The Beauty Bargain: The Summery Bright Lip

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Honestly I’ve wanted to begin this rather generic beauty blogger series but I’ve been angsting over creating a name that wouldn’t just be copying every other beauty blogger alive but I’m forcing myself to get over the drama and contemplation, going with the unoriginal The Beauty Bargain as I title to begin to share with you these affordable products that perform as well if not better than their higher end counterparts. The first product in question to begin this whole series – I actually do plan on making this a regular thing – is the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Stellar ($7-8 CDN), a glossy (but not overly so) vibrant coral liquid lipstick that stays put on the lips for ages even for those of us who might not necessarily be the neatest eaters for a good six hours without feeling heavy or sticky at the least.

I know I’m rather late to the party on this popular lip product but honestly I picked this one up at the end of the fall last year, wanting to try the formula that I had heard such great things about without truly realizing that it was not a seasonally-appropriate shade in the slightest. You know how I feel about corals, but I know bold coral lips are not a seasonless essential for the masses so I held off on sharing my love for this one until now. I haven’t gone for any other shades in the range as none of them have popped out at me as shades that suit me and that I don’t already own duplicates of so I can’t comment on that front but judging by the following of these, I believe its safe to assume that the formula is fantastic around the board. In my eyes there’s only one real downside to the formula, the creamy texture’s tendency to slip and slide before setting into their more satin finish, sliding onto your teeth if you’re not careful – but others might object to the candy-scent but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, especially in comparison with those artificial floral scents that lipsticks of the drugstore tend to have.

Aside from the fabulous pigmentation, longevity (i.e. wearing off evenly) and comfort of the lip lacquer, Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar is remarkable in it’s non-drying formula that glides over dry patches and uneven texture in the lips, especially considering the bold nature of the lipstick. If you’re looking for a comfortable long-wearing formula that applies precisely without loads of effort or skill on your part, I recommend this offering and I definitely recommend this shade if you’re after something bold but unlike the standard bold fuschias and reds.

This really doesn't showcase my application skills at their finest but I promise it looks much better in real life...
This really doesn’t showcase my application skills at their finest but I promise it looks much better in real life…

Have you tried any of these Rimmel Lip Lacquers?

Maggie, x.

Evening Skincare Routine

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Like loads of others, I’m sure, my evening skincare routine is a wee bit more intensive than my morning one and although I would describe myself as someone who is dedicated to their routine, although it tends to vary night to night throughoutthe week in terms of treatments – I’ll get onto this later.Because my eyes are so sensitive and dry, I always begin with two cotton pads soaked in the cult-favourite Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution ($22) and hold them over my eyes for up to a minute to thoroughly remove mascara and other stubborn makeup although I’m sure others could get away using the cleansers to remove eye makeup as they are so gentle.

Not just because of the recent widespread belief in double-cleansing at nighttime, I’ve been dedicated to washing my face twice at night because I have the kind of skin that makeup clings to like nothing else in this world; I’m fortunate that I’m someone whose foundation stays on the skin for an amazing amount of time but this characteristic has made intensive but supremely-gentle cleansing essential to the whole skincare shebang. For the first cleanse, I alternate between the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($9-12) and the Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12) as both textures of products nourish the skin while cleansing gently and removing makeup with ease. I might be tempted to say that the cleansing oil has slightly stronger makeup removing power as it can remove makeup completely and to be honest, I can be satisfied with a single thorough wash with this one (on a rare occasion when I’m feeling spectacularly lazy) but it is the messier option of the two and contains mineral oil – I know mineral oil is problematic to some but it isn’t for my fragile skin type. I make sure to always use a washcloth with the first cleanse to ensure that the makeup has been truly removed.

I have the kind of skin that holds onto foundation and the like in the same manner as glue I reckon and therefore even before all of that double cleansing hoopla took over, I was faithful to cleansing the face twice; unless I’m not wearing makeup (or sunscreen – naughty), I cleanse my skin the second-time with the basic fragrance-free non-foaming lightweight thin gel-cream Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($11-12). This cleanser actually does remove makeup as well but I prefer to go in with a more nourishing oil-based cleanser beforehand and strikes me as the superior version of Cetaphil. 

Five (or six on occasion) times per week, I go for a product of the gentle chemical exfoliant variety. I’m still faithful to my long-time trio of gentle exfoliants of this variety – the BHA-based Clinique Mild Clarifying Solution ($16) and the slightly more concentrated Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment ($10-12) as well as my much-loved AHA-based Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Cream-Serum ($40) – but I’ve also recently brought the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($14/37) as my supply of the cream-serum is dwindling. Although it isn’t strictly a chemical exfoliant but rather a gentle alcohol-free retinoid and antibiotic gel that rapidly increases the cell-turnover, I figured I would include the expensive prescription-only topical called Bianca ($90) that I’ve added back into to my routine 2-3x a week at this stage. I will warn you, however, that these retinoid products are one of the very few products that cause purging in the skin initially before the improvement begins.

If I haven’t already applied a serum-textured product in the above stage (the Neutrogena, Indeed Labs or Bianca), I’ve been applying the lightweight La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense ($35) serum before moisturizing with the soothing Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator ($45) that am a huge fan of. A few times a week, when I’m not going for a chemical exfoliant or I’m opting for one of the serum-textured-variety, I go for the soothing and brightening Organic Rosehip Oil, applying it on top of everything in the case of the first scenario and applying it over the chemical exfoliant in the second, skipping the moisturizer altogether.

When I’m not entirely too lazy to remember, I slather my poor chapped lips with the lovely multipurpose La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 ($16). 

This might seem rather exhaustive or unlike a routine at all but I promise that it is a constant routine that I follow and takes less than five minutes and it’s entirely worthwhile, for my skin at least.

Have you tried any of these products? What does your nighttime routine look like?

Maggie, x.

P.S. There will most likely be a weekly treatments post up in the near future…

 

Weekly Medley #18

(1) we've fallen back in love (2) kept putting on skincare series with the Morning Routine (3) the weekly objects plus my glasses just for kicks (4) the obligatory weekly shot of my face featuring questionable red lips and the palette above (5) I binge-watched Well Taylered's videos with no regrets (6) evidence of rekindled hair interest and - don't I look cute?
(1) we’ve fallen back in love and into a committed relationship (2) kept putting on skincare series with the Morning Routine (3) the weekly objects plus my glasses just for kicks (4) the obligatory weekly shot of my face featuring questionable red lips and the palette above (5) I binge-watched Well Taylered’s videos with no regrets (6) evidence of rekindled hair interest and – don’t I look cute?

I promise I’m not always in strange moods as I write posts  — I tend to write blogposts when I’m in strange moods if I’m reflecting or all that to be honest — but I feel I must give warn you about the strange mood I’m in as I’m writing this. For some reason, going over the weekly blog activity as if it were a trashy reality television show strikes me as hilarious at the moment so I’m going to go with it… This week on beautylit: 1. Weekly Medley #17 2. Additions to the Skincare Routine 3. Morning Skincare Routine 4. An Apology to Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 08 5. Spring Essentials

While it has not been the ideal or perfect week in blogging in anyone’s book (certainly not my own), it was a beyond adequate one, sticking with my pre-made plan that I wrote out in my little book of blogging and it did produce five posts that I was satisfied with. As much as I would like to pretend that I’m free from any sort of responsibility, I have been actually working in quantifiable amounts on that whole getting a job thing and despite my unathletic status as an individual and general incompetency at strength or endurance based tasks, I’ve been continuing along with the whole exercising goal that I’ve had going on, mostly opting for the affordable and practical power yoga practice through watching the Power Yoga for Happiness 2 DVD and aching, burning and stretching my heart out. Don’t let the “yoga” in the title fool you, it’s an intense kind of thing that’s fast paced, blending cardio in with the vigorous strength training while somehow calming your mind and leaving you focused in a way that is different from other sorts of exercise. And it’s not too bullshitty either in terms of preaching the whole ‘just breathe and say ohm’ typical kind of shebang. Exercising is not something particularly enjoyable to me in the slightest but this routine strikes me as worthwhile for it rids extraneous chaotic thoughts in your mind as well as focuses your mind in the strangest way. It’s rather strange but I’m not going to complain about the result. 

Considering that I’m studying English in university, it should be no real surprise that I read constantly and don’t tend to stick to the lightest of reading. A few months back, my mother gifted me a copy of George Eliot’s Middlemarch and I’ve started reading it this week and I’ve been enjoying it thus far. It’s a rather long book but fortunately I kind of have the ability to devour books and it’s an enjoyable read that isn’t so laborious.

It should be no secret that I am the kind of girl who adores the original Urban Decay Naked Palette but after a while I was growing tired of it (after using it constantly) and put it away, instead going for other daily shadow options but in the last week or so I’ve brought it out again and I suddenly have remembered why I love it so much in the first place — it’s unbelievably practical and the warm-bronzy hues suit me to a t. However, I haven’t been using it in the same way as I always seem to instead opting for using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze on the lid and using shades from the palette such as Darkhorse, Hustle and Creep to add some more smokiness and depth and you can see this in the above weekly collage.

I’m still working on my whole skincare series thing and I can promise that a full-on evening routine post will come your way in the next little while and perhaps another addition to the series. Let me know your thoughts on these skincare-themed posts – please? 

What were the highlights from your week?

Maggie, x.

 

Spring Essentials

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As fun and entertaining as the generic full-on ‘Spring Edit’ kind of posts are to read, I decided to hold off on doing one at the beginning of spring and thought that instead I would share what my essential products were over the entire duration of Spring as these longer-term favourite products tend to be left without mention around here. So these products have most likely been rambled on here before (some more than others of course) but I thought I would share these staples regardless…

When I discovered the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) in April and fell in instant love, I may have mentioned my love for it one or 224 times but considering that it hasn’t left the daily rotation stash since and I still find myself reaching for it over most of my blushes it deserved a wee bit more mention. The luminous-satin cooler-pink toned blush seems to actually kind of blur imperfections (sounds like crazytalk, huh?) while leaving the cheeks with that subdued rosy glow that seems to suit any sort of makeup combination. Considering the severity of my blush addiction, the fact that this has made its way into my top two or three blushes of all time is incredible. Who knew, a cool-pink would rise above the gorgeous corals in my books? 

Although the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup ($48) only made its way into the final cut of one of my monthly favourites posts, it was easily my staple foundation for Spring. With its lightweight texture and ability to blend seamlessly into the skin while offering medium coverage, the radiant satiny foundation was perfection. Unfortunately with the whole faux-tan situation, the foundation is too light for me (I have shade 11 which matches me at my palest) but prior to this it was my everyday foundation. Being radiant but not overly dewy or ‘shiny’, this fit the bill for when the weather began to warm up and my skin turned into more of a dry combination skin type, with more of a normal t-zone compared to my usual all-around dry complexion. I may have to actually pick this up in a darker shade…

Although it is a bitch to remove, especially considering that it is not a waterproof formulation, the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara ($9-11) appears to have replaced Maybelline The Falsies in my heart as my favourite mascara over the last few months – shock-horror. The mascara produces dramatic lashes, both in the volume and length department but the separation offered by the brush keeps the lashes looking natural and defined, away from that clumpy mess. And, the separation from the brush allows this mascara to deliver for both top and bottom lashes. This mascara makes my lashes look ‘pretty amazing’, as in I’ve been complimented in real life for my lashes numerous times while wearing this one and this was while I was wearing glasses if you’re interested.

My love for the Maybelline The Buffs Colorsensational Lipstick in Nude Lust ($9 CDN) didn’t occur overnight — in fact, it’s neutral beige-almost-shadowy undertones put me off originally but over the past few months this shade has become one of my absolute go-tos with its non-drying formula that glides over dry patches, nice longevity and comfort as well as its status as a slightly darker non-ghastly nude that doesn’t pull brown. I don’t normally go for beige undertones in nude lipsticks but this one has convinced me to change my mind on that front; this is the perfect nude that can be worn on an everyday basis, regardless of whether you’re wearing a heavy smoky eye or just minimal makeup.

In general, I’m a real failure when it comes to documenting my nail polish trials and obsessions and this is evidence of one of them. I might not have always had this on my nails but the rosy-tan hue, namely the OPI Nail Polish in Tickle My France-y ($9 CDN) that I got for Christmas in the lovely Take Ten Mini Set from one of my favourite people ever, Lauren, who lets me talk her ear off about beauty products without getting annoyed, has been on my nails the most and I’ve been happy with the way they’ve looked. The formula isn’t the longest lasting ever but it does last above average on my nails and it does take a few coats to build up but the shade isn’t streaky so I can’t complain and it is pretty much foolproof, going with everything and adding some flattering warmth to my nails. I never would have expected to like this hue as it seemed kind of dull but I have to say that this amped-up neutral shade has its merits.

I mentioned the OGX Kukui Oil Frizz-Defying Curl Cream ($9-11 CDN) before in my March Favourites for good reason but as the weather has been getting warmer, I’ve fallen a little bit more in love with the lightweight but hydrating curl cream for my loose curls as it keeps them hydrated whilst keeping them as bouncy as can be and defined. I have the kind of hair that does well with glycerin-heavy lightweight curl creams as the weather gets warmer and this one delivers on that front for a bargain with a luxurious spa-like scent to boot!

I may have only discovered the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($9-12 CDN) at the beginning of April but it’s proved its merits, joining the nightly rotation to remove makeup. Whilst it is mineral-oil heavy, – which is not necessarily a cause for concern – the slightly messy cleansing oil removes everything in seconds without irritating the skin in the slightest (and rather nourishing and soothing the skin) and when emulsified rinses clean. It’s one of those rare affordable cleansers that removes makeup and all that jazz gently (but effectively) while keeping with that luxurious feel, leaving the skin soothed even after its removal.

I have dry skin, to state the obvious but since the weather has become warmer and such, my forehead and t-zone have began to itch closer to behaving like a more normal skin type and the lightweight and fast-absorbing REN Evercalm/Hydracalm Global Protection Day Cream ($54 CDN) has been ideal for soothing the skin and providing hydration without feeling heavy. Although this moisturizer is not necessarily holy-grail material, I think its brilliant on someone with even combination skin to hydrate and soothe without feeling heavy or promoting shininess.

What have your spring essentials been?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

An Apology to Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 08

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I’m afraid that I misjudged this one — and that I shortened its name in the title for the sake of rhyme and rhythm — when I picked this one up fairly early into the new year. I had already tried the matte formulation and was impressed and I wanted to give the original formula a go; the my-lips-but-deeper hue of the Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 08 ($7-8 CDN)seemed like it would fit the bill. I fell in love with the formula but was disappointed with the shade as the rosy hue of the shade was dominated by its brown undertones, looking a little to ‘mature’ and brown on the lips – so despite it’s comfortable creamy texture and beyond-tolerable vanilla-fruity scent it was a bit of a failure, tossed towards the back of my drawer.

After this particular failure I kind of abandoned the whole quest of finding that neutral-albeit-slightly-deeper lip shade and convinced myself that the MAC Patisserie Lipstick and Bobbi Brown Rose Pot Rouge were as close as I was going to get but when I decided to binge-watch Tijan Serena’s videos and spotted the very same lipstick in her March Favourites, I tried again. I was having quite a ‘meh’ day so I wasn’t expecting much but I discovered that when applied with a lip-brush rather than straight from the tube, it was a flattering rosy hue that not only didn’t emphasize uneven texture on my lips and lasted ages but it didn’t have a bothersome smell or any other bothersome side effects. In other words, when the intense pigmentation is toned down with a lip brush, the strength of the brown undertones diminish, leaving the lips with a flattering rosy shade.

This might sound a bit familiar as I tried to get into this rediscovery in my Lip Product Addict post but then restrained myself somewhat – but of course I left some extraneous details in, you know me… It’s safe to say that I’ve been reaching for this one quite frequently lately and of course, the inanimate object was begging for an apology, heartbroken from it’s lack of written love from me. It’s up there for my favourite lipstick formulation at the drugstore (with the Revlon Lacquer Balms), the formulation is that fantastic and if you haven’t I’d recommend giving these a go, especially this neutral everyday kind of shade.

Have you tried either of the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick formulations? As I love the formula, I would kill for a shade recommendation or 394882…

Maggie, x

 

Morning Skincare Routine

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I’ve been hesitant about doing this but at the same time I’ve wanted to share the precise routine that I’ve stuck to that has improved my skin and in real life, non beauty-obsessive individuals have asked me about my routine so I figured it was time to get over the challenge of articulating a routine that differs slightly depending on the day of the week and the condition of my skin at the moment. I went on about my skin and skincare thoughts in the first post of this series last week here if you happen to be curious but I have dry sensitive skin with texture and brightness concerns and a side order of mild acne in short and here is my two minute morning routine…

Before I found easy gentle cleansers like the affordable Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($11-12 CDN) that gently cleanse the skin with minimal effort, washing away with a splash of water without leaving the skin stripped or irritated in some way, I wasn’t a believer in washing my face in the morning but now that I have, I can’t bring myself to turn back as my skin is far clearer.

Once-or-perhaps-twice per week, when I’m tempted I go for the extremely gentle salicylic-acid-based chemical exfoliant, namely the underrated — and way superior to the dreadful offerings in the three step formulation — Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16 CDN). With only 0.5% strength salicylic acid, this “toner” provides the gentlest chemical exfoliation and I tend to go for this when my skin is a little congested in areas — not too rare of an occasion, if I’m honest.

Being interested in the wonders of a serum as of late, I’ve recently added the La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense Localized Redness Serum ($35 CDN)into the morning skincare dash and so far I’m pleased with the soothing and hydrating power of this lightweight gel-like textured serum. I don’t have rosacea, so I can’t report on that front but this does help calm the skin, redness included.

Although there’s no SPF or anything of the sort that would confine this moisturizer to use in the morning, I tend to go for the lovely REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream ($54 CDN) that offers that essential soothing action with lightweight fast-absorbing hydration. But I still wouldn’t rank it above the Caudalie that I do not own at the moment but went on and on about last year for good reason, if you know what I mean.

Because I live in a cooler climate and have extraordinary issues with the whole sunscreen shebang – I’m allergic to most chemical sunscreens – I do that naughty thing and only wear SPF if I’m going to be spending the day outdoors in the sun and true to its name, the Avene High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50 ($30 CDN)delivers. Like all mineral sunscreens, this one does bring a bit of a white cast and because of this the cream is tinted and pulls slightly pink-y on me (but not too terribly) but this remains the gentlest and most-effective sunscreen I’ve tried to date, never burning the eyes to boot. It has a hydrating texture that isn’t the most lightweight so on occasion I’ll skip on either the serum or moisturizer, as there’s no need for excess product.

It’s not life changing or anything of the sort but it hydrates my lips and works nicely under lipsticks so the EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Summer Fruit ($4 CDN) has my seal of approval. The texture isn’t overly slippy so it fares well under lip products and the scent doesn’t bother me like most fruit scents – if you ask me, it smells like authentic peaches.

What are your go-to products in your morning skincare routine?

Maggie, x.

 

Additions to the Skincare Routine

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So here I am, as promised, delivering another installment in the creatively-titled ‘skincare series’. Gradually I began making drastic changes to my skincare routine about a year ago but ever since the initial changes I’ve been rather consistent with my morning and evening skincare routine with results that I can’t complain about by any stretch of the imagination. However as one reaches the end of skincare products and is a beauty addict such as I am, some products are purchased and switched in for others and the rare additions are added to the routine, having made the cut.

Not too long ago, I featured the newly-acquired Boots no7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser($12 CDN) when I confessed my accidental shopping sins. While it is a new addition to the routine, I picked it up to replace the Cleansing Balm from the same line that I actually finished up after loads of use because the formulation was similar and I was curious. As expected, this offering that presumably is created to imitate the oh-so-popular Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish – that I’ve never tried – without the fragrant essential oils seems to be just as nice, rich and soothing whilst removing makeup effectively with a washcloth but it comes with 50 mls of extra product and is housed in the practical pump packaging. The following two products received mention in mere passing in contrast here to the cleanser that I’ve discussed before in some detail.

This purchase was induced by the brand being available at a 20% discount but truly I was interested in adding a serum with all of the benefits they seem to be toted as providing that could be used once or twice daily and the La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense Localized Redness Serum ($35 CDN) seemed to fit the bill without having irritating alcohol or stuff of that sort. While I don’t suffer from rosacea, I do suffer from redness and all-around skin irritation and this doesn’t have any sort of life-altering ingredients but this glycerin-based serum has proven to be gentle, soothing and hydrating and it has been a valuable addition to the routine. Unlike my serum love, the Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright, this can be used daily, evening and night and I have been doing so. The pump packaging of the serum is also to die for especially if you’re particularly concerned with keeping ingredients stable and avoiding contamination.

With some legitimate sadness and regret, I’ve noted that my beloved brightening and smoothing treatment/serum, Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright has been running dangerously low and I was not ready to be without an effective AHA chemical exfoliant in my routine somehow I ended up at the cash register with the smaller size of the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($14 CDN) – it’s funny how that happens. However, I’ve been impressed to say the least — not only are these alcohol-free AHA-filled cotton pads fairly affordable, they are extremely concentrated yet gentle with their abundant aloe-leaf juice and I’m able to report that they provide the adequate results of a brightening resurfacing chemical exfoliant – and they are so concentrated that I’ve been able to get two uses off of one pad, using both sides individually. The exact percent of the acid doesn’t appear anywhere (that I can find) but I assure you that its concentrated without being irritating in the least. I can see why everyone seems to be holding these pads in high regard but I’m not ready to offer any definite conclusions yet…

Have you tried any of these products? What have you added to your routine as of late?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

Weekly Medley #17

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(1) evidence of writing the skincare series this week (2) if you’re total order at Sephora was $40 it clearly doesn’t count… (3) the lovely Natalie who writes the blog thunderl0ve that has been added to my bookmarks this week – it’s that good… (5) Essie Bikini So Teeny (6) the weekly product picks (7) the weekly selfie featuring the blush in question on the cheeks

Yet another pretty monotonous and nondescript week has gone by; I’m pleased to report that nothing semi-catastrophic happened but nothing of the particularly exciting sort happened – other than a fun low-key night with friends. I feel like I can sum-up my week into two phases – the first half of the week was characterized by continuing on in attempting to get somewhat in shape without leaving my living room that I started at the beginning of last week and the accompanying aches and pains and then suddenly the second half of the week was full of gorgeous sunny weather outside that could only be classified as hot and required things like sunscreen and shaved legs.

Right at the beginning of the week directly after the Sephora incident shown above, I went into the drugstore and Essie was on sale for a few dollars of so it was kind of expected that a polish or two would be coming home with me and the pale cornflower blue Essie Bikini So Teeny went right onto my nails and remained there until the very end of the week with minimal chipping. I’m kind of in love with the shade as it is a pastel blue kind of hue with a kind of different spin to it and the formula actually lasted on my chipping-prone nails. Being a light shade, it’s not the most opaque polish in the world, definitely requiring two solid coats but at the very least it wasn’t streaky or anything of that sort. I might be in love.

There’s another product of the beauty variety that stood out this  last week was the L’Oreal True Match Blush in Innocent Flush and if you’ve been reading my posts as of late and have a good memory, you’re probably aware that I initially misjudged this one. At fifteen dollars for a drugstore product, this is certainly not a bargain but this peachy-coral shade with that golden sheen is well worth it. In fact, I think I only went for a different blush once last week – ohemgee groundbreaking. Pretty much, it’s just a smooth-textured coral blush with a creamy texture that adds that glow to the cheeks that instantly perks up my face but it does deliver at a slightly lower price point and has that peachiness that differentiates it from the other 284847 coral blushes I own. I might have a slight blush hoarding problem, if you catch my drift.

On The Blog…

1. Weekly Medley #16 2. Skincare Thoughts and Tidbits 3. My Skincare Saviors 4. The Daily Face #15 5. Lip Product Addict Tag

You could easily have a different take on this than me, but I thought that this was one of my better weeks, putting out five posts that I’m pleased with and actually committing to writing the little skincare series that I’ve been pondering over for ages and ages without any sort of action occurring. I plan on doing a few more posts in the next little while, if you’re curious, but I do plan on trying to write a few more skincare posts on a regular basis in the future — thoughts?

I can’t be one hundred percent certain that these plans will come to fruition but in the next week you can expect another installment in the skincare series (or perhaps even two…) and perhaps a roundup of my essential beauty products throughout the duration of spring. I’d love to hear any sort of post requests as always!

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

Lip Product Addict Tag

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I was certainly not tagged to do this tag and I’m aware that it was originally created as a video by the lovely Estee (of essiebutton) and Amelia (of Liana Beauty) so I’m taking a few liberties here but after reading/watching more than a few of these, I couldn’t resist doing this one so here goes:

1. Favourite balm or treatment?

Although it’s not strictly a balm intended for use on chapped lips, the best repairing treatment for my chapped sensitive lips is easily the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5($16 CDN), which is a thick cream-textured product that aims to soothe sensitized, irritated and itchy skin all over the body (lips included) and works the best to soothe chapped flaky lips than anything else I’ve tried. It’s not something that has the ideal texture etc. for putting on before lipstick as it’s a cream and looks white on the lips but it’s definitely worth the impracticality- and it contains more than emollient ingredients, formulated with anti-bacterial ingredients and concentrated vitamin B5.

2. Best eye-catching red?

With its abundant praise in recent years, the uber-drying vibrant scarlet-red lipstick with slight blue undertones, MAC Ruby Woo($19 CDN)has been rewarded status as the bog-standard classic red but despite that it is my absolute favourite when I’m going for that bright red statement lip. When paired with some simple liner and standard shadow and mascara, the bold lip offering looks stunning and compliments my warm-toned fair skin. I’m not normally a fan of drying lipsticks but this one lasts like no other and does not slide around whilst not highlighting lip imperfections. In my opinion, this is a stunning red especially if you have yellow or olive undertones — I’m certainly not olive but my friend is and it looks stunning on her as well!

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3. Best luxury and drugstore?

My lipstick hoarding problem or obsession of sorts is actually a fairly recent one and in light of this, I don’t own too many truly luxury  lip products — MAC excluded — but I do love the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry ($26 CDN), as it provides impressive colour payoff, legitimate nourishment, texture and longevity. Although these are marketed as glorified tinted lip balms, this one actually provides the hydration of a balm whilst delivering pretty-much opaque payoff that lasts on the lips for hours. I need more of these in the interest of research of course…

I’ve had many more drugstore lip product discoveries in my lipstick hoarding life so this was a more difficult choice to make but when it came down to it, the Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing($9-10 CDN) comes out on top on all fronts — the deep-red with neutral undertones, a rather autumnal or wintry shade, provides impressive pigmentation and longevity while being effortless to use and not only comfortable on the lips but also slightly hydrating. If you’re someone who suffers with dry flaky lips like yours truly, I highly recommend giving these a go.

I now realize that the two look similar so I’ll clarify: the Fresh is on the left and the Revlon is on the right below:

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4. Best MAC Lipstick?

Ugh, this is such a difficult one as MAC’s lipsticks are truly among the most loved in my collection but this one had to go to MAC Patisserie Lipstick($19 CDN)as it is that no-fuss perfect everyday shade that I can slap on without a mirror (or any sort of thinking capacity) and always looks good. The lustre formula ensures that it is actually hydrating on the lips and has a sheerness to it and shade-wise it can only be described as a warm-toned dark pink-nude with some brown undertones to it. It’s that cliched my-lips-but-better shade on me and for this I adore it.

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5. Most disappointing?

Although I wouldn’t describe the Revlon Lip Butters as a necessarily bad product – in fact, I like a couple of them – but I do not believe that they hold up to the hype that surrounds them. I don’t find that they feel lightweight on the lips and offer moisture like a balm. While they aren’t particularly drying on the lips, these are lacking in terms of hydration on the lips and have a waxy consistency that can actually highlight dry patches and texture on the lips.

6. Liner?

I don’t have much experience on the liner front and the ones that I have tried thus far have failed to impress me so I would have to stick with precision lip brush application to master the shape when I’m bothered or am applying a bold lip.

7. Best Gloss?

I really really detest lip gloss as a whole — in fact, it’s why I wasn’t crazy about lip products in the past. I hated that whole heavy sticky feeling of lip gloss so much that I was put off but I have to say that I do like the L’Oreal L’Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in Nude Ballet ($12 CDN). The lipstick-gloss hybrid feels lightweight on the lips and is somewhat nourishing, gliding easily over uneven texture on the lips. Nude Ballet is a gorgeous nude with warm pink-brown undertones, in the same vein of Patisserie that offers rather impressive pigmentation. Too bad about the typical L’Oreal scent if you know what I mean…

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8. Something extra!

I couldn’t write this post without giving a mention to the Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipsticks after mentioning the Revlon Lacquer Balms above but as much as I like the formula of the matte offerings, I actually have come to prefer the original Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 08 ($7-8 CDN),housed in the black packaging despite the rather brown and ‘mature’ feel to the hue. For one, this formula is extremely comfortable to wear and forgiving on the lips, lasts a good while and the scent is much more appealing — rather than having that candy-smell that Rimmel stays true to, there’s vanilla thrown into the mix with this one. I love the formula so I have to try more of these but I have been enjoying this shade when applied with a lip brush as it doesn’t come out as masking and brown but rather as a flattering neutral shade that is slightly darker than my natural lip.

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I probably shouldn’t be as surprised as I am by how wording this post is but I doubt you’ve come to expect anything else. If you’ve done this tag or plan on doing so, I would love it if you commented the link below so I could check it out!

Maggie, x.

The Daily Face #15: Warm-Weather Makeup

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Contrary to the general pattern as of late, today was a gorgeous warm sunny day – but not so warm that makeup would be a no-go, of course. I’ve gotten into a bit of a different daily routine – but not too different, you know me… – with slightly different daily staples and I thought I would share the warm-weather centric makeup.

When it’s been warm and sunny, I’ve been reaching for the authentic Skin 79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream, as it offers good coverage with some added radiance and great sun protection – without using chemical sunscreens that make my skin burn and all that jazz. My skin has been pretty good so I went straight onto under-eye brightening with the magical Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque. Because sunscreen-heavy products tend to produce somewhat of a sheen, I made sure to dust the MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder through my t-zone.

Despite rambling on about more traditional bronzers frequently in posts as of late, the slightly warm-toned MAC Harmonyhas reigned supreme for adding for adding colour and shape and in the last week or two, I’ve been reaching for the L’Oreal True Match Blush in N3-4 Innocent Flushthat I previously dismissed as lacking longevity and any sort of novelty; while it’s not going to knock out MAC Stereo Rose etc. as my favourite coral blush with that golden sheen, I had misjudged this one as it does have good longevity, pigmentation and texture. As of late, I’ve also consistently been going for highlighter, namely the long-since unavailable MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl. Because I tend to find that the BB Cream can sit on my skin slightly unevenly, I misted my face with the Nyx Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray – I’m undecided on my final verdict on this setting spray, if you were wondering.

I’m now convinced that the L’Oreal Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde is certainly worth of praise – it seems a little dark for it’s name as it works for my medium-brown hair but the ashy-toned pencil-wax duo, paired with the mini-brush creates easy but naturally-defined brows. I suspect you’ll hear more on this on a later post… Because shadows need a base or primer of some sort, I grabbed for the ever-popular Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze but the real star of the show is the Dior Grege Quint that I picked up a few weeks ago (and featured it in a haul-type post) and have hardly put down since. I’ve ignored this quint in the past despite knowing the great quality of these shadows as the offerings looked neutral and boring but that could hardly be farther from the truth – the shades are surprisingly versatile for daily use with their variety of finishes. The sheeny grey shade was patted onto the outer-half of the lid, the ivory was applied to the inner corner region to lighten it up and the dark matte chocolate brown was blended into the outer corner and further used as liner. Since finding the L’Oreal brow pencil, my MAC 266 has been freed-up and I’ve fallen in love with using the brush with shadow as slightly-smoky liner. For mascara I’ve been consistently reaching for the Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascarathat I recently picked up as it provides easy adequate volume a la Benefit BadGal Lash and is not an absolute bitch to remove.

I’ve been feeling a coral lip lately, especially with the grey-toned shadow and because my lips are kind of in rough shape at the moment, I went for the hydrating and forgiving MAC Lipstick in Dreaming Dahliathat of course is no longer available for it was part of the MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Collection.

Thoughts on this ‘look’? What have you been reaching for lately?

Maggie, x.