beauty

Weekly Medley #34

Recently Updated341. An addition to the whole blogging notebook family… Being as perpetually disorganized as I am (but still a notebook freak), I’ve decided to up my game by adding another notebook to my blogging game – one for planning out individual posts in full, rather than just fitting the details of everything together. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it ups my blogging game!

2. An edit of my beauty bits for when the cold hits… I still have last week’s cold and it hasn’t exactly dwindled in the slightest and seeing as I have to act human and get out and face the world, I thought I would share the essential beauty bits and an add-on or five here.

3. Essentially my week in picture form… The unbearable fatigue, stuffy and runny nose and general crappiness that has summed up my week. And I have a super cute zit, too. Woo.

4. A daily face that I was partial too… I really liked my makeup on Friday and I took a decent picture too so it obviously had to include it. On my eyes, I’m wearing the Maybelline The Nudes Palette that I’ve picked up and am fairly impressed with along with my fave MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick.

5. Another document of my week… I might have only started classes again recently but the reading has piled up and I wasn’t going to let a measly cold stop me from getting things done – no. I’ve been forcing myself in a slightly upright position to do my reading with a tissue box in the other hand for some appearance of having manners.

6. A post on the Productive Pamper, a subject that I know fairly well … Obviously, I wrote a post yesterday and the subject of that post was how to give yourself a bit of a pamper while getting stuff done. Part of said pamper was lighting the above candle — I’ve finished with my summer ones. Woot.

7. Perhaps my favourite distraction this week… I really love magazines and I’ve been obsessively pouring through this special issue of Glamor, dedicated to all things beauty. It’s actually worth the ten dollars that I didn’t realize that I was going to pay for it.

 

Remember that cold that I was going on about on Thursday? Well, it certainly hasn’t passed yet. I’m still so tired/fatigued that its ridiculous but on top of that I don’t seem to be able to sleep more than two hours at a time without waking up, my whole body has become dehydrated like a prune despite my best efforts to inhale gallons of water and slather my entire body with cream and I can’t seem to stop sniffling and/or blowing my nose. Plus, there’s that cough that I’m in denial about… Okaaay, I’ll stop with the complaining now. I’ve been feeling fairly craptastic this week but regardless, I appear to be alive and putting along, writing a few blog posts here and there, while I’ve been at it. I might only be on my third week of classes but I feel the strain of it already. Figures.

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

P.S. Any other cold sufferers?

The Weekend Post | Project 10 Pan

DSC_0538DSC_0539This week’s edition of ‘The Weekend Post’ strikes me as a little bit different than the usual in the sense that there’s no real feature distinguishing it from a post that I might do during the week and it’s format is a real blast from the past, although I hadn’t done one before. For a good while, I’ve been feeling that a stash cleanout and beauty shopping hiatus is in order in the meantime. As many of you who have been into the beauty blogging and video-watching thing for years will be aware that the idea was created by Laura of “Buy Now Blog Later” who we all know and love and the basic rules are that you select ten items of the beauty variety that you must use up before purchasing something within the same category. I’ve actually already finished a few things of my ten because I had been mulling over doing a whole no-buy until finishing these items and had been attempting to use them up while debating whether or not to commit. I’m going to try to not only not allow myself to buy items in these categories until these ten products are used up and also limit myself to only purchasing beauty items that are essential — or perhaps on sale for a ridiculous good price. Let’s get onto it.

1. REN Hydra Calm Global Protection Day Cream ($54) – finished

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Since noticing maybe a month ago that I was coming near the end of this nicely nourishing and soothing moisturizer, I’ve been committing myself to finishing it up and as a result I pumped out the last little bit this morning. I’ve been using this not only as a daytime moisturizer but also one for nighttime use consistently since receiving it for Christmas and while I really have enjoyed using this moisturizer, I’ve been ready for a change and that change has taken the form of the recently-purchased Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream. I am rather proud that I forced myself to use this one up before moving onto the next shiny new toy.

2. Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Even Skin Tone Enhancer ($40)

DSC_0549This cream-serum was not only among my very favourite beauty discoveries of 2013 but also has a place in my heart with the few skincare products that offered drastic results shortly upon first use, however the tube is coming to an end and I have other brightening acidic-based products in my arsenal that I should get to before repurchasing this beauty. That was a roundabout way of saying that I would like to finish this AHA and Chromabright containing brightening treatment. If brightness/dullness is one of your skin concerns along with general texture and hyperpigmentation, this product will serve you very very very well.

3. L’Oreal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution ($12-13)

DSC_0547My mother picked this one up as a gift for me this spring after I placed the product in her hand with one of the elusive coupons that provided a few dollars off – clearly, I may have influenced the decision – and when I ran out of my previous bottle of Bioderma, I gave this one a good go. Months have passed and I’ve used up the majority of my bottle but in recent weeks, I spotted the good ol’ Bioderma Sensibio H20 in the difficult-to-find 500 mL size for less than the price for the typical bottle, and it’s tempting to completely return to the original. However, the L’Oreal is almost a dupe and works 99.99% as well but can’t quite remove difficult eye makeup as well…

4. NOW Solutions 100% Natural Shea Butter ($20) – finished

DSC_0541I had been applying a generous layer of this oil-balm twice daily to soothe and heal the whole leg eczema situation and I had really been enjoying the soothing butter but as I was nearing the end of this balm, I spotted La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP at a local drugstore (Lawton’s to be exact) for less than half-price and of course I picked it up and had to use it immediately. I’m pleased to report that I restrained myself afterwards and actually finished the shea butter before continuing use with the latest shiny object within sight.

5. John Freida Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray ($15)

DSC_0542I do believe that these refreshing-slash-styling sprays are essential for hair like mine that is on the curlier end of the spectrum and that benefits from not being washed and styled daily, as my hair seems to lose vitality by day especially towards the roots and crown of my head. This served its purpose decently, both refreshing my curls and hydrating the hair but it unfortunately worked by making the hair rather wet and it was irritating waiting for it to dry. It’s tempting to just go out and try another product of this variety for better results so I’m forcing myself to use this one up beforehand.

6. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation ($9-12)

DSC_0545This may be a surprising one because while I might not be able to say that the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation is my absolute favourite foundation, it remains among the top of the very best of them and therefore I love it dearly. However, I’m not someone who can typically wear more than a scant helping of foundation on their face at any given time and as a result I rarely go through them so seeing as close as I am to the end of this bottle, I can’t resist making it a priority to finish — especially considering my foundation hoarding tendencies.

7. MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder ($30)

DSC_0540Not being a powder girl on account of my drier and uneven skin, this one has impressed me time and time again with its non-powdery tendencies, and I’ve been using it for well over a year and things are coming close to the end so I’m making an effort to reach for this one to simply get rid of the packaging, or rather save it for my next ‘Back 2 Mac’ product redemption. Regular readers for a long time around here will be aware of my feelings towards this powder and if you’re in need of a recap, it doesn’t completely mattify the skin and it doesn’t highlight dry patches…

8. L’Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Liner in Carbon Black ($9-10) – completed

DSC_0548Strictly speaking, I have not finished up this liner but it is rather difficult to literally finish up liners of this variety because the tips fray and the formula dries up first. I hadn’t been happy with the results that I had been getting with my favourite liner, finding them to be messier and lacking the usual precision but then after many uses I realized that I had been using this bottle consistently for 10 months and the issue was that the tip was beginning to fray and the formula was much dried up along with the potentially problematic hygiene issues. I love this stuff.

9. Annabelle Smoothliner in Black ($7)

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I’ve raved about this creamy jet-black long-wearing liner countless times and for good reason; the creamy texture might not go as far as some others but at its price and quality this one can’t be beat. However, since getting the liner down to a nub, I’ve found myself reaching for other liners but I want to make sure I use this one up before it dries out and just to streamline my stash in general.

10. Revlon Bold Lacquer by Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackest Black ($8-9)

I’ve been naughty and have had more than one or two mascaras open as of late and now that I stop to think about it, it was a bad idea considering their shelf lives and thus, I’m making an effort to use up my older ones. Now, this one isn’t the oldest (that would be the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess) but it’s close to it and I would rather get rid of this one because I don’t love it as much and it seems to be beginning to dry up in that not-so-fabulous way.

Have you ever done anything like this? What products are you trying to use up?

Maggie, x.

 

August Favourites

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DSC_0451Ahh, I suppose the summer is now coming to an end and to be honest, I’m not particularly sad about it for two different reasons. First off, I’m beyond done with the hot summer weather and am ready for more than a little bit of cooling down and also, this summer wasn’t a great one for me and I’m ready for a change of scenery. I’m sure I’ll change my mind as soon as the stress sets in, though. This month brought a smaller selection of products than my usual but I’m definitely pleased with this bunch as a whole… This post does contain affiliate links too.

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The Bath & Body Works 3 Wick Candle in Beach Day ($10.50 on clearance – now) was my first foray into the world of Bath & Body Works scented candles and I’ve been obsessed with this light and unoffensive but potent scent. I smells like a relaxing beach day, reading on the beach and the gentle crash of waves with the light lemon and lime, saltwater and light citrusy musk scent. It’s a nice relaxing and low-key scent that lingers nicely. Plus, finding this one on sale was rather nice and it softened the blow of spending fifty dollars on candles.

Also, on the “non beauty” front, I’ve been obsessed with my Forever 21 Coffee Understands PJ Set ($15.80). This should not be a surprise because I’m one of those people who are obsessed with comfort and these fit the bill on that one and somehow seem more appropriate to be lounging around in at random hours of the day than mismatched tops and bottoms. The set is nice and lightweight which was key for the weather earlier in the month and I do adore the cheeky and true ‘nobody understands me like coffee does‘ lettering on the top and the printed shorts. I’m saying that I wore out the top portion in public but I may have been spotted leaving the house, wearing it with leggings…

Before venturing into the usual charted territory, I have two more mentionables of the more random variety. I’ve been really loving watching Suits this month and I may or may not have had a slight binge watching episode where I went through three seasons in less than 24 hours. Without paying attention, I grabbed the fifteen dollar special issue of People Style Watch and despite its purchase happening my accident, I adored the ad-free issue. I loved how it wasn’t based on actual pieces or selling of items but rather about styling outfits for everyday life. The price-tag on this one was rather hefty but it might actually have been worthwhile – it did help me with recognizing what kind of pieces I’m looking for and what is essential/extraneous.

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By the second week of the month, I had pulled out the muted neon peach MAC Lipstick in Sweet And Sour ($19) and since, I have not put it down or gone many places without it. I will admit that it’s not gorgeous when my lips are looking a bit horrific but at a certain point, I couldn’t muster the effort to care and the gorgeous colour was worth it. It’s one of those shades that adds some colour to the face but isn’t out there in the slightest. In the latter half of the month, I had gotten lazy on the lip balm front and then managed to burn my lips — ow / ew — so I wasn’t reaching for the matte formulation as much, but I also enjoyed the flattering darker peachy-nude shade, known as the MAC Lipstick Kinda Sexy ($19). Despite being a matte formulation, this lipstick manages not to dry out my lips and isn’t completely unflattering on them either — unless they are both flaking and peeling…

Around the midpoint of the month, I picked up a few things at MAC, shortly after making an order to Sephora online and there are two products that were late to the party but I fell in love with so instantly that they were begging to be mentioned. It’s been almost every day that I’ve been reaching for the creamy and jet black MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline ($19) and I’ve been adoring it. The pencil glides on as smoothly as any one has before with almost a liquid-like appearance and can be smudged nicely until it sets, when it becomes long-wearing. Its only faults are how difficult it is to remove without an oil based remover and that it transfers from lower to upper waterlines so easily. Because of the formula, this pencil can reach small spaces that other pencils cannot and I’ve been enjoying this.

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Since receiving the NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46) with my Sephora shipment, I don’t think I’ve put on any makeup without going for the contour portion of this duo. It doesn’t look that amazing in the pan — it’s really a rosy tan shade — but its formula is so amazing that it provides an ‘instant cheekbones’ kind of sculpted effect without much effort at all. I’m in love.

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I wore the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette ($67) consistently this month, as I had in July but this month I was much more consistently pleased with the result. To be honest, I don’t use the golden Radiant Light powder often at all, but the other two shades were consistently gracing my face. Dim Light is a nice finishing powder that adds a bit of glow while blurring things slightly and I’ve been enjoying this as I’ve discovered not to put this on the sides of my forehead – it tends to look weird and out of place there — and Incandescent Light is a lovely subtle highlighter that simply reads as a glow on the skin that I’ve also been using to set my under-eye section. I reviewed the palette in full here, if you’re interested.

What were your standout products this August?
Maggie, x.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

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DSC_0956Dim as a finishing powder and Incandescent to highlight

After falling in love with the extravagantly-priced Hourglass Ethereal Glow Ambient Lighting Blush, I had made up my mind that I was actually going to do that insane thing and invest in one of the hyped $52 dollar powders that people claim perform miracles – recreating flattering lighting situations even in broad daylight. However, it was not so easy to go out and actually buy one; I hum-ed and haw-ed at the shades in the range in deliberation for months but at the end of June when I realized that I hadn’t done much high-end beauty shopping, I finally took the plunge and picked up the re-released palette.

The palette is sleek and relatively compact, containing 0.116 ounces of each of the three shades, Dim Light, Incandescent Light (exclusive to the palette) and Radiant Light, priced at  $67. I was most interested in trying out the powder as a finishing powder as I had heard from a variety of trusted sources that they blurred imperfections while adding luminosity to the skin and when I had a look in Sephora and discussed them with the salesgirl, Dim Light seemed like the ideal shade for this purpose and it has continued to be the standout shade in the palette in my opinion. Like the other two shades in this palette, there is no visible shimmer or glitter particles in this one and when applied lightly all-over the face, you’re left with this satin-y glow that instantly brightens the complexion, smoothing over imperfections in the process. The powder is particularly helpful into blurring the look of textural imperfections (i.e. hyperpigmentation). Unfortunately the effect of the powders seem to be undetectable in photography as shown below but you’ll have to take my word for it on this one.

Recently Updated18before the powders to all three being used on the face

While these powders do achieve what they claim and have the most luxurious formula, the promised soft-focused and airbrushed effect isn’t overly dramatic or miraculous and because of this, I was not awe-struck upon initial application of the powders and instead grew to really appreciate the products over time. Their ability to reduce shine is minimal so if you’re looking for oil control, other powders would likely have to be in the mix but if the oiliest you lean towards is a normal t-zone like me, these should be adequate. I’m sure this is true across the shades but I find that  Dim Light in particular is the perfect product to perk up my face after five or so hours of wear when makeup is still on the face but things aren’t looking so fresh. Oh, and according to Hourglass, it’s “a neutral beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights the complexion” and that describes the shade adequately.

DSC_0975From the top: Dim Light, Incandescent Light, Radiant Light

Although I haven’t fallen for the other two shades in the same regard, the other two shades are just as lovely. Incandescent Light, “a opalescent pearl powder that brightens the complexion with a celestial glow”, does just that, working on my skin as a lovely subtle (but flattering) highlighter that’s low shimmer content allows for it to be applied to a wider area to add brightness and Radiant Light, “a sun-kissed golden beige powder that enhances the complexion with believable subtle warmth” functions as a nice and glowy warm bronzer that doesn’t lean red or orange in the slightest.

As mentioned above, the formula is impeccable. They feel somewhat powdery and product is kicked up when the brush makes contact but they are powdery in the most luxurious way – finely-milled, blendable, extremely pigmented and long-wearing to boot! I’m internally cringing as I’m writing this but I think they’re worth the money and will pick up at least another shade in the future.

Have you tried the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders?
Maggie, x.

The Essentials With Laura

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DSC_0750This isn’t anything close to resembling a sort of novel post, but I love reading the kind of posts where bloggers bring their friends into the mix and ask them about their staple products and I’ve been planning on doing one for ages so I bring you the first post of a series I hope to continue. So, here’s Laura, one of my very best friends since the day she was born that I now go to University with and I’m pleased to report my beauty-obsessive tendencies seem to have rubbed off on her. Success. Let’s get all nosy and into her staples…

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DSC_0752Urban Decay Naked Palette: “I’m not really an eyeshadow girl but I do go for Sin on the lid during the day and add other shades – usually Half-Baked, Smog and Toasted – into the mix for nights out and the like”

MAC Patisserie Lipstick: “If I feel like lipstick but nothing too statement, I go for this one. It’s a MLBB (my lips but better) kind of shade on me.” Note: I approve of this choice and I didn’t pressure her into it; she came out with it after being helped in the store without me being present. This is clearly an testament to how amazing the shade is.

L’Oreal True Match Foundation in N2: “I’ve been using this one for almost a year now and it’s just shy of full-coverage on me and I can go without concealer in less we’re dealing with that hormonal situation. It looks natural on the skin but does develop some shine on my oily t-zone after a few hours but it otherwise lasts”.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in C2:  “This is a great powder, especially for when I’m in need of more coverage and don’t feel like going for concealer. It’s perfect for setting my foundation, getting rid of shine and I use it frequently for touching up – even then, it doesn’t cake”.

MAC Cubic Powder Blush: “This is my everyday blush shade of choice; it’s perfect for adding a natural flush to the cheeks and the muted hue is foolproof. I also like its more matte finish to sculpt the face”.

Benefit Bella Bamba Boxed Powder: “When I want to go for more of a pop of colour, I go for this blush as it instantly transforms my face. It’s a watermelon kind of shade with shimmer that isn’t too obvious on the skin”.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: “This is the perfect concealer for underneath the eyes to get rid of dark circles that undoubtedly are caused by late nights and refusing to acknowledge my dairy intolerance. It’s a must-have for any student because it instantly fixes late night issues”.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair: “It’s great for covering blemishes and actually is a good match for my fair skin. Also, it blends in easily with my foundation”.

L’Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara: “This is a great mascara for my itty bitty lashes — I’m still on the hunt for one to hold a curl but I love the volume and length that this one provides. The wand is the best part as its flexible with the nice “butterfly” shape to catch all of my lashes”.

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium:” It’s the perfect match for my light brown hair and actually doesn’t turn my brows orange. My favourite part is the spoolie on the end; even if I’m not using the product, it helps to clean up the brows and the spoolie is great for blending out the pencil for a natural look”. Note: Laura’s brows look the best I’ve ever seen them due to this product.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Pencil in 011 Sable Brown: “I’m not normally an eyeliner kind of person but if I’m feeling some added definition, I’ll add this one to my lower lashes and if I make the effort to sharpen it, it’s great for the upper lashline too”.

Smith’s Rosebud Salve: “It’s not a treatment but it’s also not too sticky and it’s great even for when I don’t feel like lipstick because it adds a nice healthy sheen to the lips while hydrating them”.

Benefit High Beam:  “This one is great for a natural looking highlight on the browbone, the tops of cheekbones and the corners of the eyes. It attracts the light rather than being obviously shimmery”.

Essie Bikini So Teeny Nail Lacquer: “This is a really nice sky or periwinkle blue and it looks perfect on nails, consistently generating compliments whenever I wear it. I also love Meet Me At Sunset, a reddish orange that looks equally as amazing on fingernails and the toes“.

I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to look into someone else’s makeup staples with different (but still pale) colouring and skin concerns. Thoughts?
Maggie, x.

 

 

The Monthly Roundup #7: June 2014

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It doesn’t blow my mind that the month of June has already gone by, as shocking as that might be, but it’s kind of mind blowing that 2014 is more than half over but New Years seems like just last week. June was a good month, both as my Birthday month (I turned 20 – eek) and in terms of a month for blogging changes. I’ve changed the name of my blog (not by choice), upgraded it and have switched a variety of things around, aided by my new camera and been pleased with the 25 posts I’ve put up during the sunny and summery month — no complaints there if you ask me. Here’s a roundup of what I thought were my standout posts and I’ll try to be somewhat concise about it. I’m not promising anything though…

1. The Fuss-Free and Wearable Smoky Eye – where I provide my more detailed approach to my standard smoky eye than I can reasonably offer during my ‘The Daily Face’ posts, without writing a little novella.

2. The Summer Edit – where I provide a full-on standard seasonal ‘edit’ kind of post for the current season without nearing the territory of overkill. It was difficult to narrow the products down but I was rather pleased with the end result.

3. The Essential: NARS Orgasm Blush– where I articulate my love for the polarizing half cult-favourite and half overrated product much later than I originally should have.

4. The Acquisition: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet– where I offer an abridged but comprehensive and all-inclusive account of my newest foundation love. My feelings haven’t changed one bit in the last month, unless they’ve perhaps grown stronger. I’m in a committed relationship with this one, not interested in settling for any other options more than once or twice a week at most.

5. The Daily Face #16– where I have written my first post with the new camera and am still pleased with the improved results and also did an everyday kind of makeup wordy post that I was pleased with the result of altogether. I rather liked the above photo and that might have slightly influenced my decision to include it here…

What were your June highlights?
Maggie, x.

 

 

Weekly Medley #23

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(1) Just one of the many swatching-related fails of the week (2) The responsible Shopper’s purchases – gah (3) The beauteous “Weekend Makeup Staples” post over at VDM (4) I got a bit dressed up for my cousins’ graduation and took a picture obviously (5) I wrote and brought my “Summer Edit” post into fruition (6) The rediscovered love and a newfound one (7) My extremely lengthy favourites post is up here (8) My new Tom’s shoes (9) The glorious Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Milan Moment

 

Ahh, don’t you love lazy Sunday’s where you neither wake up, feeling as if you’ve just finished working up a sweat at the gym (without having the knowledge that for once you got off your ass and did something) due to sweltering summer heat or with a disgusting taste in your mouth as a result of questionable three am snacking? Well, I sure do. As per usual, I don’t feel as if I accomplished anything that can be likened to any sort of great feat but it wasn’t one of those weeks that rarely involved leaving the house and consisted of reading blogs, writing a post or two and watching copious amounts of Netflix and Youtube. It was quite a week filled with spending time with my lovely extended family down at the dock/ pool — we live by the ocean and my cousins have a lovely pool — and then eventually watching two of them graduate high school, later celebrating by going out to dinner and in the midst feeling suddenly a bit old at my mere two decades of experience. More on the getting old note, I had another moment of the same realization when I was excited to see that sunscreen was on sale. In my defense, it is a really great spray sunscreen.

I’ve been soaking up the hot weather but unfortunately have been really slacking on the photo documentation front. I’ve been swimming in the ocean all week and it hasn’t been cold so things have to be pretty great – am I right? While I’ve been doing less than ideal at general life snapshots, I’ve been making a real go of it, going out of my way to take swatches on the regular and attempt to capture them somewhat adequately with photography. I’m also rather pleased with the six posts that I put up during the week. Moving away from my blog in particular, Anna’s “Weekend Makeup Staples”post was phenomenal, perhaps even more so than her usual posts. She knows how to write these chatty posts that have me scribbling down a thing or six down on the wishlist whilst being so so so so much more concise than I have the potential of being.

Now, I’m moving onto my personal standout items and this week I have one that’s not of the beauty variety – my new Tom’s that I picked up long after completely destroying my last pair that somehow manage to be extremely comfortable and not too horrible for my feet while being rather attractive with their blue and white print. There’s another two products on the beauty-front this week, as well. First up, I’ve rekindled my love for my all-time favourite, the Maybelline Falsies Mascara;I’ve had this one for going on six months so I had been thinking that it was irritating my sensitive eyes so I had cast it off to the side and although it’s certainly not advisable to use a mascara for so long, I brought it out again and instantly remembered how much I love this mascara especially when it’s getting to be dried out. I’m one of those girls who adore drier mascara formulas, by the way. At the beginning of the week, I spotted the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains for the first time in stores here and although I hadn’t been particularly excited by the news of the release, I couldn’t resist picking up the muted tangerine-coral Milan Moment hue, even at it’s rather steep price but it was worth it because I’ve fallen in love. The staining power isn’t the most impressive in the world, the pigmentation begins on the sheer to medium side of things and the precise wand can apply the liquid lipstain in a slightly streaky way at first but the formula doesn’t irritate my lips, appears to be unfragranced, is a dream to apply with its lip-gloss wand, lasts through eating and drinking but doesn’t dry out my lips unless I leave it on for so long that shine has faded and feels weightless and balmy on the lips – without any hint of stickiness in sight. The shade also happens to be a unique one and one of those ideal everyday shades for me. It might just be worth the $13-15 that they retail for here.

I think I’ve summed up things rather nicely and the ocean is calling my name so it appears that this post has come to a close. Happy Sunday everyone! How was your week? I’d love to hear any thoughts!
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

The (Late) Monthly Roundup #6: May 2014

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

01. The Evening Skincare Routine

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

02. The Beauty Bargain: The Summery Bright Lip

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

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

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

04. Spring Essentials

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

05. An Apology to Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 08

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

What were your May highlights?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

01.

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 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.