My Skincare Saviors

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Tuesday’s post covered a description of my skin and what in my experience is essential for caring for the skin so I’ll spare you the long ramble; I already shared my general advice for skincare so I thought it was about time to discuss my specific hero skincare products. I’ve already said this last post but thanks to these products in particular, my skin is the clearest it has ever been in terms of texture and brightness and is the least red as well.

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16)
I’m a wee bit passionate about the chemical exfoliants and this is why it is completely rational – for me – to include multiple products in this category here and to be honest, I was tempted to include one more but I tried my best to narrow it down… This offering remains one of my favourites and in constant although I haven’t mentioned it as much in light of my discovery of more intensive chemical exfoliants. This offering might look just like another clarifying lotion within the Clinique 3 Step System but unlike those belonging to the system, this one does not include any irritating alcohol or anything of the sort and is not the strongest BHA, as its only 0.5 % – because of this it is a gentle acidic toner for everyday use. It did not have crazy results overnight but after consistent use, it really has helped with the overall texture and clarity of my skin. It never irritates my extremely sensitive skin and if anything actually reduces irritation and inflammation.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Intense Brightening Treatment ($40)
This is the other chemical exfoliant that I attribute to the improvement of my skin but this one contains AHA’s and is more concentrated, focusing intensively on brightness along with texture. Unlike the acidic toner, this one is more of a concentrated treatment so I tend to use it less often, say four times a week at night — while there aren’t instant results with this, this cream-serum over the span of a few months of continuous use radically improved the brightness, evenness and texture of my skin. The cream texture actually is impressively hydrating on its own — I tend to follow with something but I don’t have to, which is impressive and it doesn’t have irritating ingredients or fragrance within it. I adore this serum and I wrote much more on it here when I reviewed it.

Organic Rosehip Oil                                                                                                                                                                                                 While my product is produced by the brand By Nature, I don’t think that the brand is significant in any shape or form as it’s just a pure oil. This oil does what its hyped to do, nourishing and deeply hydrating the skin with its non-greasy dry oil texture, soothes and calms the skin while helping to fade hyperpigmentation and promoting overall clarity. Also, I find when I have a blemish coming up underneath the skin, if I apply this on the area, it not only goes away much sooner but it also doesn’t leave any angry marks or other sources of irritation — this sounds kind of strange but it is true. However, I should mention that the oil has sort of a brassy tinge so if you’re wearing it during the day you probably should be wearing something on top.

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Daily Hydrator ($45 CDN)                                                                                                                               While I’m not quite ready to classify this moisturizer as holy grail or anything of that declarative sort, I must admit that this rich moisturizing treatment that remains lightweight and at the same time contains skin-soothing ingredients such as squalane and chamomile is impressive. While doing the above things in a practical pump container with a sufficient amount of product, it protects the skin against the elements and can quickly get my skin out of that cycle of irritation, itchiness and flaking. And it’s fragrance-free which is a nice change of pace.

Neutrogena Ultra-Gentle Daily Cleanser ($10-12 CDN)                                                                                                                    To be honest, it was rather difficult to chose whether to include this cleanser or the extremely similar Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser but ended up going for this offering because while it wasn’t quite as creamy and as hydrating, this gentle fragrance-free cleanser also has the ability to remove makeup completely. This cleanser never leaves my skin feeling stripped and is a lightweight creamy-gel kind of texture – similar to Cetaphil but notably superior in my opinion – and is the perfect cleanser to go in for the second cleanse at nighttime – or first for that matter – but it’s a great one for the mornings as it applies and rinses without the aid of a washcloth with ease.

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm ($11 CDN)                                                                                                                                 This appears to be another one of those products that I actually have evidence of my adoration of here in review form. To be honest, I’ve actually just finished this product – after using it daily for a good ten months – and have moved onto the very similar Hot Cloth Cleanser from the same line but regardless, this nourishing and creamy cleanser removes makeup like a dream and leaves the skin soothed but cleansed like no other. I wouldn’t actually describe it as a balm cleanser but rather as a rich cream; I’m not complaining though, here. I occasionally use it in the mornings as well but this is my go-to cleanser for the first cleanse at nighttime to remove the bulk of my makeup gently.

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask ($22 CDN)                                                                                                               When I discovered this product a few months back, it was a riskier purchase as I tend to be skeptical of stores like The Body Shop as they tend to overload their products with fragrance and call them skincare but as I stated in an earlier post here, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is this moisturizing mask packed with the soothing and healing aloe, it doesn’t contain any sort of fragrance or irritating ingredients either. This might not be the most groundbreaking moisture mask in existence, simply loaded with calming aloe that truly nourishes the skin but it does what it sets out to, calming down the skin overnight, adding intensive hydration without feeling overly heavy on the skin. And the next day, you wake up with brighter more radiant skin. I’ll warn you, though, this is the first moisture mask that I’ve tried so I haven’t really got anything concrete to compare it to.

What are your top skincare saviors?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skincare Thoughts & Tidbits

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At a certain point I’ve had to accept that I am becoming yet another beauty blogging cliche rather than struggling to write the most unique post ever, taking ages and ages to do so but somehow ending up with the most incomprehensible post that you have possibly ever viewed yourself, you realize that taking your individualism to that extreme while blogging is ever-so-slightly insane. I would compare this to essay writing – I’m an arts student so nothing practical here – when you begin university where you’re so convinced of your underlying deep understanding that you have not been taught that you’re missing the entire point of the task at hand. Abstract: it’s important to keep your writing unique and tailored to you but write what you want to write not based on what novel blogging ideas you can chalk up that have never been done before with possible good reason. ‘Where is this going?’, you might be thinking — I often find myself asking the same question… — but I assure you that my tangent had some sort of underlying purpose; I have to do that horribly cliched beauty blogger thing where I complain about my skin being extremely problematic when it does not necessarily look all that bad. In my defense, the skin I have now is easily the best skin I’ve had since I turned thirteen and developed visible pimple-producing oil glands but this is a result of learning how to look after my skin with its unique preferences and dislikes and more currently, my high-fat and low sugar/carb/wheat diet that I’ve switched onto to deal with my troublesome fructose sensitivity.

With skincare it is definitely true that everyone’s skin reacts differently to ingredients and that even those suffering from similar skincare concerns may have completely different reactions to the same products, there are general rules to stick by in terms of ingredients and the like so I figured I would show mine. I have extremely sensitive and fragile skin — not sensitive in the way that it breaks out from everything, as the only thing I’ve had a serious reaction breakout to is the Cetaphil eczema-care line strangely enough – that is easily irritated and can tolerate very few ingredients but still has concerns that need to be addressed. I’ve always had a mild case of acne (on my face) that conveniently (joking…) is of hormonal origin and cannot be shaken with antibiotics and that gets red and irritated easily with most products on the market that can aim to help my skincare concerns. My body skin is more of my concern as I’ve suffered from severe acne on my back that is completely resistant to any medication whilst erupting in those itchy eczema patches that plague my skin all over. My skin is dull, dehydrated and constantly dehydrated with a few pimples on my face constantly and tiny bumps underneath my skin that will eventually turned to clogged pores, on the drier side of things, is prone to redness and reacts horrifically to most chemical sunscreens, any sort of sulfate in a cleanser and any sort of drying alcohols. Oh, and any sort of abrasion is a no-no even though the uneven texture of my skin is problematic so if I can use a scrub it has to be as gentle as nappy cream for a baby’s bottom — don’t know where that came from. I figured I would show this snapshot of my bare-face on the less-pleasing of average days (due to hormonal issues) about five or six hours after washing and the like without makeup. Yes, the only place my face seems to produce shine is on my forehead which I would classify as normal… just in case you were skeptical about the shine situation.

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I promise this lengthy rant/description of my skin is worthwhile to get through to hear about my staples. As a recap — or rather, a thesis or overarching narrative of sorts — I have skin that is in need of treatment but has very low tolerance for any sort of harsh or irritating ingredients. And because I feel the need to rant about this yet again, natural ingredients are not any less harsh on the skin than artificial ones so the solution is not to go for more ‘natural brands’ such as Lush etc. that feel the need to boast about how great their natural ingredients are when in fact they are filled with natural occurring alcohol and natural occurring but still irritating fragrance. I may have strong feelings on the whole natural products debate but there are great natural products in my opinion but it is not necessarily the best product ever simply because its ‘natural’. So the introduction for this post is probably lengthier than this post needs to be but I felt that it was a necessary precursor to articulating the supremacy of these elements. And in the future I’ll probably refer to this post or link to this one when describing my skin so you won’t all be subjected to this long rant again. Here goes…

1. Go for gentle yet effective cleansing: Whenever I have makeup on I do a double cleanse with a washcloth but more than this, I make sure to use the gentlest cleansers that I can find, avoiding any sort of foaming action, drying alcohols obviously or any sort of harsh detergents such as sulfates. While I’m intolerant to these sulfates, they are problematic for everyone I assume as they further irritate the skin and leave it in a fragile state that makes it particularly prone for the barrier to be compensated and privy to blemishes of a variety of kinds. And more than that, this can do wonders to reduce redness. Lately I’ve heard a variety claim that after not washing their face in the morning, the quality of their skin has vastly improved and I used to agree with this but since finding the gentlest of cleansers to use in the morning, my skin is clearer than ever with any redness.

2. Avoid additional irritants: While I definitely can agree with the statement that everyone’s skin can react differently to ingredients and frequently do so some commonly-known irritants may or may not have a negative impact on your skin but there are some that are universally good to avoid or at the very least limit- drying alcohols as I’ve said before, fragrance regardless of its origin, etc. Although I’m not 100% in agreement with her verdict on the ingredients and efficacy of all products, Paula Begon of Paula’s Choice provides an especially helpful analysis of ingredients and efficacy of a variety of skincare products, serving as particularly helpful to indicate irritants as well as beneficial ingredients (i.e. antioxidants)

3. Look f0r soothing nourishment: Regardless of your skin type/condition or what kind of product you’re getting the nourishment from, – whether it be an oil, serum, mask, moisturizer etc. – universally we all benefit from this kind of nourishment. This is crucial for easily irritated and blemish-susceptible skin like mine but is an important concern all around. It improves the general quality of the skin and compensates from makeup removal, the use of treatments on the skin and the impact of weather on the skin. This leads very easily onto the next point…

4. Make use of gentle but effective treatments: Now what treatments you might search after should be guided by your specific skincare concerns, the use of products to aid in these concerns effectively without aggravating the skin is essential. Some of these treatments might include retinol for anti-aging purposes and the like, salicylic acid/benzyl peroxide, sulfur etc. for treating blemish concerns, skin lighteners or chemical exfoliants for brightness concerns, etc.

5. Adequate exfoliation: While this step does tend to overlap quite a bit with treatments in my book as I have the kind of skin that is quite intolerant to physical exfoliants (i.e. scrubs) but requires frequent gentle chemical exfoliation to help with brightness, texture and clarity, regardless of your concerns exfoliating your skin frequently enough but not too frequently is crucial. For some a physical exfoliator is fine but others like myself prefer chemical ones, so it does depend on preference but I gather that for many a combination of the two is most successful. Chemical exfoliants are generally classified into Alpha-Hydroxy-Acids and Beta-Hydroxy-Acids – the former exfoliates the surface of the skin and the latter can exfoliate beneath the surface and into the pore – and work to eliminate excess skin cells and unblock the pores, triggering cell renewal in a way, rather than just smoothing out the surface of the skin through abrasion.

I have to say that diet does play a degree but is not the sole factor in the quality of the skin, in my view, as nutrients inside the body impact the skin additionally but other than eating a balanced diet, food concerns and intolerances can be different for everyone – however, I hear milk, sugar and gluten are common ones. For instance, after drastically lowering the fructose (sugar) and carbohydrates (particularly wheat) in my diet which are both known to be inflammatory, I have noted a reduction in the inflammation of my skin, but skincare has made more of a difference in my humble opinion. I’m not an expert on skincare by any means but I do read up on it frequently due to my interest in it so I hope these tidbits of mine are helpful. I’d love to know if these basic steps work for others like they do for me or if there are other crucial considerations that I seem to be missing! Oh, and just as a heads up this is merely the first post in a series of posts on skincare that I’m planning to produce at the moment?

Maggie, x.

 

 

Weekly Medley #16

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(1) the lazy Saturday face (2) the obligatory self-promotion: “An Affordable Curly-Hair Styling Duo” (3) I think I might love my Rimmel foundations a wee bit (4) “I went in for one thing and came out with 7 – whoops” (5) attempt to photograph OPI Tickle My France-y involving hardcore yoga balancing (6) slightly more successful nail photo (7) OMG I bought clothes

Being my ever-so-slightly wordy English major self, I tend to abhor the whole institution of using words such as blah and like frequently to describe events and the like, even on my little beauty corner on the internet but despite having a few days to mull it over, I cannot come up with a more articulate yet accurate way to describe my week. This was one of those typical Spring weeks of constant rain and unappealing weather outside and a constant feeling of grogginess — in other words this was one of those dull blah kind of weeks when the days kind of passed into a blur. I wasn’t doing nothing all week but I’m definitely more than aware that I was not being as productive as I should. Story of my life, honestly. On a more positive note, I was adequately consistent on the posting front, getting out six posts in the last week and I was pleased with them overall. It’s nice to be satisfied with your blogging week even when your actual week might have left much to be desired – in my view, at least.

If you’re someone who has a love/hate relationship with shopping, where it can uplift your mood and spirits until that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach of buyers remorse like me, days when you head out expecting to pick one thing up and then ending up with at least ten your bank account reads at least $100 dollars lower are neither wholly exciting or wholly torturous. This happened midway through the week for me but in my defense my purchases were practical things rather than of the more frivolous kind and there was loads of sale action happening. And shocker I picked up three pieces of clothing because American Eagle was having one of those buy one get one for blah-blah-blah kind of promotions and was offering their clearance items for additional ridiculous savings. I’m pleased with both the beauty items and the fashion items that I picked up and do not regret picking them up or curse the Canadian return policy on drugstore cosmetics.

I’m not one to end up losing makeup in a permanent way — most often misplaced items can be quickly found my searching underneath my bed or emptying out my purse– but when I actually was without my Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticingfor a good month, I realized how great the comfortable and easy dark red was in the balm-y formula so I had to replace the one I lost when Revlon lip products were on for 25% off. However, I did not think that along with this necessary purchase would be another six items but it happened nevertheless… I won’t get all focused in on the details now as I’m planning on doing a collective thoughts kind of post in a week or two after trying the products – thoughts? So, I lied and being proud that I nabbed these practical purchases at somewhat of a discounted price and thinking that any of you fellow Canadians might be able to hit up Lawton’s to join in on the same deal- if it’s still on – I thought I would give you a rundown of the products I picked up and the price that I paid for them: Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing/Vivacious ($7.46), Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara in Blackest Black ($7.46), Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel in 210 Casino Lights ($5.99), L’Oreal Super Liner Brow Artist in Blonde ($7.99), Sally Hansen Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat ($7.49) and La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense Anti-Redness Intensive Serum ($26.40).

Although I must admit their colour range does leave much to be desired, I have to say that I’m a huge fan of Rimmel’s foundations — they are on the more affordable side of the drugstore variety, neither dry out or irritate the rather fragile skin on my face and come in fairer shades with warm undertones that fall on the more yellow-toned side of things. It is by no means a new development that I’m loving my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation – I’ve quite possibly rambled on about my love for this product more than any other product on here but after not loving it on my skin after I had that exam-period blemish problem last month as the teensy bit of shimmer can highlight imperfections slightly – but I’m also loving my newly purchased Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse foundation so in the last week or two I’ve been switching between the two and out of my love for both have had a hard time picking which foundation to go for. As I’ve said before, the Stay Matte isn’t all that matte or shine-controlling but it offers excellent coverage in a weightless cream kind of formula that can be blended seamlessly into the skin and does not cling to dry patches it seems. I should mention that the second offering is appealingly budget-friendly and appears to come in lighter shades so its a great one for the fairer skinned but if you’re anything more than tanned it might not be such a great option.

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

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

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While putting together these posts, I’ve noticed an unwavering pattern of mine — forgetting to picture one or two of the crucial products — but it’s no time to change habits now. Of course, the first item to grace my face is absent here, the satisfyingly ashy L’Oreal Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde ($11-12 CDN) was applied through the brows, brushed out with the decent little spoolie and set with the gel at the other end of the pencil; I picked this up yesterday when I was strolling around the aisles of the drugstore and was reminded of my mission to find a brow product that isn’t ridiculously red and horrible on a budget and I think I’ve succeeded. However, I think this is quite a dark shade for blondes but I could be wrong.

Accepting the slight possibility that the weather outside could potentially warm up to warrant some sort of sun protection, I pulled out the lightweight and luminous spf-45-laden Skin79 BB Cream (appx $36 CDN) and blended it in with my fingers. Because there are obvious remnants of that breakout from a few weeks back across my cheeks, temples and chin, I had to go for the big guns er the Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette in 1 ($45 CDN) and obviously I counteracted my hereditary dark circles easily with the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN).

I decided to go onto my eyes before finishing the whole face detail situation, beginning by priming with the MAC Prolongwear Paint Pot in Layin’ Low ($25 CDN), before going in with Buzz, Liar, Limit, Factory and Blackheart from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN); Buzz and Liar were combined on the brush to go for less of a light lid shade, Limit was blended into the crease lazily as one does, Factory was applied somewhat liberally through the outer corners of the eyes and Blackheart was applied in a more precise manner along the outer-v and lower lashline. And because I’m someone who just kind of needs liner, I went for a thin flick of the much-adored L’Oreal Lineur Intense.The mascara in use was a new one, the Revlon Bold Lacquer By Grow Luscious Mascara,which was a pleasantly dry formula that reminded me instantly of Benefit Bad Gal – this is not a bad thing – and I’ll be pleased with this one if it removes a little bit easier than the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess…

Now that it’s actually getting sunny and such outside, I’ve been getting into the warm bronzers — this one is the creamy Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan ($10-11 CDN) — and I perhaps got a little too bronzer happy along the hairline, I must admit. I just haven’t been able to put down the seemingly-dull-but-divine Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41 CDN)and I believe that in light of this, it has earned its place in this blush-hoarders hall of fame. And I was feeling some highlighter on the cheekbones, so I went for the long-since-unavailable MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl.

This isn’t a truly new lip colour for me as I’ve worn the shade loads before but as I actually seem to have lost this shade and legitimately missed it, I picked up another Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing ($9-10 CDN).I know the deeper neutral red isn’t the most appropriate shade for this time of year but I’ve been really enjoying this kind of bold-ish lip on myself and the formula is stunningly comfortable – what more could you want?

Have you tried any of these products?

Maggie, x.

 

 

An Affordable Curly-Hair Styling Duo

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If you have hair like mine — fickle, naturally difficult, tangly and long with a variety of curl patterns and limited coherence — a styling cocktail is a difficult feat to discover in itself and it’s even more difficult to find one that doesn’t beat the bank so when I discovered this duo of products that leaves my wavy curls looking their best without breaking the bank due to ridiculous hair porosity. Err, I don’t know if it’s like this for any of you with a similar texture but I have hair that soaks up product like a sponge and I require loads of it to get the intended result so I can get frustrated with pricy products fast.

What are the two products in question, one might ask? Well, they are the OGX Kukui Oil Frizz-Defying Curl Cream ($8-11 CDN)and the Dove Style + Care Nourishing Curls Mousse ($6-8 CDN) and together in my warm-weather hair, create texture and bounce in my hair in a nourishing and controlled manner and I scrunch a moderate amount of the light cream and a much more generous amount of the whipped mousse through my mass of soaking-wet hair when exiting the shower and I later haphazardly diffused it with my ancient hair-dryer and these are the results.

Curl creams are a difficult thing for my hair as they don’t seem to work throughout the cooler months of the year and can seem to not really do anything productive but in pictures where I like my hair, there is always some sort of curl cream going on and this one is a nicer one that I’ve tried, especially at this price point. Rather than being heavy and greasy, this cream has a hydrating but lightweight texture that helps to define curls whilst keeping the hair hydrated and less of a tangly mess. Paired with the Dove mousse as the holding product in the duo, I’m left with texturized, bouncy wavy curls that don’t just hang there. This mousse offering won’t be for everyone, I’m afraid, as it has that creamy texture that does contain some silicones; I’m not usually a fan of silicones but in this product, they seem to keep the hair soft and nourished whilst providing hold and some lift at the roots, rather than leaving the hair a little bit parched. The results aren’t perfect but my hair has been the best I’ve seen it in a while with these products so I can’t complain even slightly.

Do any of you share in my hair woes?

Maggie, x.

 

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5 Current Lusts #2: May

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Source: Zara's website, Sephora's website, Sephora's website again, Zara's website again, mackarrie.com

After getting down to write my first wishlist kind of posts a few months back, I would have expected to be putting out a much later installment now but my indecision and procrastination has bested me again. Now that it’s May with Spring kind of in full-swing — I’m a poet and I didn’t know it — these are an edited selection of beauty products and attire that I’ve been looking at to transition into Summer and complete the whole spring thing. Thanks to my rekindled interest in that whole style venture, induced majorly by Sophie’s minimal wardrobe posts, there are a few more fashion bits thrown in with the beauty…

(i) Zara Strappy Lace Top in Off-White ($59.90 CDN):

Whilst the price-tag of this one might not appear the most budget friendly, it is staple tops like these that are lightweight and comfortable yet interesting that when paired with the basics make my kind of favourite outfits so they’re worthwhile. The cream colour of this one keeps it versatile as does the fact that it isn’t so form-fitting or revealing and therefore it looks more laid back than nighttime. All in all, pieces like these are valuable in my book.

(ii) Deva-Curl B’Leave-In ($26 CDN):

I’m aware that repurchased items aren’t usually included in wishlist posts and I’ve mentioned wanting to pick this up before but I’m including this one anyways. The protein-treatment boosted my curls, infusing them with vitality when I used this constantly last summer and now that I seem to have the rest of my routine under control, I figured that this would be a valuable addition.

(iii) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light ($52 CDN):

After falling in love with Ethereal Glow, one of the blushes that corresponds with these supposedly magical airbrushing finishing powders, I just have to try one finally and the shade that I’ve heard would be ideal for all over the face to eliminate some redness and set while adding some gold is this one.

(iV) Zara Round Neck Sweater in Orange ($49.90 CDN):

Although I currently own maybe one piece from Zara, I’m a huge fan of the store and as I don’t have one as close as a days trip to me, I was excited to learn that they offered extremely affordable shipping (free with $50) and free returns and this was what was my other top pick. I love lightweight sweaters like this one and it actually seems like a practical purchase to me so I can’t refuse obviously. I like the laid-back slouchy shape of the thin sweater and the tangerine hue is different in a good way and would pair wonderfully with the staples I already have.

(V) MAC Alluring Aquatic Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite’s Shell ($38.50 CDN):

After a good few years of investing in (and loving) MAC’s big spring releases, I’ve developed quite a soft spot for them and this bronzer has caught my eye and the attention of my thinning wallet. I’ve always been eager to try one of the ‘Extra Dimension’ products from MAC and despite being a bronzer girl, I don’t have too many in my possession so I’ve convinced myself that this purchase is justified. This more golden-hued and less orangey offering shall be mine…

What have been your top wishlist picks as of late? Have you tried/do you own any of these?

Maggie, x.

 

 

Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil

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I’m fairly – no scratch that – undoubtably certain that I began my last skincare review post here with the admission that I’m hesitant to write reviews on skincare products especially before months and months of use as it can be difficult to ascertain the effects over such a short period of time and skincare can be such a subjective thing but I’m compelled to do so again. Regardless, here I am giving a more detailed account of my thoughts on Garnier’s newly-released cleansing oil offering:

Ingredients: Mineral Oil, Zea,Mays/Corn Germ Oil, Polysorbate 85, Carthamus Tinctorius,Oil/Safflower Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,,Sorbitan Trioleate, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil/Jojoba Seed,Oil, Glycerin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Squalane,,Parfum/Fragrance, Water, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Linalool, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl,Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Isopropyl, Myristate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl, Ionone, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

The product is actually formally/technically called the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil and in my experience at least, it seems to retail for $10-12 in Canada and for a few less dollars in the US and contains 125 mLs of product. It is marketed to instantly dissolve impurities and long-wear makeup and impurities whilst replenishing the skin’s moisture balance with the macadamia and jojoba oils and all insignificant marketing details aside, I agree that it achieves on the claims. Although the formula does contain some fragrance, it removes every little last bit of makeup on my face without irritating my skin in the slightest and instead soothing it. When this is massaged into my dry skin with my fingertips, later emulsified with water and removed gently with a damp washcloth, my skin does not require a second cleanse and is left already calmed and hydrated once removed – I wouldn’t say that this is a residue of sorts as it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin or anything of that sort and it does not clog in the slightest but I supposed the moisture and nourishment left behind could be a bother to someone with an oilier skin type and then i would be prudent to follow up with an additional cleanser to remove the residue. However, the main ingredient in this cleansing oil is mineral oil, so don’t assume otherwise because the other oils are discussed in their claims; mineral oil is said to make some break out but it is generally classified as non-comedogenic and removes makeup gently and effectively, avoiding irritation. Since using this nightly to remove makeup, I can say that my skin is less irritated and that it has not caused any sort of adverse reaction in my easily-irritated skin. Also, it is gentle enough to remove eye makeup without stinging my sensitive eyes but it does blur my vision so I opt for Bioderma and just use this on my face.

There is definite room for improvement with the whole packaging situation at hand. The packaging leaks like nothing else which is extremely inconvenient even when it remains in the bathroom, as oil can kind of gather around the container in notable quantities over time. Presumably in part due to mineral oil in the formula, the product has a really runny consistency that can easily slip out of your hands and into the drain if you’re not careful. All in all, this is an excellent cleanser for those of us on the drier end of the spectrum and while it’s not ‘holy grail‘ for me, it has turned into a nice staple especially at its price-point. The bottom line: This cleansing oil is nourishing, removes makeup like a dream whilst soothing the skin effectively.

What cleansing oils have you tried and what are your thoughts on them?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

The Rainy Day Edit

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Here in my small corner in the realm of beauty blogging, I seem to see Spring constantly depicted as a season of sunshine, warmth and clear skies but here Spring may have the occasional really warm day, but is generally rainy, overcast and not overly warm on most occasions. Honestly, most of the time it’s all gross, rainy and wet. I thought I would share some of my most appreciated beauty products for getting me up and at ’em on days like these.

By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($26 CDN):Although beneficial oils like this one has much more benefits than purely radiance-boosting but it really is a lifesaver for saving lackluster dull skin and adding in some luminosity while being soothing. Because it is a dry oil, this oil can be used during the daytime without leaving that heavy oily residue and this is what sets it apart from others.

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask ($22 CDN):Do you want to know a secret about my daily beauty routine? Well, it’s not particularly novel or interesting but I don’t wear makeup every day of the week and with no shame I rock the bare face out and about but on those no-makeup days during this dull and dreary weather, I slather my face with this soothing moisture mask with nice results — although this is a thick mask, it does absorb over time and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin so it’s no sort of irritation to use. I always use this a few times a week but at the moment I’m reaching for it more frequently because it seems to soothe the skin like nothing else and add vitality back in instantly.

Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo ($6-8 CDN): I have naturally curly hair so it shouldn’t be a shock that when my hair comes into contact with this kind of humidity, it falls flat and frizzes and turns into knot central and this can be a lifesaver to add life to the roots of my hair and avoid the flat and limp effect with the added texture and body.

Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation ($26 CDN): Gross days like these call for a truly dewy kind of base product that looks like skin and this is my pick but I must admit that it is likely that I chose this one because I can finally wear it; I have it in shade 73 from when I picked it up in the early fall last year when I apparently still had some colour and with the little bit of fake-tanning that I have going on at the moment its perfect. The coverage is only a touch more than light but it works wonders at providing gorgeous radiant skin and evening out some tone. 

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in Sunny ($3 CDN):Normally I’m quite a blush girl, gushing about relying on it to add some life and brightness to the face but lately in this gloomy rainy weather, I’ve been enjoying skipping the blush in the name of some more all-over bronzing and I’ve been using this matte warm-toned bronzer. When applied more liberally on the cheeks as well as on the sides of the face, I find it keeps everything from looking so drained and dreary.

Maybelline Coloursensational ‘The Buffs’ Lipstick in Nude Lust ($9-10 CDN):Although I’m an advocate for the bold lip in general, there’s something that doesn’t sit well in me when I wear these brights on days like these, so the neutral lipstick that does not wash you out but rather does the opposite is needed and this darker nude with a hint of brown in it does the trick flawlessly. If only the formula were slightly more forgiving on chapped patches…

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish ($37 CDN):As strange as this may seem given that I’m drier-skinned and are always searching for that glow, I’m not someone who goes for a highlighter on a daily basis, however when everything is a little dark and dreary, in need of light, I go for this one. Now, I have the long-gone Semi-Precious Pearl shade but I’m sure any of these smooth highlighting powders would function in the same way, instantly perking up the skin.

What do you find yourself reaching for on these Spring rainy days?

Maggie, x.

 

 

Weekly Medley #15

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(1) The pre-movies face (2) The loved product of the week (3) My face again, obviously (4) evidence that I am no longer ghastly pale – woo (5) the show that I’ve Netflix-marathoned this week (6) the blog that rekindled my fixation on style

This week was an uneventful one, I’m afraid, but it would be difficult for me to be happier about it. Although I can say that I actually went out and socialized in public this week, wrote up a few posts and made some major organizational headway, this was not a particularly eventful or productive week but for once that does not ensure impending doom. And, let me just express my incredulity over the fact that it is now May.

After not buying clothes in ages as regardless of my share of wholehearted efforts to look stylish or pulled together through attire/outfits because I always failed in the face or comfort or whatever, becoming more indifferent about this whole style-oriented thing, my interest has been rekindled this week. That’s not exactly true — there’s been a gradual change but I might have just become more conscious of it all of a sudden. I suppose I admired the style and whole pulled-togetherness that some bloggers and vloggers that I adore exude and then bam, I found myself scouring through Sophie’s blog and found myself inspired by her minimal style posts and addicted and possibly found myself addicted to her other posts as well – I’m sure you know how it is. The picture above in the bottom-right is taken from one of these posts titled, “The Basic Wardrobe” and it’s definitely one to commit to memory if you ask me. In light of this, you might expect the occasional style post or mention in these posts but don’t worry, I haven’t lost any of my focus on all things beauty in the slightest.

Despite being someone who embraces their paleness and doesn’t obsessively yearn to be completely bronzed all of the time, there’s a product of the self-tanning variety that has earned it’s rightful place of mention as the weekly beauty highlight. Being generally incompetent in general and oblivious to the world of fake-tanning, I went for a less intimidating product- a standard gradual tanner- namely the  Jergen’s Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer in Medium to Tan and I’m glad I did. It’s not a dramatic product but this is definitely a perk for me as after a few days of repeated use there is quite a difference and it looks natural. I accidentally picked up the darker shade but I’m glad I did, as it gives me that natural-looking beige-yellow kind of tan that matches my natural undertones. But for me what stands out about the product is that my extremely-sensitive eczema-prone body skin can tolerate this product with no irritation involved – rather it is actually moisturizing – and it goes on fairly evenly even over my rough skin that cannot tolerate any sort of scrubbing action. There may be a few hints of unevenness in colour along my wrists/hands and a select few severe dry patches on my skin but apparently it looks as if I actually got it from the sun — my friends actually thought the shade was authentic. This is no miracle worker but it has found a home in my everyday routine and doesn’t require much fuss.

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

The Monthly Roundup #5: April 2014

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I’m going to do that typical-blogger cliched thing and begin with my disbelief with today’s date. It’s shocking that it’s May but I can’t exactly deny it anymore as it’s finally sunk in that University has ended and that those two hectic months are over. And it’s finally sunk into Spring weather here; although there was some snow going on at the beginning of the month, it has drifted back to perpetual spring rain with the occasional sunny day once in a while. That’s Spring on the east coast in a nutshell. I’ve worn short shorts outside and that should be evidence enough that the seasons have changed and the months have passed. Despite all of this months exam-related craziness or perhaps as a result of procrastinating by writing blog posts to keep insane during, I’ve written 21 blog posts this month and I’m actually pleased with myself. Here are some of my post highlights…

1. April 2014 Favourites:

I promise I won’t be forever including my monthly favourites posts in these round-ups but this month was another one that I’m proud of — I found an edited selection of fantastic everyday staple products and wrote about them in a passable way.

2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow:

I know I’ve been rambling on and on about my love for this expensive cool-toned pink blush but it really is that good and deserves the mention. As well, this represents my increase in actual full-on review type single-product posts. And I thought I would switch things up and represent this post with a shot of the blush on my face, as it seemed a bit excessive for the product to be shown four times in the above collage…

3. Drugstore Essentials #2:

While this was not a new post idea as it was kind of an updated post in the vein of my first post on this blog ever but I had been putting it off. I knew I had discovered enough new drugstore treasures that I wanted to show you all wrapped up in this one post but these ones are tough to write and deliberate so I hummed and haw-ed, scratching out various attempts to plan the post until I decided enough was enough and wrote the post up while procrastinating from school-related troubles — I’m beginning to notice a pattern with blog posts being posted and school-related procrastination but I’m not complaining, as writing here is the best form of escape!

4. The Daily Face Routine:

This was one of those post ideas that came to mind numerous times but I rejected out of fear of trying something different than the usual stand-bys and what I see every blogger alive constantly doing but I pushed myself for it to happen and somehow it did. I found myself getting into a constant daily face routine with a few products that was working for me (and still is) and I went for it and was pleased by the results as well as the escape from the monotony.

5. Spring Makeup Update:

For a while I’ve known that I’ve wanted to do a follow-up full on Spring edit kind of posts but rather than going for an excessive edit, I decided to go for more edited selection for updating your daily routine for spring rather than a huge takeover. I was particularly pleased with the result and that I wasn’t writing a nice excessive rambly novella of a post like I can tend to.

What were your favourite post(s) this month? I’m feeling like I’m being rather self-indulgent but I honestly want to know what kinds of posts you’d like to see in the next month and I’ll love you forever if you give me some feedback down below.

Maggie, x.