or washed-out in the slightest. However, the scent is not nearly as nice as instead of that classic vanilla scent, you have to deal with that play-doh one but I don’t mind too much. The smooth formula doesn’t dry out my sensitive lips either and lasts for a good amount of time. If I were a lip-liner kind of girl (read: if I had the ideal my-lips-but-nicer shade in my possession), I would be tempted to go for it to add some definition back between the lips and the skin but it’s not completely necessary, if you ask me. And as one might expect, this warm-toned nude is not going to provide any teeth-whitening sort of favours.

P.S. I’m in shock that I managed to write this post without going overboard, actually hitting at just 300 words. I’m aware of my issues with rambling and concision…

What’s your favourite affordable drugstore lip?
Maggie, x.

 

 

Dior 5 Couleur Eyeshadow in Grege

 

DSC_0242

DSC_0234

DSC_0211

 

Although I will admit that I have a tendency to display fanaticism towards one product for a month or so after picking it up, declaring it to be the most essential palette, foundation, etc. in the universe, only to forget it one month or so later, moving onto another thing but my initial awestruck thoughts towards the Dior 5 Couleur Eye Shadow in Grege haven’t change since picking it up and declaring my devotion for it in the least concise manner in my May Favourites. While I know I’m far too fickle and inconsistent to declare this quint my favourite palette ever, with certainty I can say that for me it’s the best versatile small palette without question and that it’s valuable as an essential for me. It may seem rather expensive, costing $61 for five full-sized shades totaling 0.21 ounces, especially in comparison to the much-larger palettes (the Naked Palettes etc.) but in truth, a palette that is compact, housing versatile staples with no excess such as this one, containing both matte and shimmery shadows are worthwhile. I’ve come to expect fantastic quality shadows from Dior, smooth and pigmented without any sort of fallout and this palette makes good on those expectations of mine and then some. They also have the best longevity on top of that.

In a nutshell, this palette is a versatile but interesting everyday one that has the ideal mix of finishes, as said above. There’s a shimmery ivory highlighting shade, a satiny warm caramel shade that might be my favourite thing ever in the crease, a lighter pearly taupe sheeny shade, a subtly shimmery grey that leans slightly warmer than one would expect with its taupe undertones and a rich matte chocolate brown that is quite possibly the most impressive eyeshadow that I’ve ever tried. Overall the palette leans slightly warm but unlike other palettes with prominent warm tones, it’s not too far away from neutral. As I’ve said before, this palette is unbelievably versatile in the sense that it has every shade necessary to create an overall ‘eye look’ but also can be used to create a variety of different ‘looks’ by mixing up the shades. Here, I’ve shown the palette used without the grey shade but that shade is a lovely one as well. If you’re curious, the ivory is in the inner corners, the caramel was blended loosely through the crease and outer portion of the lid, the taupe was placed on the inner potion of the lid and the chocolate brown was placed and blended out in the outer corner. This might sound somewhat complicated as it makes use of four shades but it’s really quite simple, requiring little time to do while achieving the optimal effect.

DSC_0246

My swatch photos were all rather out of focus — I’ve yet to master the new camera in any sort of way as of yet — but I figured they would be useful nevertheless. Also, these swatches were light ones and when applied on the eye and layered they can easily be built up to full opacity, regardless of how they might appear. Now that I have this beauty in my collection, it’s unfathomable to do everyday makeup without it.

Have you tried any Dior quints?
Maggie, x.

 

The Stash Rediscoveries

 

DSC_0175DSC_0203

It’s not the first post of this kind gracing the pages of the blog but I hope it’s a wee bit more successful than the former edition of the ‘shopping my stash’ thing around here; while last time, the rediscovered products didn’t stick for long as there was a reason why the products were pushed aside in the first place – they weren’t quite ideal as staples, for me at least. Here’s the lowdown…

Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con No7 Plush Eyeshadow in 204 The Starlet ($71) – review here

I’m afraid that I can’t take credit for the whole thought that this palette, a luxurious and very interesting metallic neutral palette is either unique in the worst way or the best, as I read it on another blog that I can’t seem to recall. If you know whose post I may be recalling, I’d love to hear who to give proper credit to for the idea. The quality of the shadows are impeccable and their only legitimate quality flaw is that the smooth and pigmented shadows do have the tendency to fall down but as they’re not ideal with their more interesting shades with metallic finishes as an all-inclusive everyday kind of palette but at the same time are interesting yet neutral shades. Now that I’m trying to at least spot clean my brushes on a weekly basis, I’ve begun to give the luxurious palette a go on a regular basis for a bit of a smokier smudgy eye. Today, I went for the pinky champagne shade with microglitter/microshimmer all across the lid to begin, blended the medium-toned copper shade into the outer half of the lid and slightly into the crease and smoked the charcoal into the lashline and outer corner, if you were curious.

DSC_0180

Bourjois 10-Hour Sleep Effect Foundation in 73 ($26) – review here

It’s not so much that I had fallen out of love with this one but rather, I picked up this shade shortly after the end of last summer when I unknowingly must have had gotten more colour than I thought (oops!) and so I haven’t been able to wear the shade that I have or been able to justify picking up yet another foundation without finishing up even one of the many in my possession but now that I’ve been gradual tanning and have been enjoying the weather outside (wearing SPF, of course) since, I’ve been able to go for this darker foundation offering and I’ve been enjoying doing so for the last couple of days. The lightweight foundation with seamless light but buildable coverage sits on the skin as lightweight as can be and imparts the skin with the appearance of naturally luminous skin with no sign of makeup in sight.

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya ($9)

I’ve mentioned my mild dislike for the cult-favourite lip products that promise the moisture of a balm with the colour of a lipstick but this isn’t to say that they are outwardly bad products especially not in this subdued coral shade, they just are less moisturizing and buttery and more waxy for my liking – and aren’t the most flattering on lips in less-than-the-ideal condition. Regardless of these feelings, I have pulled this shade back out again, missing the gorgeous subdued coral shade that formula-wise is definitely the best performing shade out of the range that I’ve tried.

NARS Orgasm Powder Blush ($33)

I’ve been neglecting the famous pink-coral blush with golden shimmer in the last four or five months but the truth remains that this blush is the only one that I’ve ever hit pan on and is a long-term favourite product in my collection. For a good long while, this face-brightening blush has remained my staple blush and I’m getting to remedy its undeserving neglect. Here I go again, describing cosmetics as if they were animate objects, the usual.

I would love to hear your thoughts on these products as well as any recent product discoveries of yours!
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The (Late) Monthly Roundup #6: May 2014

fNiSuJjRQbqYMi%St6iJgQ

Huh; it’s suddenly become clear to me that I’ve gotten into the routine of consistently putting out five or so posts per week and hitting above twenty posts per month, which was once difficult to produce on a frequent basis, but it seems to have become routine (somewhat) and I have to say that it feels good. On an expected note, it kind of blows my mind that we’re now into the sixth month and its equally as expected that it’s been a month of typical east coast weather fluctuations — the first half of May had a sunny day or two but the general theme was clearly overcast and/or rainy but the second half of the month quickly morphed into gorgeous hot summer weather. It was also strange in the sense that the stress of university was over but summer had not truly begun yet … or at least it hadn’t when I originally intended to get this post up.

01. The Evening Skincare Routine

To be honest, I included this post because I was happier with the associated photograph over the other posts included in this series but really the whole ‘skincare series’ in itself was a definite highlight of the month. After planning on doing skincare posts for months without action, I was satisfied with the results of the posts I brought out in the last month and hopefully you did too.

02. The Beauty Bargain: The Summery Bright Lip

This was yet another series I had been planning to add in the swing of things here for ages but in my usual fashion, I kept putting this off so obviously I was more pleased than not when I began bringing it into fruition and not only that, I was particularly happy with how the post came out in real life independent of the potential series.

03. Daily Face #14: The Usual + Unseasonal Lip Favourite

I was feeling much too self-indulgent here so I decided to feature perhaps my most-viewed post of the month, assuming that you enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoyed writing it. The deep red Revlon Lacquer Balm might have been as out of season as things get but it’s easy to wear and flattering so ‘who actually gives a damn’.

04. Spring Essentials

I must say that I struggled with selecting this post, not because it wasn’t one of my noteworthy posts looking back but instead because I’m not crazy about the associated picture. That aside, it was a post idea that had been spinning around my mind and seemed kind of difficult to make happen but somehow I managed to do a roundup of my favourite products of Spring rather than the generic kind of edit post.

05. An Apology to Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 08

It was exciting enough to rediscover the moisturizing lipstick that previously didn’t seem quite right on me but more than that, I enjoyed the more chatty, beauty-thoughts style of the post so much that I want to add more of these style kinds of posts that are neither full on reviews, edits or ‘looks’.

What were your May highlights?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

01.