Weekly Medley #1

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I’ve always enjoyed reading weekly favourite posts and videos of the same variety but I’ve thought that my selections would be a little boring and repetitive as I’ve not an unlimited supply of beauty products and thought better of the whole idea. However I’ve noticed that there are products that I’ve been wanting to talk about without donating an entire post to the effort that seem to go unmentioned and thus the weekly medley was born.

The Beauty Staples

A few weeks ago I picked up the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Creamy Cleanser and it has really impressed me with its balance of gentleness and efficacy; without containing fragrance and stripping detergents, it removes makeup – not of the most waterproof variety of course but double cleansing will remove all of my face products on the regular. This cleanser is affordable and easy to use with its pump dispenser and lightweight texture.

The gorgeous luminous Maybelline Master Hi-light Bronzer in Deep Bronze that I recently reviewed has blown me away this week. It’s a rosy copper that warms up the face, adding that elusive glow without adding a lot of obvious colour to the face. The texture of the product is smooth and it sits seamlessly on even my dry patches.

Even though it’s a nuisance to remove and requires frequent sharpening, I’ve gone back to using the cult favourite Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion , but as I’ve said before it’s not my favourite for my inner rims because of the impossible to remove factor in my dry eyes and it’s gel consistency isn’t the easiest to apply but I love it on the upper and lower lash lines because of its intensity and ability to be smudged out without moving. Whether I’m going for a smoky eye or a subtle one, I’m someone who benefits from liner and this has been constantly reached for this week, even over my beloved L’Oreal liquid liner. *GASP*.

Blog & Video Recommendations

This week I rediscovered Lily Pebbles and stalked her recent blog posts and had a marathon of her videos that I’ve already seen but feel compelled to watch again. She’s one of my favourite beauty bloggers and she also makes the best laid-back beauty videos. If you don’t watch her videos or read her blog, she’s amazing and I highly recommend checking her out on both platforms. She’s one that I always trust for opinions on items prior to purchasing.

In terms of individual posts, Amelia Liana, the writer of the blog liana-beauty.com, brought out her “Glowy Not Sweaty” post this week and as always with her, it was fun to read and look at and she looked gorgeous – in the loads of posts I read and loved this week, this was the clear standout. You know how I feel about looking glowy….

Blogging Thoughts

I was rather proud of myself blogging-wise this week, putting up not only one review but putting up to. I’ll keep my shameless self-promotion to a minimum and link my review of the aforementioned Maybelline bronzer here.

General Life Update

The whole blizzard episode may now be over but it’s been freezing here, snowing constantly and the like so I can safely say that I haven’t been robbed of the authentic winter experience this year. Getting back into the whole school thing hasn’t been easy strangely and with the change in routine I’ve been perpetually exhausted but I’m pleased to report that I caught up on my sleep this weekend. This week I have been living in flannel pyjamas and I’m not ashamed that I wear them as much as I can possibly get away with. I’m afraid anxiety has gotten the best of me this month but there’s no remedy better that snuggling up in bed with a good cup of tea, book and makeup to stare at.

How was your week and what have you been loving?

Maggie, x

MAC Recommendations #1: The Basics

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I don’t think that MAC is by any means the be all and end all of makeup but they are among my favourite brands and they were the company that kindled my makeup love and I might have slightly sentimental feelings toward the cosmetic store. Somehow I haven’t talked about the brand very much considering how often I use the products on a daily basis. From forcing my friends who are not beauty-obsessed into conversations about MAC and later-on trips, I know that many find the store extremely intimidating (moreso than any other high-end brand) and I can understand that but there are some real treasures there and quite often their products are very economical – not that much more expensive than drugstore and at a fraction of the price of Sephora brands without sacrificing quality whatsoever. I don’t have a massive collection of MAC makeup but MAC is easily the brand that I own the most makeup of and I thought I’d attempt to challenge myself into giving my five ten recommendations: here goes…

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1. MAC Powder Blush in Harmony ($21/25 CDN)

If this isn’t the first post you’ve read of mine I’m confident that this hardly needs any explanation. It’s considered to be a blush by MAC (and it might be nice as one on dark skin) but it’s the ideal contour for fair and medium skin. It’s slightly warm toned but the rosy brown does not have any of the oranginess of a bronzer so it’s able to add shape and definition to the face looking natural while still adding some flattering warmth to the face. If you are darker than medium in colouring or find this difficult to show up, I know Blunt is equally as nice and if you’re lighter it should suit you. I do know that those with cooler-toned skin that’s as fair or even fairer than mine can find Harmony slightly red-toned and I’ve heard that Prism and Cubic are good alternatives. These are all matte obviously. Coincidentally these are all fabulous matte shades to use in the crease as well, even though they’re not marketed as eye shadow.

top: Dazzlelight, Vex, All That Glitters bottom: Coquette, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe
top: Dazzlelight, Vex, All That Glitters
bottom: Coquette, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe

2. MAC Eyeshadow in Coquette ($12/18 CDN)

I have naturally unruly and large but sparse brows and there’s nothing like a matte eyeshadow that fills them in in a natural manner. I used MAC Charcoal Brown for ages which I still do really like but recently I discovered Coquette which is slightly cooler toned and looks like a gross khaki grey in the pan but fills in the brows without looking red, giving a natural appearance to them. The formula is great in these shadows (Coquette is technically a satin but it’s matte on) and they also are great for adding depth in the crease. I would reccomend Charcoal Brown for warmer brunettes, Omega for blondes and I’ve heard Brun is great for darker brunettes. This shadow is that workhorse product that may not seem super-exciting but is functional and worth the money. 

3. MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters ($12/18 CDN)

This veluxe pearl eyeshadow is buttery, easy to work with and pigmented and is that perfect everyday lid shade that is neither too light or too dark – a shimmery but not glittery golden-peach shade that can’t be duplicated. I’ve been through two of these in the past and went without it for ages and now that I’ve picked it up it’s what was missing from my life. It’s a fairly universal shade but the cooler-toned fair skinned might find it to be slightly too coppery and I’ve heard that they favour the lighter pink-champagne Naked Lunch and on darker skin, Woodwinked can be a better option.

shown in Light
shown in Light

4. MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder ($32 CDN)

This might be a shocking product inclusion as I’m not a powder kind of girl but I’ve rekindled my love for this and this is easily my favourite powder of all time. It doesn’t have much coverage to it but it has enough to even out the skin when worn alone and sets the skin without looking matte and losing all of it’s glow. It gets rid of excess shine without being completely matte and its finely milled-texture sits nicely on the skin without clinging to dry patches. Anyone on the drier side of things would enjoy this but I know that those needing more oil control adore MAC Studio Fix Powder, which has more coverage to it and might not look quite as seamless but it’s a great powder nevertheless. I wear the lightest shade in the powder but Studio Fix has a much wider shade selection.

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5. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Stereo Rose ($35 CDN)

If you’re looking for a glow to your cheeks and particularly if you’re looking for a gorgeous highlight, these cult favourite products that tend to be released as limited edition items in the abundant collections are an offering to consider. I know that some can complain about the frostier shades of these can highlight larger pores for some but that can be remedied with a pore smoothing primer, or powder but I don’t have this issue and I didn’t even when I had more of a true combination skin years ago. I adore the infamous Stereo Rose that is limited edition but will be appearing as a repromote in the upcoming spring collection and I recommend it if this sounds good to you. This is one of the darker offerings, acting as more of a highlight-blush duo in one product – it has nice pigmentation, fabulous texture and has that sheen without being frosty. It’s a coppery pink-coral, I’d say. For lighter skin-tones it works as a highlighting blush of sorts and I know it works for darker ladies as well as a highlighter. On my warm-leaning skin this is an instantly brightening shade that is perfect when you only have a few minutes to slap on some makeup before heading out the door. I haven’t tried them personally but there are also some permanent options that I’ve heard so much about – Soft and Gentle is supposed to be a great champagne-peach shade that is a versatile highlighter.

Have you tried any of the products here? I would also love to have any recommendations!

Maybelline Master Hi-Light By FaceStudio Hi-Lighting Bronzer in 60 Deep Bronze

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Generally drugstore blushes do not entice me in my frequent sweep of the cosmetics aisle as they’re one of the few products that I don’t have a drugstore favourite of. Even the hyped Milani blushes do not compare to my MAC, NARS and Benefit favourites. I’m pleased to admit that I found a radiance boosting cheek product in those very aisles that does impress me, and this is it.

These mosaic blushes and bronzers come with a great deal of product (0.31 oz) and feature a good-sized mirror and a questionably flimsy blush in the compartment beneath the product itself. Both in Canada and the US, this product is fairly expensive for a drugstore offering; it seems to retail for $7-10 US and $12-16 CDN depending on where you pick them up. There are six shades in all (four blushes and two bronzers) and I picked up the darkest shade of the latter offering, Deep Bronze.

The mosaic design of Deep Bronze features a matte chocolate brown, a shimmery bronze, a satiny rosy burgundy and a golden champagne in sections that allow you to to control the colour by concentrating the product you pick up from certain areas of the product. In short, the general colour I seem to get is a luminous copper-leaning warm rosy bronze. I use this as a blush but it’s just as easily a shimmery bronzer. I also use a smaller brush focusing on the lighter colours and am able to get a nice highlight out of the product as well and this shade is remarkably different than the blended shade. I find this to be incredibly versatile – can you tell I’ve fallen in love?

light vs heavy swatch
light vs heavy swatch
comparison to MAC Stereo Rose (center) and Milani Red Vino (left)
comparison to MAC Stereo Rose (center) and Milani Red Vino (left)

 

The formulation of the blush-bronzer-hybrid struck me as remarkable upon my first use and my opinion hasn’t changed in the least since then. It’s pigmented, finely-milled and luminous, transferring as a sheen more than a shimmer or frost. While still being quite blendable and versatile in the colour intensity, Deep Bronze has better-than-good longevity. This strikes me as a less frosty version of a MAC Mineralize Skinfinish with slightly better longevity and pigmentation in a traditional powder form at a fraction of the price.

Maybelline markets the highlighting bronzer with the tagline, “our multi-tonal bronzer palette highlights skin and softly contours cheeks for an instantly defined glow” and now that I’ve been using this product for weeks, I can say that I agree with reservations – the highlighting is a given but the contouring is so difficult to achieve due to the size of the different blocks of colour and mosaic products like these get muddled after a few uses, making it difficult to pick up any product without shimmer. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic product. On my dry skin, the product wore for 9-10 hours without fading which is similar to my favourite high-end blushes. Summary: colour me impressed.

If like me, you want your cheeks to look luminous but not artificial, these seem to be the happy medium. This could suit fair to quite deep skintones by the virtue of the pigmentation although it might be difficult to pull of on those on the fairer end of the spectrum with cool undertones. I’m warm-toned for reference.

the blush/bronzer worn sheerly using a stippling brush
the blush/bronzer worn sheerly using a stippling brush
worn more full on (but can be built up much more than this!)
worn more full on (but can be built up much more than this!)

Overview

Pigmentation: 10/10

Texture: 9.5/10

Longevity: 9/10

Packaging: 8/10

Overall Value:  9.5/10

Total: 46/50= 92% or A+

Have you tried these?

Maggie, x.

Indeed Labs Peptabright (spoiler: in a world of lacklustre products, it’s brilliant)

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Skincare products can be difficult to judge as they’re not something that you’re measuring the results of for merely the time the product is sitting on your skin. I’m aware I’m not having my most articulate moment here but I refuse to give up on this post that is long enough overdue as it is. Retry time. Skincare is difficult to review fairly because its effects are more difficult to judge because they tend to be long-term, rather than merely covering-up the skin they aim to improve the skin itself and said difficulty is why I don’t write many skincare reviews but I feel confident enough to provide my verdict on the Indeeds Labs Pepta-Bright, as I’ve been using it since October and have seen results without making any other significant changes to my skincare regime. The serum retails for $40 CDN (at Shoppers), 25 GBP (at Boots) and can be picked up in the states as well in Walgreens. Long-story-short this is a brightening cream serum containing 30 mLs of product in a compact white tube.

the ingredients
the ingredients

The official description of the cream-serum, taken directly from the box is as follows:

Our promise is to deliver the most advanced peptide based skin brightening treatment. Pepta-Bright is a  combination of 7 powerful active ingredients which target 7 biological factors. This cream-serum is designed to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation, age spots and uneven skin tone. The unique formula is lightweight yet rich in texture. Pepta-bright helps to reduce the intensity of dark spots while promoting overall skin clarity and brightness, leaving a luminous and radiant complexion. You’ll be surprised by how fast you will see results!

From my previous research and trial and error along with checking the always-helpful cosdna, there does not seem to be any overly harsh or commonly irritating ingredients in this offering – but as always everyone has different skin but mine is incredibly sensitive especially to drying alcohols and I’m pleased to report there are none. This serum is essentially a chemical exfoliant with lactic acid as its active ingredient with a hydrating base containing glycerin. It’s as intense as promised but gentle at the same time (not an oxymoron, I promise)  in the sense that it’s free of harsh additives yet it’s a concentrated chemical exfoliant so you’re getting a whole lot of bang for your buck. It doesn’t irritate my easily irritated skin but it can tingle uncomfortably on skin that is already irritated.

In my trial of chemical exfoliants in the last year, I’ve learned that results are not immediate but with continued use dramatic results do occur. I’m not going to hide my bias toward this product; with continuous use since the beginning of October, it’s become one of my very few hero skincare products. Now I can safely say that it’s provided dramatic results that I’m happy with but I didn’t really see results until two-three months of use regardless of how frequently I applied the product, yet the results were dramatic when I could see them.  It’s a testament to this products effecacy that since the results have become visible to me I’ve also received lots of compliments on my skin from friends that I see on a daily basis and this has been the only variable in my routine.

You can probably extrapolate my general skin condition and concerns from what I’ve said here but I thought further detail would be helpful; I have dry, dehydrated and easily irritated skin prone to redness, congestion, clogged pores, scarring and all sorts of lumps and bumps. In other words, my skin is naturally uneven and dull, lacking clarity and this has tremendously helped. The most dramatic difference has been in the decrease of those annoying clogged-pore bumps on my forehead, cheeks and chin but I’ve noticed fading of the scars that always accompany my breakouts as well as a more radiant and even complexions. As most products seem to be, Pepta-Bright is marketed with almost-otherworldly claims (“the most advanced”, anyone?)  but I think it actually does achieve on said claims. If you suffer from dullness, unevenness and the like, you need this treatment. It’s made its way into my nightime routine 3-4 times per week and I cry when I think about it leaving anytime soon. Take this from a skeptic and cynic like myself, this falls into the magical baby unicorn tears category.

left: without face makeup when I started using right: makeupless after five months of use
left: without face makeup when I started using
right: makeupless after five months of use

Have you tried this or anything similar? I’m always open to recommendations!

x, Maggie

Baby, It’s ‘Blizzard’-ing Outside

a weirdly calm moment during the storm
a weirdly calm moment during the storm

It’s not every day that one has to trek to school during a blizzard when every other school (post-secondary or otherwise) has been cancelled with good sense. Being a Canadian, I don’t exaggerate about blizzards but even I have no choice but to admit that there is one going on, freezing blowing snow, howling winds and all. Now I diOun’t actually make it out the door with makeup on so I could leave insanely early and actually arrive at the cursed institution but I’m remedying that at the moment because I clearly have a problem and am acting out of character with perhaps the cheesiest post title I’ve done to date. And okay so school was eventually cancelled and I’m finally home after the adventure but of course nothing is ever easy.

the ultimate skincare trio
the ultimate skincare trio

When you’re subjecting yourself (particularly your face) to these kinds of elements (particularly if your skin is as sensitive and dehydrated as mine), your skin will protest if you think the usual skincare basics will be adequate. On days like these, I try to load up on the soothing and gentle products. This morning, I used my recent addition, the sister product to my old flame the    Extra Gentle Cleanser, Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($10-13 CDN). It’s among the gentlest of cleansers with one of the pumps that gives the right amount of product and has that light and rich Cetaphil texture while being much more gentle and hydrating on the skin. On the less related note, it removes makeup better than it’s predecessor and the average cleanser, I’m pleased to report. On harsh winter days like these, it can be wise to skip out on the typical treatments in the morning and focus on protecting your skin against the elements and my current pick was the lovely-but-not-quite-as-perfectly-gentle-and-soothing as the fragrance-free Kiehl’s Stress Rescuer, Ren Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream ($66 CDN) which I’m happy to report is very hydrating and is soothing unless applied on the most irritated skin with the inclusion of beneficial antioxidants and anti-irritants high on the ingredient list. The moisturizer is lightweight but rich and leaves a flattering luminosity to the skin that sits well under makeup. To end the skincare tangent of mine, an oil can serve as that extra-protective soothing layer and for me at least, with the combination of the other two has miraculously prevented my red itchy and painful skin. Okay so I was short on time this morning so this step didn’t actually happen but I do love the By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($26) with it’s rich dry-oil texture.
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Even if you’re not one of those avid tea-lovers, tea is essential on stormy winter days like these. I’m not hugely fussy about the particular details about the said hot beverage but it’s necessary nevertheless. I’m not usually a fan of anything decaffeinated but I’m enjoying my cup of the nice and wintry Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice Herbal Tea. If you’re anything like me and adore spiced beverages and baking, this is for you. In weather like this it should be law to accompany the tea with wearing comfy flannel (mine are from aerie) and snuggling underneath blankets – with a magazine of course. Lately I’ve been enjoying Elle Canada, but regardless of what magazine you have kicking around it’s necessary to haphazardly flip through it all warm and cozy. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I love magazines and this one is nice as it has actual content to pair with the fashion and beauty bits.

Now that I’m back home, unable to leave the warmth of the blankets I’m snuggled underneath and muster the effort to apply makeup to the face that I will later have to remove so the previously mentioned makeup didn’t happen. You know how it is, I’m sure.

What have been your winter staples?

X,

Maggie

Base Bonanza: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

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I have managed to talk about this foundation very frequently here without giving an actual review. Whoops. This was the first Drugstore foundation that I tried and was wowed by the great quality of – it’s better than many higher end ones I’ve tried. In short, in my view Rimmel Wake Me Up is a fantastic foundation, well for me at least.

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INGREDIENTS: AQUA/WATER/EAU, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, GLYCERIN, TALC, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, DIMETHICONE, CRAMBE ABYSSINICA SEED OIL, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1, DIMETHICONE PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, MICA, VINYL DIMETHICONE/ METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, LAURYL PEG-9 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, LECITHIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM PCA, DIMETHICONOL, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, UREA, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, POLYQUATERNIUM-51, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TREHALOSE, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, DISODIUM EDTA, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-8, HEXYL CINNAMAL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, LIMONENE, BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL, TOCOPHEROL, TRIACETIN, BENZYL SALICYLATE, LINALOOL, BHT, GERANIOL, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, CITRONELLOL, BENZOIC ACID, SODIUM LACTATE, PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE.

Well I couldn’t find this foundation on Rimmel’s Canadian site oddly enough so I had to make due with the UK one even though the UK formulation is slightly different, as in it contains SPF whereas the one I have does not. Basically it claims to be light and moisturizing on the skin, gives an instant flawless natural-looking finish and has a visible anti-fatigue effect with peptides and a “moisturizing vitamin complex”. To me this sounds like it was made to be in the vein of Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect with the radiance claims and vitamin ridiculousness – Bourjois is known for its claims to do with vitamins and antioxidant which I am quite skepical of. Nevertheless, I find that these foundations differ. Wake Me Up isn’t quite as dewy in my opinion but has the radiance nevertheless with increased longevity and coverage. On the UK website Rimmel describes the product as “Rimmel’s first liquid foundation that instantly reawakens skin with a healthy, radiant glow” and the “light, moisturising texture applies smoothly and leaves skin feeling soft and comfortable all day” and “gives an instant flawless, natural-looking finish” with its “visible anti-fatigue effect with peptides and a Vitamin Moisturising complex”. Like with every other foundation on the market, it does not make the skin look instantly flawless and I’m skeptical of the ingredients doing anything magic, but I believe it achieves on the rest of its claims.

It’s a thicker yet somewhat weightless tacky (until it sets) liquid consistently. It’s even more viscous than MUFE HD. It provides medium coverage that is somewhat buildable on the skin. As promised, the formulation is light and hydrating and the ingredients are the ideal ones for my skins particular needs. It’s free of irritating alcohols, although it does include some fragrance and contains a high concentration of silicones, which I know break some people out but on my dehydrated skin, they help the foundation to sit more nicely over the skin. The good amount of glycerin in the foundation explains its hydrating properties. I really can’t see the shimmer in the foundation unless I squint really hard at the bottle under harsh lighting and I definitely cannot see the shimmer on my face in any sort of lighting. In other countries, the foundation seems to contain spf but in Canada it does not appear to – this is a godsend to me because my skin tends to be reactive to formulations including chemical SPF.
As a whole, the colour range of Rimmel’s offering leaves much to be desired even compared to other ranges at the drugstore but the lightest shade of the six, ivory, a moderately fair shade with yellow undertones suits my skin perfectly which is a rarity for me. The shades really only cater to those with moderately fair skin to those with medium skin tones.
Keep in mind here that I do have perpetually dehydrated skin, but I do not think that this foundation can be described as truly dewy, as say Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect but it does provide a bit of radiance and glow to the skin. It’s slightly glowier than a satin finish and the shimmer particles that I can’t detect seem to highlight the naturally high points of my face and powdered (although I rarely wear it this way) it looks like a natural finish. However, I know the finish of a foundation varies across different skin types and it generally applies glowier on an oilier skin. I would describe it as luminous-looking on the skin.
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Because this foundation is not truly super-dewy and has surprising lasting power on the skin – I find that on it’s own it lasts 12+ hours everywhere except on inflamed blemishes -, it’s suitable for a variety of skin types. Those with  slightly dry skin, normal skin and combination skin would suit this foundation the best if they are looking for some natural-looking luminosity with longevity and coverage. It does not cling to dry patches but does not effortlessly and invisibly glide over major ones either.
I’m tempted to say this is my favourite foundation. For my dry skin, it’s a failsafe option regardless of the state of my skin is, for instance whether I’m suffering through blemishes and abundant dry patches or if it’s acting its slightly dehydrated self. I don’t think a single week has gone by where I haven’t worn this foundation when I got it in the spring and there are months when I pretty much wore this exclusively.
The packaging is quite nice-looking especially for the price point, albeit quite large and impractical for travel. It comes in an asymetrical glass bottle with a large orange cap and has a matching orange pump. I’m happy to say this affordable foundation actually has a pump!
worn with full-faced makeup
worn with full-faced makeup
both taken with flash: right after application on the left and twelve hours after on the right
both taken with flash: right after application on the left and twelve hours after on the right
The Claims: 9/10
Formulation: 9.5/10
Longevity: 9.5/10
Packaging: 9.5/10
Overall Quality: 9.5/10
Total: 46.5/50 or 93%, A+

x,

Maggie.

If you’ve tried this foundation, tell me your thoughts below! I’m also always open to recommendations 🙂

5 Current Lusts

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I’m one of those pathetic girls who always as some sort of notebook on me to record my latest wish list and have about ten on the go at any given time on the phone and am constantly looking at the wish list but I’ve never done one of these posts because quite honestly I’m horribly fickle and have limited skill at putting the collage picture together – I have no shame.

Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator in Pink Light ($15 CDN)

I’ve heard that this “new release” from Revlon was actually the rerelease of a product they had discontinued but it’s irrelevant to me, all I knew was that I wanted this liquid highlighter. I’ve mentioned my love for the subtle but much-more-expensive Benefit Girl Meets Pearl but I wanted to try something more obviously luminous and this seems to fit the bill. I don’t have any true pinky highlighters and wanted to try one out but I must note that my lusting for this shade is probably some sort of justification to “need” yet another face product.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN)

I’ve resisted getting this palette thus far but it’s no secret that it’s a struggle to not go to Sephora and nonchalantly “see if it’s in stock”. From my abundant posts on the Naked 1, you can see that I get a lot of use out of the warm-toned shades and I love their variety in shades but I struggle with the limited lid shades and Naked 3 is abundant in these. I don’t have a bunch of warm rosy shades but I really do like them and I find them flattering. It’s just so beautiful.

Urban Decay Blackheart + Darkside 24/7 Double-Ended Pencil ($19 CDN)

Urban Decay strikes again. This current lust has nothing to do with the fact that it’s the matching liner to the palette above but rather that I’ve been wanting to get into more interesting liner shades particularly for the waterline and the plummy-black and dark plum brown seem to hit the spot. As much as I like the formula of these liners, they’re not my absolute favourite as I have the driest eyes known to man and liner stays put in my inner rims like nothing else and these are hell to remove at the end of the night for me, their creamy texture makes you go through them so quickly and their waxy texture can be difficult on occasions but all in all I do like them and the shade selection makes it worthwhile.

Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Powder ($31 CDN)

Roughly-speaking I have long, very dry and fine curly hair that tends to get limp and I’ve tried dry shampoos before to add volume in between my infrequent washings with little success, finding that they only dried out the hair and caused horrendous tangle without adding volume and I’m wanting to give this a try. I remember trying a similar powder from Aveda years ago and I remember it working well and this one gives more product and Bumble and Bumble make fantastic texturizing products in my experience.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Creme Brulee ($6/8 CDN)

I haven’t ordered any Makeup Geek before and I don’t really have a reasonable excuse other than the fact that I’m not much of an online shopper but I’m really debating taking the plunge for this beauty. I’ve seen so many bloggers and vloggers talk about the warm brown transition shade and wear it that I’m convinced that I need to have it. I actually don’t have any of these warm transition shades that everyone goes on about because in store they seem to bore me.

x,

Maggie.

What are you currently lusting after? Have you tried any of these?

Marc Jacobs Beauty Color Eye-Con Palette in 204 The Starlet

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After hearing the trusted Christine from Temptalia’s shining review of Marc Jacobs Color Eye-Con Palette in 204 The Starlet (and I recommend reading her review for superior shade descriptions and comparisons to other shades and more of a succint review), I had to see the beauty in person and upon seeing it, I decided that I had to have it and luckily my mother listened to my ravings and she gave it to me for Christmas despite her reservations about giving her clearly makeup-obsessive daughter yet another neutral palette – we do not share the same love of makeup, sigh. I’ve used this a great deal since finding it underneath the tree and I feel compelled to talk about the metallic oft-neglected palette.

I seem to have this tendency to forget to talk about the basics so I’ll begin with such details. The sleek black rounded and compact contains five shades with 0.24 oz (0.035 oz each so slightly smaller than the average full-sized shades) of product and luxurious packaging featuring a moderately sized mirror and a secure clasp closure. At Sephora, the palette retails for $59 US/$71 CDN. In line with the description of the palette, all shades are metallic but I must say they are refined shimmery shadows, more in line with Dior’s shimmery shades than Urban Decay’s and I don’t have a particular problem with the lack of matte shades but this won’t necessarily be an all-in-all palette. However, I wear this alone but also like to use alongside my staple matte shadows.

The shadows are among the best that I’ve ever tried – very longlasting, pigmented, iridescent, smooth, buttery and blendable – and they are technically neutral shades but they are very interesting for neutral shades and differ from the average neutral palette. Overall, the palette seems to be warm-toned (although there are one or two cool shades) and if you’re a fan of the Naked 1, I see you really being wowed by this offering. For some semblance of clarity, I’ll talk about the shades from left to right in the palette.

the shades minus the grey
the shades minus the grey

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the grey in all of it's glory
the grey in all of it’s glory

Shade One is a medium-toned purply taupe that reminds me of MAC Satin Taupe with more purple and lighter in colour and is similar but more purple-toned than the second shade in NARS Kalahari. 

Shade Two is a peachy-pink champagne shade that has warm undertones, lighter than MAC All That Glitters but darker than Urban Decay Sin.

Shade Three is a warm bronzy darkened chocolate brown that is similar to Urban Decay Darkhorse but is less green-based and more bronze.

Shade Four is a light-medium true copper shade that I don’t own any shades that are similar to but I would describe this shade as being halfway between the uber-dramatic MAC Coppering and the more subdued MAC Woodwinked. It’s a wearable copper.

Shade Five is a relatively light silver with a noticable blue lean to it. It reminds me of the “eyelid” shade on the left hand side of Wet n Wild’s Blue Had Me At Hello.

Shade Six is a medium-toned antiqued gold that I don’t own anything similar to and is much less warm-toned than say Urban Decay Half-Baked. 

Shade Seven is deceptive in the pan, as the shade pulls much more neutral and taupe in tone when applied onto the lids; it’s a medium-dark taupe-grey shade that to me looks like a darkened and greyed version of MAC Satin Taupe and reminds me of Urban Decay Mushroom.

The shades are all consistent in quality and this is one of those palettes that I wear all the shades on a regular basis – the metallic palette is surprisingly versatile in my experience. The champagne is one of those lid shades that I adore and the copper is subtle enough to be worn with more dramatic lips while still looking striking. The purply taupe is lovely in the crease.  The gold is a stunning one and it seems wearable because it’s an antiqued tone. The silver is beautiful for a smoky eye – I wore it on New Years! – but can be difficult to wear on the regular because of its blue lean. The grey-taupe seems to be the perfect shade to smoke out the eye without creating much mess or fallout and the dark bronze is dark enough to use to define the outer corner and lashes. I think the palette was rather well thought out but I would only recommend if you’re a fan of shimmery shadows. This is a palette that I find myself reaching for both when I want to wear a bolder lip and need to tone it down on the eyes and when I want to go for some smoulder.

the champagne on the inner lid, copper on the outer lid and grey in the outer corner
the champagne on the inner lid, copper on the outer lid and grey in the outer corner – ignore the fact that it looks like my foundation doesn’t match… winter lighting is ridiculous
ditto
ditto
the champagne on the lid, the taupe in the crease and the bronze in the outer corner
the champagne on the lid, the taupe in the crease and the bronze in the outer corner
the gold on the lid and the grey in the outer-corner and crease with a little bit of MAC Charcoal Brown in the crease to blend
the gold on the lid and the grey in the outer-corner and crease with a little bit of MAC Charcoal Brown in the crease to blend

The Rating Breakdown

Pigmentation – 10/10

Longevity – 9.5/10

Packaging – 10/10

Value – 9.5/10

Overall Quality – 10/10

Total Grade – 49/50= 98%/ A+

x,

Maggie.

Have you tried any products from Marc Jacobs Beauty? What do you think?

A Day in the Life: Lazy-But-Productive Sunday

the workstation
the workstation feat. comfy attire – aside: Lululemon leggings are heavenly

I don’t know about you, but I’m addicted to reading beauty blogs (pretty much a given considering that I write one) and my greatest addictions are ones that incorporate their lives into the mix as well, without completely veering off from beauty-related territory – Suzie’s Hello October, Amelia’s Liana Beauty and Alix’s I Covet Thee, to name a few.

I feel compelled to warn you that I have an extremely boring life and rather rarely do anything interesting so lower your expectations before reading further. For years, as I’m such a procrastinator, Sundays have been that day when I have to be productive but endeavour to do so in the laziest way possible. My general life philosophy is rather lazy and you might have already guessed that I write the majority of my blog posts on my bed and take a good number of my pictures without having to move. You caught me.

On the agenda today is the usual readings and assignments that I should have already done, thinking about cleaning the catastrophic state of the room and blog post writing and/or planning and doing something to fix the state of my nails – It’s screwing with my mind writing  a blog post about blog post writing.

the authentic "no-makeup face"
the authentic “no-makeup face”

Skin; while mine is nowhere even close to the realm of flawless, I have been receiving compliments on mine in real life and can easily say it’s the best I’ve had since I turned thirteen and I’ve been planning on doing a full-on skincare update for some time now but I never seem to get around to it. I thought I’d share what products I’ve been grabbing in the morning religiously.

I’ve been cleansing with the gentle but annoying to use on account of it’s lid, Bioderma Hydrabio Cleansing Milk ($25 CDN) in the mornings (although I use it on occasion at night as it removes makeup well) and I like it. It never makes my sensitive, easily-irritated skin angry looking afterwards and for that it might deserve a gold star. Unless my skin is particularly sore (which thankfully it is not at the moment) I use the most gentle chemical exfoliant, the Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16 CDN) that (along with my nightime chemical exfoliants, Peptabright and the Neutrogena one) I attribute the increased brightness and radiance in my skin to, as well as the radical reduction in the pesky chin  breakout bumps and the clogged pore situation on the forehead. It works without irritating the skin whatsoever so my naturally-flushed skin is less flushed than it has been in ages believe it or not. The skincare trio was completed by slathering on a good layer of the soothing but not heavy Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer ($42 CDN). Sometimes I add an oil for good measure, but this is how it’s been in the mornings and I’m happy with the results my routine has given me.  Following with the laziness theme, I can’t be bothered to apply makeup – and this is a sign of skin improvement.

winter is not my friend when lighting is concerned
winter is not my friend when lighting is concerned

Now I fear I must conquer the frightening sight that is my neglected nails and move onto the more difficult stuff. x

most frightening application of Essie Sand Tropez and my latest love in tub form
most frightening application of Essie Sand Tropez and my latest love in tub form

Maggie

What did you do today?

 

 

 

Daily Face #5: I Sort of Have a Routine *Gasp*

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Although I’m self-professedly not the kind of girl who sticks to a daily makeup routine without changing it up a bit on the daily basis, lately I’ve been sticking to quite a “routine” of sorts and I thought I’d share as I haven’t done a daily face this year – what horror, har har har. This is the kind of makeup that seems to happen when (a) I make the effort to actually apply something and (b) I don’t want to think on autopilot.

So I might have lied; well kind of. I’ve gotten into a routine in terms of what products I apply and what I go for buttt as I’m not completely broke as I’ve picked up a few things lately there have been a few recent additions as well. The overall routine, however, has remained constant.

I’m convinced that I was delusional before when I thought I didn’t like Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation. Since doing my “shopping my stash” post, I’ve been reaching for this foundation exclusively – and that’s saying something because I’m a foundation hoarder and I can never seem to stick to one. It has a hydrating creamy consistency providing medium coverage that can be built and a slightly dewy finish. Particularly when paired with the Lancome La Base Pro silicone-y primer, it sits on my dry skin nicely, providing coverage without it looking obvious or making my skin look dull.

I’ve done something shocking, I’ve fallen back in love with my MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder , which I wear in the lightest shade after passing powder off for months because I don’t “need it” and worried about cakiness and the like. Maybe now since I’ve been a little more frugal with my foundation application or something, it’s made its way into the daily rotation. Applied with a powder brush, it adds a tiny bit of coverage and sets the skin and helps with imperfections such as pores and texture while providing a natural (not matte) finish. Unless I have an absolutely frightening dry patch, it does not highlight them at all and it’s amazing. Concealer has been my standard highlighting Rimmel Match Perfection underneath my eyes in the lightest shade.

For the last little while I’ve rambled on about my love of MAC Harmony Powder Blush for the daily contouring and bronzing job, but recently I’ve been reaching for the creamy Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan because there is something magical about the way it sits on the skin that’s worth the extra effort to blend in. Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter ends up on my cheekbones daily automatically for that healthy dewy sheen.

So I was at MAC a week ago and somehow I found myself at the register with a few products I’d been lusting after in my bag. I have no idea how this happened. Even though the last thing in the world I need is blush, I picked up the duo palette and had to pick up a blush to go inside along with the eyeshadows and I chose MAC Powder Blush in Tenderling and I’m glad I did. It’s my first truly neutral blush that livens up the face without looking like blush and is that perfect complement to wearing a bolder lip in daytime life. It’s matte-but-not-flat and the warmish brown shade leans peachy in a flattering way. If you have colouring like mine, you need this in your life. 

Although I do tend to rotate between specific eyeshadows, I’ve been reaching for this “eye” exclusively. After priming, I filled in my brows with my latest addition, MAC Coquette eyeshadow , which I purchased at the reccomendation of the salesgirl after I complained of my brows looking too red-toned despite whatever shadow I used. Hallelujah,  she was right. I also used the shade in the crease. On the lid I wore the product that I’ve used up two times and have been lusting after to repurchase since I began this blog, MAC All That Glitters which has the nicest sheen to it without being over-the-top and sits halfway between a champagne and a copper. There’s nothing like this shade to wear on the lid when you want a lighter neutral colour but are bored of the usual champagnes. In the inner corner and browbone, MAC Dazzlelight has been my go-to as it’s not overtly shimmery and looks natural. For definition in the outer-corner of the eye, I used Club but this shade I tend to switch up. I’ve been wearing a thin but slightly-winged line of my well-loved L’Oreal Lineur Intense and as always, I’ve been coating my lashes with good ol’ Maybelline The Falsies. This is one of those types of eye makeup that looks fairly natural on the lid but really defines the eye and looks polished.

If you know me, I’m not usually one to wear the same lip daily but lately I’ve been wearing darker lips (the blush makes this far easier) and particularly I’ve found myself going for MAC Dubonnet. Because of the amplified creme finish of the lipstick, it’s moisturizing but the formula does tend to slide around the lips with any sort of eating or drinking. I’ve discovered that blotting it slightly doesn’t reduce the hydration and really helps the lipstick to last longer with minimal maintenance – because of the creaminess of the shade, I used to find that if I wasn’t careful I could rub the lipstick off of my lips before it stained them creating that dreaded lipstick ring around the edges of the mouth.

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It’s difficult for me to get the balance right while wearing the darker lips that I adore; I need to add definition to my eyes and cheeks to balance out the face or bold colours tend to look hideous on me and what I’ve been doing has helped me to get the balance right (in my opinion!) and I wanted to share. This is my low-key and effortless dark lip sort of makeup choice and I will continue to wear it, I swear.

x,

Maggie.

Have you tried any of these products? What makeup products have you been reaching for daily?