The Acquisition: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

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Being as foundation obsessed as I am (with hoarding tendencies to match), it is rather shocking that I haven’t added a Chanel foundation to my stash until the last week but I assure you, it was merely an oversight on my part due to the fact that it isn’t sold at my usual beauty shopping spots and that I assumed that the luxurious foundations, toted by Lisa Eldridge (our makeup idol) as those new generation second-skin bases, would be a whole lot more expensive than they actually are. The Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup ($48 CDN) contains SPF 15 but neither irritates my sensitive skin or causes the dreaded flashback effect and I picked up the latest offering in the lightest shade of the beige range, ’10’ which I would say is a good match for my moderately fair skin with yellow-beige undertones year round (with the addition of some bronzer as I gain a wee bit of colour). The shade range does leave much to be desired considering that I’m by no means the fairest of the fair and they don’t exactly cater to those with deeper skintones either. And before I get onto the good (there’s a lot of good to be said, by the way), I feel compelled to mention that the formula contains potentially problematic fragrance and alcohol — although much less alcohol than its sister foundation. I have skin that becomes irritated at the drop of a hat and it doesn’t seem to be bothered by it even currently in its sensitized state.

Not that this isn’t a fabulous everyday foundation year-round, this strikes me as the perfect summer foundation, being absolutely weightless on the skin providing good oil control on my normal t-zone and somehow gliding over the dry patches (that I have plenty of at the moment courtesy of returning to using retinoids and purging). While looking almost undetectable on the skin, the foundation provides medium buildable coverage and the luminous yet velvety semi-matte finish glides over imperfections. This sounds absolutely ridiculous but the foundation ticks all of the boxes and is noteworthy for its ability to look like skin on drier complexions while being on the more matte side of things.

Although the compact black-packaged beauty gets dirty quickly, its practicality and aesthetic appeal grants it my sign of approval. As I’m sure you’ve heard before, this is the kind of foundation that is on the runnier side of things and therefore must be shaken before use and does tend to be best applied with fingers, especially considering that before long it sets to that velvety finish. I’m kind of in love, if you can’t tell already and have been reaching for this one above all others in my plentiful stash

P.S. I’m only wearing concealer underneath my eyes and on one random red spot on my forehead and there’s no powder involved here.

Have you tried the foundation?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #20

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(1) Me + The Camera: The Cliched Blogger Selfie (2) the pre-evening out face (3) My new love (and an actual instagram photo) (4) my new youtuber discovery, Allana Davison (5) evening out take two photo (6) wrote up my first daily highlights post (7) Monday’s Daily Face (8) delicious Mojito on night out with friends (9) the birthday beauty-related gifts

 

It’s been yet another week of gorgeous weather — enough so that it seems as Summer has sprung upon us a wee bit early. I mentioned in last week’s post of this variety that it was my birthday (on Sunday as I was writing the post) but it falls more easily into this weeks territory. I had a great low key day and a nice family supper out the night before in celebration and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wish that I had had the foresight to photograph the low-fructose fluffy ricotta cake that my mother baked for me but I imagine that your imagination will bring you close enough for all intents and purposes.

I’m really not the easiest person to please but I must say that I received some really lovely gifts from my family and close friends. Although my main gift was a wee bit late, I have to say that the Nikon D3100that I received from my parents and brother was well worth the hiatus. Prior to beginning this little blog here, I was not someone with any sort of interest in photography and certainly did not possess any sort of skill in the whole endeavour so its definitely still a journey in progress but I’m loving my camera (and the improved pictures IMO) as I’m learning. It was quite a generous gift even when my brother chipped in and provided his legitimate knowledge of photography.

From the parental unit, I also received a gorgeous rose gold necklace that actually excites me, the girl who generally speaking has a no-jewelry policy, a few other odds and ends that aren’t coming to mind and those hair products that I had hinted that I wanted to restock on – the litre size of the firmer hold gel, the DevaCare Arc AnGel and another bottle of DevaCurl B’Leave In. From other family members and friends, I got a gorgeous maxidress, a few Essie polishes, a lovely new teacup, a heavenly selection of magazines, an intriguing book and a much-appreciated gift card. I’m not an ‘it’s all about the gifts’ kind of girl but nevertheless were they lovely.

The evening out photos above were from Saturday night when I met up with my best friends from university and we had a low key and hilarious night out featuring delicious pasta, wonderful cocktails from Morris East, brownies cooked by my lovely friend (who got me the book) and a later night full of nostalgia, watching early episodes of The Vampire Diaries. It was my kind of night, obviously.

I’m definitely repeating myself by saying this here but I’m going to risk the redundancy; as a little (HA!) birthday gift to myself, I picked up this little beauty of a foundation by Chanel when perusing the recently moved local Halifax department store, Mills — with absolutely fantastic service, I might add. I might have possibly slightly fallen in love with the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation.It has less alcohol content than its sister product, feels like nothing on the skin in even the hottest conditions, provides surprisingly good coverage and with its luminous but matte finish, doesn’t cling to my dry patches in the slightest. Win.

How was your week?
Maggie, x.

The Daily Highlights 06.07.2014

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Sometimes a girl just wants to ramble on about her noteworthy beauty products along with a random one or two highlights of her day without following any sort of other structure. Sometimes may just be today, if I wasn’t transparent enough in the sentence above. This is for the most part another low key Saturday but with the addition of meeting my closest friends from University who I love dearly out for dinner and it shall be fabulous.

Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino: This hella pigmented and affordable blush might have been passed over and neglected in recent months but last summer in the early days of the blog, I instantly fell out of this one but then about of month after I fell out of love, being as fickle as I am. The texture of the warm rusty berry shade with golden shimmer is a little dry and difficult to blend so unless it is applied carefully to your cheeks, it can go more than a little patchy, especially if you’re on the fairer side of the spectrum like me. Because of how wrong this blush has the potential to go when applied, I cast this aside early last Fall and have only just picked it up again on a whim. I’m careful to apply the blush sparingly with either my fanbrush that I’ve had for ages or the lovely Real Techniques Stippling Blush and I’m left with a flattering rosy flush that lasts for ages and ages on the skin without fading that looks kind of like the skin is naturally blushing but infinitely more attractive.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup in 10:Are any regular readers of the blog surprised? Earlier in the week in my daily face post, I kind of revealed my newfound obsession with my first Chanel purchase and it has only grown. The funny thing is that this isn’t a foundation I would expect to like with skin that lies on the dry and dehydrated side of things and balks at anything close to resembling a matte finish particularly if there is some alcohol content in the formula. I actually was interested in this one initially because there was notably less alcohol in this formula than the Vitalumiere Aqua and I wanted to try one of these weightless bases that just look like skin. While feeling like there’s nothing on your skin and not clinging to dry patches or the like despite the semi-matte finish, the liquidy base provides medium coverage that is buildable without looking dull and heavy fast. Also, the semi-matte finish also leaves some glow to the skin despite quickly setting to the velvety powdery finish and truly does look like skin. In my trials of wearing this thus far, it seems to be the perfect foundation for the summer heat as it holds up so well and feels like nothing. Plus I wore this and did some running and had less than a negligible sheen three hours later on my normal-ish t-zone. You can expect more raves on this soon and so many that you’ll be sick of me it appears.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Rollerball:Fun fact — I’m not much of a perfume girl, not because I don’t love nice scented things and the whimsy of it all but because I’m kind of selective with my obsessive beauty-related hoarding and spending. I’m not someone who loves the strongest fragrance in the world and who isn’t generally bothered by fragrance in everyday life but gets headaches from being in mere proximity to Bath and Body Works and the like and also can’t be bothered to add an extra step to remember but after picking this one up as one of those lovely point perks at Sephora, I’m enjoying it. It’s definitely more of an evening or done up scent for me but man is it one that I’m considering breaking my self-imposed rule for. It’s not stereotypically girlie in any way – especially not in that fruity way that I abhor – and has a slightly musky element to it paired with the warmth of vanilla but doesn’t go into too masculine territory. It’s not a shy delicate kind of fragrance but instead is one that is meant to be a little  bit stronger in the most understated way, giving of an air of that effortless cool aesthetic that I strive for. I hope some of this was written in comprehensible English but I wouldn’t bet on it per se…

Club Monaco Pastel Open Jacket (last year):Certainly within the last month (but I’m not sure exactly when), I talked about my interest in looking like a presentable human attire-wise and incorporating some style tidbits in with the beauty so here I am making good on this offer. This is definitely as splurge-y as things in my closet go, even though I got it on sale with my additional student discount as a special occasion gift but it’s one of those special pieces that fit like a dream and somehow seem worthwhile. The jacket itself is a muted seafoam shade with silver zipper accents on the sides and its open nature gives the jacket a laid-back kind of feel without compensating on the mega-flattering fit. I’m not one to delude myself into thinking that I have the means to spend this kind of money on clothes but the layout of the stores and the amazing clothes seem to have me wondering in on occasion against my own will – sort of. At the moment I weirdly have a thing for pastels so I couldn’t be happier to have invested in this piece.

Have you tried anything in this assortment?
Maggie, x,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

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After the month or so that I’ve owned the Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in 103 True Ivory ($9 CDN) and wearing it frequently, I feel confident enough to say that not only is it a foundation that is exceptionally good for being so budget-friendly but it also is a fantastic foundation in its own right. Looking for more proof? By the narrowest of margins, this was edited out of May’s favourites post but only because I had been adoring so many other fantastic products and the post was getting excessively long.

Ingredients: CYCLOOPENTASILOXANE, DICAPRLYL ETHER, WATER, ISODECANE, TALC, TRIHYDROXYSEARIN, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYATE, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNIMATE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 BEESWAX, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, TRIMETHYLSILICATE, KAOLIN, TRIBEHENIN, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, PEG-10 DIMENTHICONE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, POLYPROPYLENE, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DIMETHICONOL, LAURETH-4, BHT, TOCOPHEROL

The packaging of the product describes the foundation with the following description: “Feather-light, liquid mousse blends flawlessly for natural-looking all day shine control… [s]ilky smooth formula leaves a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish… [l]ightweight texture won’t feel heavy or greasy”. While some of its claims correspond in a spot-on fashion to how the foundation applies in my experience, I wouldn’t describe this as a foundation that controls oil effectively. I’m someone on the drier and more dehydrated side of things with maybe a normal t-zone at this time of year and I find that regardless of whether I powder this foundation or not, it develops some shine — nothing ridiculously greasy-looking or anything — after three hours which is on par with how well glowier foundations control a wee bit of oil coming through on the forehead and such. All of the other claims are spot on and although it’s not advertised as such, this is a fantastic high coverage formula on drier skins as it actually doesn’t highlight dry patches in the slightest. The texture is a mousse and therefore sheers out into what appears to be merely perfected skin unlike other cream foundations without compromising on the coverage front, providing skin with buildable medium-to-full coverage that looks like skin. I’ve kind of mentioned it in previous posts but I’ll be more overt about it this time, I’m convinced that this is the more affordable and better alternative to Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation as it does the same thing but feels more lightweight on the skin and sits upon it in a much more natural way, especially for those of us who are more normal to dry. The only difference for me is that the Rimmel offering is a touch less radiant, instead providing a flattering semi-matte finish that glides over any texture-issues in the skin without leaving it dull and flat. Like the Laura Mercier offering, it wears a long time on the skin – (I showered with this on and it survived) – but will develop some shine during that time and unfortunately does tend to transfer.

The fragrance-free formula is a silicone-based one and lays more on the moisturizing side of things than not and doesn’t irritate my skin in the slightest. It doesn’t contain spf either and as you would expect, this foundation photographs fantastically, leaving the skin looking perfected but still with some subtle inner glow. I’ve worn this in extremely hot weather (with a separate sunscreen underneath) and although it does hold up impressively well, you can start to feel it on the skin in comparison to super-light foundations such as my new acquisition, the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

As I’ve said before, foundation sticks to my skin like glue so I tend to get insanely long wear out of most foundations but if you’re interested I would put this in the 12 hour category and add that unless you’re submerging your face into water it will remain intact – in other words, it seems to me to be water resistant. The lasting power of this one is fantastic but it doesn’t control oil particularly well like say MUFE Mat Velvet + would so it may require some powdering or oil-control products in the heat if you are oilier complected but I woudn’t skip this offering altogether if you are plagued.

As mentioned above, I wear the shade 103 True Ivory, which appears to be the fourth lightest shade in the range of eight that the foundation offers – however, most places only seem to stock 5-6 shades at any given time around here, the darker shades generally found in Shoppers and the lightest shade only to be found at Walmart and such around here. This shade matches me without any sort of tan (artificial or natural) but works with a bit of colour too but I’m fortunate with this shade range considering my moderately fair skintone. This foundation actually comes in a truly fair Light Porcelain shade so unless you’re absolutely porcelain-complected, you should be able to find a match, however those who have darker than a medium-toned skintone most likely wont be so fortunate. If you’re curious, I found the Ivory shade to be rather pink in comparison to its counterpart in my staple Wake Me Up so I went to the next shade that instead featured beige undertones.

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From returning to using my tretenoin-antibiotic gel for nearing three weeks, my skin isn’t at its clearest with the purging still evident on my visage, as you can probably tell from the before picture FYI but I still wanted to include the makeup-free image for comparison. Also, if you’re wondering why I look a little different, I’ve foregone the eye makeup in light of the little bump I had on my inner rim that’s almost gone – not to worry anyone, they’re harmless and I’m prone to them. And I’ve applied the foundation with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, going for a light good medium coverage layer all over and building it up on the lower cheek that’s quite scarred and on my red chin. I haven’t applied any concealer anywhere other than underneath my eyes and no powder either.

And finally the flash photo:

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Have you tried this foundation? What did you think of it?

Maggie, x.

 

Everyday Essentials #2

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This is certainly not the most unique sort of post by any means — understatement of the year — but when I spot posts of this variety in my daily Bloglovin feed, I tend to salivate over them, hanging onto every word so it seemed prudent to give another one a go; if all goes well this may turn into one of those regular things. Thoughts?

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John Freida Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray ($11 CDN):This is more of a recent addition to the daily routine as far as these things go but since giving this another go (a few weeks back) to refresh my curls after being slept on, this has become a daily product staple. At first it seemed to be a pear-scented spray that did nothing but wet the hair but since I’ve discovered that the wet sensation dissipates after a few minutes and without drying out my hair, it adds a good deal of life and definition back to my second third and fourth day curls.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN):Although this hasn’t received many raves from me since I discovered it in April, the pinky-toned creamy concealer has remained a firm love of mine. Without needing to be topped up with a more neutral concealer, the creamy-textured corrector neutralizes my dark circles like a champ, all without looking or feeling heavy on the skin.

Dior 5 Coleur Eyeshadow in Grege ($62 CDN):Although in the last month or so, this palette has proven itself as a daily compact palette that houses the shades for several versatile looks, it also lends itself extremely well to be used with other eyeshadows to provide high-quality basic shades. The caramel shade is one that I find myself constantly reaching for as a transition shade, the highlighting shade is a nice staples as is the rich matte chocolate brown. I really ought to dedicate a post to this quint soon as it’s so long overdue….

Avene High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50 ($30 CDN): With the rapid emergence of the hot sunny days of summer in the past few weeks, sunscreen has become a must on a daily basis and considering that I’m allergic to most chemical sunscreens, I reach for this one. The cream is tinted to minimize the impact of the white-cast and hydrates my hypersensitive skin without causing any sort of reaction in the realm of irritation. By no stretch of the imagination is this greasy but I will admit that my face develops a bit more dewiness in my t-zone while wearing this but I’m satisfied with paying this price for a sunscreen that doesn’t irritate the skin with its alcohol content whilst never making the skin burn with its protection and never running into the eyes either.

MAC Eyeshadow Quad ($10 CDN) with All That Glitters, Coppering, Coquette and Sketch ($12 CDN):This self-created quad of shades houses my essentials, especially for this time of year and as usual, the quality of these shadows are fantastic and you can’t beat the versatility of creating your own palette. All That Glitters is that gorgeous peachy golden shade that has to be my favourite lid colour of all time (and most repurchased) so I can’t be without it obviously, the grey-brown Coquette remains my favourite shade for filling in my brows and it doubles as a great crease shade given its pigmentation and the workable texture, the deep plum Sketch serves its place as that almost-matte shade that adds definition to the outer corner of the eye while still being a little bit interesting and flattering and Coppering (obviously) has been a staple as of late for when I want to go for something a little more intense and warm than ATG either mixed or on its own.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black ($9-10 CDN):I’m aware that I’ve raved about this affordable felt-tip liner more times than I can most likely count but its just the easiest effortless liner to use on a daily basis to create the subtle winged eyeliner in well under a minute. On top of this, the liner remains wet and pigmented for months and the felt tip remains precise. It lasts like a dream until you remove it but isn’t a hassle to remove either.

No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12 CDN):This affordable offering ticks all of the boxes as the ideal cream cleanser for me. Although it does have some fragrance, (pleasant and luxurious-smelling, if you’re curious) the cleanser not only doesn’t irritate even the sorest skin in the slightest, it removes face makeup like a dream while leaving the skin soothed and nourished. I’m not sure if I like this more than the Cleansing Balm from the same line, but at the very least it is equally as good and the pump dispenser is increasingly practical for daily use. I’m not a fan of the included muslin cloth so I don’t use it exactly as advertised.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze ($10-11 CDN): I mentioned picking up this shade of the affordable creamy bronzer recently in my last post and ever since doing so, I haven’t been able to resist putting this one down. It has the same blendable skin-like texture and longevity as the other shade in the formula does but the darker shade has much less obviously warm (orange-y) undertones and instead lends itself well to sculpting the cheekbones along with adding a bit of bronziness; it’s a dream to contour with because you can just swipe a stripe above the hollows of your cheek and blend it out with ease.

What are some of your daily staples?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

Additions to the Stash #4

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In my typical fashion, I had kind-of-but-not-really made a pact to myself that I needed to stop with the all-to-frequent drop into the drugstore, being lured in my sales and supposed necessity of acquiring certain products and suddenly coming out fifty dollars poorer but unsurprisingly I failed. However, my justification is that I actually needed the hairspray, Target was far too enticing and it was my birthday so a little wee bit of celebration was called for. I’m aware that this is straddling the line of self-justification and delusion at its finest but hey, I’m nothing if not consistent.

L’Oreal Elnett Satin Sleekissime Hairspray ($13-15)

As detailed in my Weekly Medley posts, I have been experimenting with heat and actual hair styles that would require the aid of hairspray so I actually ran out of my previous one and I had always wanted to try one of the versions of the cult hairspray and being a gal whose hair is stubborn, reactive to humidity like nothing else and straddling the line between wavy and curly, the humidity-proof offering seemed like the one to go for. Thus far, I’m impressed; the rose fragrance is much better than the original, the hold is strong while remaining touchable and it does hold up as good as anything else in humidity. Although any hairspray is full of drying alcohol (this one is no different), I find this one to remain gentle on my hair, tangling up a whole lot less than others that I’ve tried.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze ($10-11)

I’ve said before that I rarely go into Target so I had to pick this up when I found myself strolling the aisles with glee. I’m a huge fan of the lighter colour offering, Warm Tan, to such a degree that I have hit pan on the terracotta-hued creamy bronzer and since hearing that this darker offering had less of that terracotta cast, I had to try it out and it doesn’t disappoint. It has the same great creamy longwearing formula but instead is a infintessimely-warm toned medium brown shade that has the ability to sculpt out cheekbones farther but has to be used with care over broader areas. For those of us on the lighter end of the spectrum, I believe that this is a good cream contour offering especially at its pricepoint.

Annabelle Smoothliner in Black ($6-7)

I’ve mentioned my love for this budget-friendly creamy liner formula before and as luck would have it, I seem to have misplaced the brown shade, Brownie that I adore so seeing this one at Target for a few cents under six dollars made the purchase of another one enevitable. I went for the black offering because I’m truly a black eyeliner kind of gal and the formula makes fast lining quick and easy. The liner stays put and all that jazz and doesn’t pull or tug at the skin.

L’Oreal La Couleur Infallible in Tender Caramel ($9)

This is where the products from my impromptu birthday celebratory Walmart dash begin and this one was a no-brainer as I knew from experience that I more than liked the formula of these pressed pigments and I had constantly been swatching the gorgeous reflective taupe-y shade but then passing up on it for ages so I went for it. I’m glad I did – it is one of those rare shades that works all over the lid and into the crease. These hyped shadows are fantastic, deserving of all their praise and I want a good five or six more. I’m wearing this shade on my lids in the picture below for reference:

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Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Celestial ($8)

I posted about my love for the moisturizing yet longwearing liquid lipstick in the much brighter Stellar option last week and have been wanting to find a more subdued neutral shade from the line, leading me towards this option. However, I was hesitant about how pink the shade appeared (as pink tends to be problematic for me) but went for it after seeing it on the lovely Natalie and I’m glad that I did. The shade is about as pink as I’d like to go but the rosy mauve tones to the shade keep it flattering and subdued but it does check all of the boxes as you can see. The shade is even nicer in my opinion when blotted down lightly as well.

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Revlon Matte Balm in Complex ($9)

Another hyped-up product, so I’m not being anything unique here but despite not loving the formula of these matte balms, I couldn’t resist picking up the darker peachy nude shade. The colour is a nice one, an everyday kind of wearable nude shade but the formula just doesn’t mesh amazingly well with my sensitive and dry lips unfortunately. I guess I’m one of the only ones who isn’t in love with these matte lip crayons it seems but they’re not too bad by any means. I’m afraid that I took the image below on my older camera so it’s not quite as good but I figured I would show it anyway.

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Revlon Highlighting Palette in Peach Glow ($11)

After going for less glowy foundations as of late, I’ve been getting more into highlighter and believe it or not, I don’t own very many at all (before this no drugstore ones) so I went for this highlighting palette that I’ve heard good things about. Thus far I’m by no means disappointed; when blended together there’s a nice peachy bronze sheeny shade that transfer nicely onto the skin without being too intense or anything frosty. While still being pigmented, the little palette highlights cheekbones without being dramatic or overwhelmingly shimmery.

Maybelline Master Hi-Light Hi-Lighting Blush in Pink Rose ($13)

I’m sure you’ve heard me declare my love for the bronzing version of this product, Deep Bronze, a time or one hundred and ever since I’ve wanted to branch out to the blush shades so after spotting these for a few dollars less than they typically are, I had to go for the rosy pink shade. Believe it or not, the shade is much more unique than it appears, not being coral in the slightest but also not being a cool-toned pink either, offering a subdued glow to the cheeks. I don’t have anything like this and I’m loving this thus far. Yesterday’s daily face post featured photos of me wearing this with the above highlighter if you’re interested here.

What have you been picking up lately?

Maggie, x.

The Daily Face #16: Coppery Summer Eyes and a Chanel Foundation Gush

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So I had to talk write about my birthday splurge, the chic black-bottled beauty that is the newly released and absolutely divine Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup – every girl needs a Chanel foundation, am I right? – and as pleased with the product as I am, I am aware of how premature a standalone post would be so here I am bringing you another slightly-overdue edition of the products currently gracing my face with some thoughts on them thrown in. Believe it or not, I’ve actually switched up my makeup some in the last little bit but just to warn you I picked up a thing or five on my quick little jet into Walmart so these products haven’t necessarily all been gracing my face in days passed.

 

T’is another gorgeous sunny day, so I prepped my mug with the non-irritating and hydrating Avene High Protection Cream SPF 50 and then went in with the thin semi-matte finish foundation (the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup in 10). It’s a marvel to me how this foundation offers medium coverage while feeling so lightweight and remaining undetectable on the skin. It also does the unthinkable, suiting my skin with plenty dry-patches and actually having luminosity without even edging on dewy in finish. Colour me impressed, thus far. It surprised me by doing a good job covering up some purging-induced blemishes around my chin and I didn’t even reach for a brush to cover those bad boys up further. At the reccomendation of the lovely lady who sold me the foundation, I went for a light dusting of powder through the t-zone, opting for the MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light after dabbing some of the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Very Fairunderneath my eyes to deal with some of that dark-circle situation.

Recently I picked up the darker and less-terracotta coloured Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze and I’ve been constantly using it to bronze and contour the cheekbone area — unlike the lighter shade, this one can actually create some sort of natural shadow without looking grey in the slightest, FYI. The other two cheek products were recent additions but both have impressed me: the rosy pink-toned Maybelline Master Hi-Light Blush in Pink Rose and the Revlon Highlighting Palette in Peach Glow.I was also feeling a setting spray so I misted my face with the dewy Nyx offering.

I began the eyes with a base (as always), opting for the warm matte MAC Prolongwear Paint Pot in Layin’ Low.The eyes were where I’ve switched things up in a notable way since the last post of this variety — going outside my comfort zone on my lids. I wanted to go for a copper theme but a wearable one at that so I toned down the gorgeous MAC Coppering with All That Glitters all over the lid (but not enough) and then I added the much less coppery L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Tender Caramel on the inner portion of the lid to brighten things further. I went for a little bit of MAC Coquette in the crease for some depth after I had already filled in my brows with the same powder and I finished the eyeshadow situation with MAC Club in the outer corner. There’s something about rimmed eyes that suit these more coppery tones so I lined the inner rims with Annabelle Smoothliner in Black. For mascara, I went for a nice coat or two on both sets of lashes of the Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara as it’s easy to use, building volume without difficulty or clumpiness but actually removes like a non-waterproof mascara should.

On the lips went MAC Sweet & Sour Lipstick which has remained an everyday effortless lip staple. The subdued corally shade seems to go with everything without fail and could only be improved by having a more forgiving formula on my sensitive lips that I very badly need to exfoliate but fear doing so in case of retaliation.

P.S. After putting this on, I decided to go down to my dock in the heat and not only did the makeup hold up, it felt weightless on my skin. More than that, I couldn’t even tell I was wearing foundation. It’s completely premature to say so but I think I’m in love. And if you are wondering why my face in these pictures might look a little less perfect or if they look a little different, I got a digital SLR camera for my birthday and the quality of my photos will be improving as I learn to master the object.

Have you tried any of these products? Thoughts on the face?

Maggie, x.

 

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Weekly Medley #19

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(1) the weekly product highlight (2) yesterday I upgraded my blog and have begun to make a few changes (3) the pre-birthday-supper face (5) soaking up the sun in short-shorts (4) I speed-read another book in the guilty pleasure series of mine (5) there’s nothing that compares to lounging outdoors in the heat with a book in hand (6) another post in my skincare series (7) another gorgeous day

This week was marked by Saturday’s one year anniversary of the blog here – it feels so strange to write that as it seems like yesterday – and today was actually my twentieth birthday, as well. This week was nothing particularly noteworthy to be honest but the constant gorgeous sunny weather had me pleasantly surprised and frequently lounging outdoors, reading and planning posts in my little book of blogging. More than that it was actually hot which is not exactly standard here on the east coast before later June but I’ve been enjoying it

Although I have only used the product once since picking it up, the Herbal Essences Naked Moisture Cleansing Conditioner has impressed me enough to deserve mention as a weekly love. I picked it up on impulse on a rare trip to Target as it seems to be the only place where its stocked near me and it was economical, priced at six dollars for its 500 mL container that actually came with a pump. With a nice minty herbal scent, the cleansing conditioner was hydrating but lightweight, catering to those with finer easily-weighed-down hair than those that I had tried before. For me, the only real negative to the product is that it contains the silicone that builds up in the hair titled dimethicone but at the very least it’s nowhere near the top of the ingredient list. In a nutshell, this provided nice curl formation and gentle cleansing with no limpness occurring either.

In honour of having my blog for an entire year, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade my blog to “premium status” or whatever, getting my own domain (and consequently having to change my blog title because the ‘beautylit’ was actually taken but I’m not opposed to the new name), more customization options and all that jazz. There will be a few more changes going on in the next little while but I’m sure you can see that I also switched up the layout quite a bit here. I’ve had the itch to do this for months but I talked myself out of it time and time again so I’m glad that I finally went for it. I’m sure you know the drill in regards to my indecisive nature by now.

There are few things in life (beauty included) that I enjoy as much as lounging lazily and reading a good book so the fact that this week consisted of loads of this, I’m pretty satisfied. Although I actually read three or four books, I thought I would give you the highlights. I read the brand-new City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare and pretty much devoured it which is unsurprising considering that this series has been the fuss-free guilty pleasure series for years. I also am still enjoying Middlemarch and have made significant progress on the less than brief novel.

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

 

May 2014 Favourites

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I’m not one to get all nostalgic and sentimental — in fact, the whole institution makes me feel slightly nauseous — but here I am anyways. One: where has this year gone? The fact that tomorrow marks the beginning of the sixth month of 2014 absolutely blows my mind. Two: today marks the one year anniversary of my little blog, as hard as that is to believe. It seems equally as shocking to me. But here I am, bringing you my little selection of essential products from May that I originally thought was going to be quite a small collection but somehow they piled up and I couldn’t be happier to share them with all of you amazing people. This month, the products seemed to take on more of an everyday staples kind of vibe and I can recommend them all, as you will be able to tell from the below ramblings. I feel that I should warn you that you’re in for a long one… 🙂

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I can count on one hand (and not even using the thumb) the number of times this month that I haven’t used slightly amazing Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow in 734 Grege ($61 CDN) and I can honestly say that I loved the results of this versatile palette each time, as shocking as that might be to hear from someone who easily feels a bit ‘meh’ from sticking to the same makeup routine for too long. I’m sure some of you are not surprised that I included this as it’s been consistently mentioned in my posts within the last month but the love I have for this has far exceeded what I can generally convey. I think that it’s easy to neglect these seemingly less economical and less exciting smaller palettes when larger palettes are consistently released but this quint is one of those smaller palettes that houses the essentials without forgoing interesting shades. As I’ve come to expect from Dior, the shades are the longest wearing on me with equally-as-fantastic pigmentation and zero fallout but this quint in particular features an excellent edited selection of varying finishes and depths – because of this versatility I deem this particular palette to be splurge-worthy. The matte chocolate brown is a great option to be used as liner as well as in the outer corner, the satiny warm caramel shade is ideal for blending through the crease on me, the shimmery ivory is great for lightening and brightening the inner portion of the lid, the sheeny grey shade is a nice one to apply more precisely through the crease to add smokiness and the pale taupe sheeny shade is a gorgeous-but-basic lid shade. Together these shades create a variety of different “looks” – I hate that word but anyways – and they’re also helpful to have to pair with other shadows.

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After missing out on MAC Sweet & Sour Lipstick ($19 CDN),the muted peachy coral when it was released last summer with MAC’s limited-edition ‘All About Orange’ collection so when it was recently made permanent, I made not and obviously could not resist picking it up for myself as soon as I finished my exams. It’s difficult for me to include lipstick in these favourites posts because it’s rare that I will be content to use a colour with this sort of frequency but I have been wearing this shade loads this month and by loads I wore it at least half of the time that I wore any sort of makeup. I don’t love the cremesheen formula of this one as it clings to any sort of texture problems on the lip area but it lasts and does not dry out the lips visibly so I can’t complain too much given the fun-but-everyday nature of the shade. This is not one if you want to make your teeth look whiter but you win some and you lose some…

When I wasn’t wearing the above lipstick, there was about a 90% chance that I was sporting the rose-hued Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 08 ($7-8 CDN) that with its brown undertones, gives that my-lips-but-better slightly deeper effect with a longwearing and hydrating formula to boot. I dedicated an entire post (here) to my newfound love of this lipstick that I rejected in the past for its overt brown hue. For me, the secret to pulling off this gorgeous everyday shade is to apply it with a lip brush for less intense colour payoff – and I wore it this way often.

I’m not ready to say that its superior to the ashy MAC Coquette eyeshadow for filling in my brows but I figured that I owed the L’Oreal Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde ($12 CDN) a mention considering that it’s a drugstore offering that actually does not look warm or red in my cool-toned brows and that it’s the easiest thing to use ever (only complaint is sharpening) and comes with both a wax to seal in the hairs and a handy little comb. All I have to say is that I really don’t think this shade would be ideal for blondes as I’m a medium brunette and this isn’t even particularly all that light. Did I mention that with this my brows stay put like a champ?

It appears that I’ve been enjoying L’Oreal products quite a bit this month which is kind of shocking as I hadn’t really noticed. Easily my most frequently worn blush was the L’Oreal True Match Blush in Innocent Flush ($13-16 CDN) a pigmented and finely milled peachy-coral with a golden sheen running throughout. It’s definitely not the most unique colour in the world, instead just another one of the many corals with golden sheen running throughout but these kinds of shades suit me and scream warm-weather-appropriate so I’m not one to complain about the lack of innovation.

The final L’Oreal product to grace this post is the Oleo-Therapy Oil Infused Conditioner ($9 CDN), I swear. I’ve been using this conditioner for a few months but this month was when I realized how great this product really was. On my dry curly hair this conditioner deeply nourished my strands, doing what it claimed, without any silicones (that I can see) and a high concentration of oils that remain lightweight. It’s rare that I find affordable conditioners to be as nourishing as this one and it also detangles nicely and smells luxurious to boot!

With the whole having curlier hair situation, the last thing I would expect to love would be a brush, considering that fingers are supposed to be adequate to detangle and all that but I have to say that I adore the Tangle-Teaser-copycat, namely the Goody Tangle Fix that I can’t recall the price of because I received it as a gift. I’m naughty and have been using it in the shower to detangle my hair prior to rinsing my conditioner out with this and I have to say its the most effective detangler that I’ve ever tried and I don’t even know anyone who experiences more tangles than me.

After embracing my paleness for years following my first foray into the gradual tanners, I’ve gotten to really appreciate the basic-but-noteworthy – to the point that I have completely ran out of my first tube of the Jergen’s Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer in Medium to Tan ($9 CDN) and have happily moved onto my second. I’m skeptical of the whole firming situation (and considering my age I can’t really comment to be honest) but this one is great because it’s intensely moisturizing and non-irritating as a moisturizer on my irritated eczema-laden skin, goes on evenly (with a few slight patches) without needing to exfoliate (my body cannot tolerate any sort of scrubbing action so self-tanner is generally out of the cards) and it doesn’t burn or irritate my skin despite its fragrance. I noticed that in the ingredients list, there’s no synthetic fragrance listed but rather caramel is included instead and I can assume that this is what gives it its authentic nice scent that my ulta-sensitive skin actually agrees with. The darker shade actually does suit my skin nicely, looking like an authentic tan on my warm-toned-but-not-golden skin with yellow undertones.

I haven’t been particularly obsessive about painting my nails this month but when I have made the effort, I’ve been consistently going for the pale cornflower Essie Bikini So-Teeny ($9 CDN) and haven’t regretted it once. It’s a gorgeous pastel hue and the formula lasts on my nails five days without major signs of wear so obviously it checks all the boxes. It’s not the most opaque formula (not shocking considering that it’s a pastel hue) but it doesn’t streak and goes opaque in two coats and therefore is impressive in my view.

I might just begin to have an actual emotional outburst if you recall my ramble on a few weeks back about rekindling my interest in style and I’m not one to display human qualities of the emotional kind. This interest has remained but a post hasn’t been in the works as of yet and style-wise, I’ve been obsessed with the comfortable and flattering, American Eagle High-Waisted Jeggings that I picked up towards the beginning of the month for mere third of the full retail price — $20 instead of $60 — in the pale grey shade. I’m a big fan of the store in general for the ease of shopping, the fit and general aesthetic of their clothes but I have to admit that this pair was something special – the regular length running a bit longer than usual so I didn’t have to order online to suit my strangely lanky legs, the slightly higher-waist sitting at the perfect height to flatter my not-so-tiny waist, the lightweight denim remaining comfortable even in the warmer weather.

This month, I’ve really fallen in love with Natalie’s blog, Thunderlove. I’ve mentioned her blog a few good times this month and when she commented on one of my posts where I linked her, I had a sort of fangirl moment – and I don’t have these easily. Both in videos and posts, she has an authentic and laid-back manner and also gives fantastic reviews, so obviously she’s golden.  At this point, she may fear that I’m stalking her but I promise that I’m not – I just kind found myself routinely scouring through her archives with no shame.

What have your standout products been this month?

Maggie, x.

 

The Weekly Skincare Treatments

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Today I’m here bringing you the last instalment of my May series creatively titled “skincare series” but rest assured, I’m going to make an effort to write more frequent skincare-themed posts in the future… I know I already have gone on and on and on again about treatments but this post was an essential one as I felt the need to separate the less frequent treatments that I’ve stuck to using on a regular basis. And coincidentally all of these treatments fall into the mask category, by the way.

I figured that I would begin with the most frequently used offering, The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask ($22 CDN) that I happily slather on my face in the place of my regular moisturizer 2-3 times weekly. This is a treatment that aims to soothe and deeply hydrate the skin, differing from the usual treatments that tend to be a wee bit harsher in order to pull the skin into order. The mask is intensely hydrating, calming, soothing and all that jazz but the remarkable thing is that the mask doesn’t feel heavy or uncomfortable on the skin and it doesn’t disappear a few hours later, either.

The following three masks all fit under the clarifying clay-based umbrella variety and I alternate between the three (but go for the Kiehl’s offering the least often), slapping one of the trio on about once a week or perhaps twice if my skin is in need of extra help in the congestion department. I was tempted not to include the Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque ($27 CDN) as it fades into the background in comparison to the Clinique offering and doesn’t offer any additional benefits; I’ve had this one for ages and I’m not sure if I will repurchase but truth be told I do reach for this one and it does the job without irritation. The Clinique Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask ($26 CDN) is superior in the sense that it’s just as gentle and congesting but easier to remove and also formulated with salicylic acid in addition to speed the decongesting action further.

The third and final clay mask offering, namely the Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It ($22 CDN) is easily the latest addition but it is one I do enjoy immensely for its hybrid nature as a gentle scrub (containing fruit acids for chemical exfoliation) and standard clay mask. Unlike the other offerings above, this is not one of those masks that you leave on for a good ten minutes but instead is left on the skin for three or four in order to achieve the decongesting purifying effects of the clay-based formula. The ever-so-slightly abrasive (but quite gentle) texture of the scrub (from the diatomaceus earth) leaves the surface of the skin gently exfoliated along with the brightening effect produced by the acids. Unfortunately this one does contain a bit of fragrance (but it doesn’t irritate the skin) which gives it that nice minty scent but even on my dry skin, this is not problematic in the least. None of these masks are drying in my opinion and although this one is marketed for much oilier skin than I possess, it does not dry out the skin in any shape or form and in some ways can help with the hydration situation with its ability to refine texture. It should go without saying that all of these are free of drying alcohols that tend to creep up on the ingredients list on treatments of this variety

What are your favourite treatments – I’d love some recs! Have you tried any of these!

Maggie, x.