beauty

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?

Winter Essentials Edit – The Miscellanious Edition

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It’s taken a bit of adjustment to get back into the swing of things blogging-wise now that school has started up again even though I was only off for a month and this post was long overdue, a companion to my recent makeup post. This is going to be a little more chaotic and disorganized – a summary of the beauty bits that have proved essential to me in this winter weather when it’s difficult to muster the effort to lift yourself out of bed in the morning.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Nail Polish ($9-10 CDN)

Recently I’ve mentioned that I’ve turned into a usual nail-painter but I haven’t been mentioning particular products because I can’t commit to anything, ever but this polish may be the exception to the rule – before starting the blog, this was the only nail polish that I mustered the effort to apply over and over again but then I lost it and it was tragic but luckily I got a mini-size for Christmas again. As cliched as it is, I love the vampy almost-black-but-not-quite shade, particularly in the winter with purple-undertones and a opaque cream finish. It has good longevity on the nails and is almost fully opaque after one coat. Because of the darkness of the shade, it makes a statement of sorts but doesn’t involve the effort of pairing everything with of a red or bright.

Essie Maximillian Strasse-Her Polish ($8 CDN/ 6)

I know I’m horrible for including a limited edition polish from what I believe was the Spring 2013 but I picked this up recently at the Canadian version of the TK/TJ Maxx enterprise called Winners which I’ve recently become very interested in rummaging around through. In the last few months, I’ve grew a little bit tired of the red polish and I think this is an alternative option that still is seasonally appropriate with it’s wintry iciness. The formula of the polish is phenomenal, very opaque and it lasts on my nails for the longest of any polishes I’ve tried – I can get a week out of this on my chipping-prone nails. The colour is a paled-out dirty green with a greyish lean to it, which does not sound attractive but I love it. It’s a lighter and dirtier version of the famous (but also limited edition) Mermaid’s Tears, that is my staple summer polish.

China Glaze Nail Polish in Ingrid ($8 CDN)

Years ago, when I was going through one of my brief periods when I was determined to give nail polish a go (before quickly abandoning the seemingly futile effort) I picked this one up after OPI You Don’t Know Jacques was sold out pretty much everywhere and the salesgirl told me this one was very similar. The formulation is fantastic (as all of these mentioned are as I’m very impaired at nail polish application), not quite as long-lasting as the Essie but it wears for a long time and applies very opaque with minimal streaking. I’m beginning to notice that I seem to like slightly-grungy and dirty colours; yet again this is a dark taupe with fine golden-brown microshimmer running throughout and it’s much more amazing than this description is suggesting. I usually hate shimmery and absolutely detest sparkly polishes but this one is the exception for me. It’s easier to wear on my warm-leaning skin because it leans slightly more on the brown side.

Aveeno Skin-Relief Body Wash ($8 CDN)

I suffer from eczema along with generally very sensitive body skin and this is a great gentle body wash that does not irritate my skin even in it’s fragile state. I didn’t realize that this contained fragrance as it’s hardly detectable and non-irritating but I do want to give the fragrance-free one a go sometime. The worst eczema I suffer is on my legs and it’s quite painful and by far this is the best thing to shave my legs with due to it’s gentleness and the instant hydration in provides. I sort of can’t believe I’m talking about body wash but alas…

Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright Serum ($40 CDN)

With sore winter dry and irritated skin, a chemical-exfoliant with acids sounds like the last thing you need but it’s been a saviour for me. The formulation of this serum is hydrating but concentrated with the lactic acid that exfoliates the skin without being abrasive and it’s one of the only things that has helped to reduce the severity of the dry patches I do get. It doesn’t burn on the skin either and beats manual exfoliation in ways other than gentleness, as it helps with pigmentation and dullness – the latter which is a large concern of mine and I imagine it to be an issue that many face with winter pale skin.

By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($26/13 CDN)

I’m an avid blog reader myself and before I was always dismissive when I read posts boasting about the wonders of oils on the complexion. It’s not that I was worried about the oiliness or anything of that sort but more of that I’d been down that road before with minimal success. This one has been a recent addition in my routine every night and every morning or two, bringing much-needed radiance to my face paired on top of moisturizer (or the serum above). It really seems to moisturize and soothe irritated and dry skin but also works wonders on angry breakouts – but mine are the dry itchy kind so keep that in mind. This was another purchase from Winners.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment ($26 CDN)

This glorified lip balm is very expensive and I haven’t purchased a tube as I’m still working on the sample from the Sephora birthday gift but as much as I hate to say it, it’s worth it. I have naturally dry and chapped lips and this performs the best at hydrating them after the balm wears off rather than just coating the lips which many others do. It outperforms the close contender, the more affordable and popular EOS balms.

Pureology Precious Oil Softening Hair Masque ($50 CDN)

Yes, this masque is ridiculously expensive and I’ve only used it a handful of times but I already know it’s worth it. I have the kind of hair that is death to untagle, eats up conditioner and is difficult to keep hydrated and this product is worth it to me. It has that amazing spa-like scent but I would purchase this even without the scent – It’s one of the rare masques that actually is concentrated and a quarter size is more moisturizing than palmfuls of other (not cheap) intensive conditioners and I rarely find that. It doesn’t weigh down my insanely dense mass of fine-textured wavy hair while leaving it feeling nourished for longer than a few hours. I find it keeps the hair soft and helps my hair to curl in the way I like. It’s beautiful, that is all; it’s that perfect wintry hair-saving treatment.

Bumble & Bumble Texture (Un)dressing Creme ($17/34 CDN)

I’ve rambled on about this before but in the winter my hair really begins to lack life and just hang and regardless of your hair type, this treasure adds texture and vitality without tangling and drying the hair. This has really become a staple product when you’re headed out the door in a minute or two and your hair is catastrophically flat and dull.

x

Maggie

What are your winter essentials? Have you used any of these?

I USED UP PRODUCTS #1

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Ever since beginning this blog, I’ve planned on doing empties posts — I went as far as to accumulating the products in a specific bag and putting it on the desk as a reminder. Somehow I’ve managed to procrastinate from even doing one of these helpful mini-review posts of products that I actually finished. Note: Quite frankly, I’m not surprised. I left out products that I’ve mentioned using up time and time before and spoke about in depth… Bioderma… ahem.

L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Instant Miracle ($6 CDN)

Thiswas a meh product for me. I do have naturally dry, wavy-curly hair that is horrifically prone to tangles and in its natural state ends a bit more than half way down my back and therefore I need pretty intense conditioning. It by no means “instantly repairs” the hair but is a decent conditioning treatment that does provide some protein without containing the culprit dimethicone that weighs down the hair. My problem is that it is not concentrated and I went through the 200 mLs in slightly over a month and I was disturbed as higher-end counterparts I’ve tried have lasted me 5-6x the amount of time with better results at maybe four times the price. I did not see an improvement in the state of my hair and did not find it to be intense by any means. The scent is the typical L’Oreal perfumey-floral scent that I’m not a fan of.

Bee By The Sea Natural Products Sea Buckthorn and HonEy Nourishing Face Cream ($30 CDN)

This was an extremely nourishing face cream with that typical heavy night cream texture that did help to soothe the skin with it’s high concentrations of coconut oil, olive oil and grape seed oil but did not do anything spectacular or noteworthy for the skin. It’s free of irritants and is a simple mixture of ingredients that moisturizes well. It was a nice moisturizer, sold on the website and at health food stores but didn’t do enough so that I’d want to repurchase.

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($11-12 CDN)

I’ve talked about this gentle cleanser extensively, both in my first post ever, [heeeere] and in my skincare routine from the early days of the blog and my feelings haven’t changed. The fragrance and detergent free creamy cleanser lasted for six months with twice daily use and impressed me with it’s gentleness on my sensitive skin while still being effective. I will either repurchase this or the newer edition of this cleanser that Neutrogena has recently released. I highly recommend it. I turned my combination-skinned friend onto it as well and it’s also working well for her so I don’t think it’s restricted to drier skin types. Doesn’t remove makeup, though. I used it in the morning and for the second cleanse at night.

L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara in Blackest Black ($10 CDN)

Why does it feel like the only makeup products I use-up are mascara? I internally debated whether or not to include a question mark because the question was rhetorical and to be honest it was stressing me out. I know that for many people this is “the” mascara but after using it, I have to say the product with a cult-following is not for me. I have long and thin kind of eyelashes that I never curl because they have a natural bend to them and look for volume in my mascara, generally favouring drier formulas that promise volume. Because the skin on my entire body (except my eyelids hilariously enough) is very dry, it isn’t exactly surprising that I have zero issues with mascara smudging, smearing or transferring so I can’t comment on all of that. I found that the formula of this mascara was too wet, even when it began to dry out. The brush was a standard fibre one that wasn’t too large or small that I think would work for lots of people but I found too much product was deposited on the brush and would clump in a very annoying way. I wouldn’t say this mascara is bad, I just don’t particularly like it.

x,

Maggie

What products have you used up lately?

Unheard and Under-Appreciated #1: Dior Earth Reflection Quint

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the lightest of swatches
Glorious, aren't they?
Glorious, aren’t they?

So Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow in 609 Earth Reflection isn’t completely unheard of as I wrote a shining review of it after I picked it up in the Fall and I went on about it in one of my monthly favourites posts but the quint definitely deserves to be talked about. I’m tempted to describe the shadows as the makeup equivalent of baby unicorns, as completely insane as that sounds; the completely iridescent quint of eyeshadows that aren’t over the top in the slightest have great pigmentation and have the most blendable buttery texture that do warrant the $61 CDN price tag.

The palette makes the daily eye just so easy. Without really noticing it, I kept reaching for this palette on the regular for multiple consecutive days and I’m not the kind of girl who wears the same makeup two days in a row – I’m bored easily, I’m afraid. Without being overly shimmery, the shades have that brightening and illuminating effect particularly on the inner corner and they are a godsend applied haphazardly on lazy mornings after sleepless nights. The five shades are perfect – enough shades for an eyeshadow addict like I am without having too much choice that can cultivate stress that I certainly don’t need. The two lightest shades are the best highlights but look nice on the lids when you want to look bright-eyed. The pale gold goes on the lid, a bit of the taupe goes on the outer portion of the lid and blended up into the crease, darkest shade is added into the outer corner for definition and a paler shade is added into the inner corner – viola, you’re done and ready to go… well after liner and mascara.

Although, I’d classify this offering from Dior as seasonless, there’s something about it that screams winter. The neutral taupe shades create that bright eye that reminds me of snow and feels right for the winter. If you’re looking for another strange comparison, these shades are like a coffee for your face as they are instantly energizing. Can you tell I enjoy this quint?

x,

Maggie

The everyday eye courtesy of Dior Earth Reflection
The everyday eye courtesy of Dior Earth Reflection
a closer look
a closer look

 

What’s your favourite under-appreciated product?

 

 

& I’M A BREATHING BEAUTY BLOGGER CLICHE: Shopping The Stash #1

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You know you have a slight excessive beauty-product buying problem when you are constantly scouring the shelves of Sephora, whatever local department store there may be in your area and the magical emporium known as the drugstore – if you’re in Canada, Shoppers is my pick – for the latest treasure and were likely induced to do so by stress (you know how it is) when really all you had to do to find such treasures would be to scavenge through the assortment located in your bedroom known as the stash.

I know it’s in vogue currently to talk about the black impeccably-lined-up-co-ordinated-and-quite-frankly-still-intimidating store otherwise known as MAC Cosmetics as an overrated location of beauty product purchase, but it was my first makeup love and to this day, I still adore a good number of products in their selection. I don’t care how outdated I sound but their eyeshadows are fantastic and generally speaking, the products give you great bang for your buck. Before I’ve written amounts that could make an extremely disorganized essay, I’ll attempt to move onto blabbering about the neglected products.

MAC Club Eyeshadow ($12/18 CDN)

I really can’t explain why I use Club so infrequently. It’s in my older Mac quad that I successfully took the divider out of to fit more in that I look through a time or two during the week and when I do so, I resolve to use Club – somehow it never seems to happen. It’s a nicely textured, pigmented, creamy and whatever warm brown with a green duochrome that whenever I pass through MAC with a friend, I attempt to convince them that they need in their life. It’s one of those versatile medium-dark shades that can be worn in the outer corner on the daily but can also create that (relatively) effortless smoky eye — if you’re a regular reader here, you should know that I adore the smoky eye and especially the effortless variety.

MAC Club eyeshadow in all of its glory
MAC Club eyeshadow in all of its glory

MAC Springsheen Powder Blush ($25 CDN)

MAC Springsheen
MAC Springsheen

I’m fairly certain this was one of my earlier blush purchases and that I made it in ninth grade. I remember wearing this constantly until Sephora opened near me and from the moment my eyes met the matte-black packaging of NARS Orgasm, I tossed this one onto the side. It’s another one of those coral shades with fine golden shimmer throughout but it’s more of a true warm-toned coral than the infamous NARS blush. The texture is at least as good as the blush in comparison and I do rather like it on. My theory is that it pulled too bright back when I thought I had pink-undertones and constantly looked flushed as a result of the tragedy; now that I match my foundation to my much more yellow-toned body, I don’t have this issue whatsoever. Lesson learned: learn how to match your foundation correctly to your body and everything else will fall into place.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation ($11-14 CDN)

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation in 110 Porcelain Ivory
Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation in 110 Porcelain Ivory

Ah, this would be one of the all-too-frequent stress-induced purchases that somehow manage to happen after dry winter skin frustration and a long busy day,week, etc. at school. I bought this in the time when every foundation looked slightly terrifying on my skin with dry patches galore and as I have dry skin and this was toted as a great dewy moisturizing formula (by Rosanna, from youtube’s rpiercemakup) at a good pricepoint…. It happened. This was in the phase a month or two back when I kept piling on the foundation to cover the skin irritation and consequently it looked even worse and I cast it aside, forgetting all about it. As with all other Maybelline face products, the shade range is horrendous but the medium coverage formula is a nice one especially on drier complexions. Obvs. I would expect to hear more on this from me in the foreseeable future.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107($7-8 CDN)

Rimmel by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107
Rimmel by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107

It’s doubtful that writing the full title was really necessary and was tempted to merely write “that dark Rimmel lipstick”, as this is such a commonly praised product this year. I bought this in the fall and I liked the candy-scented longwearing but not drying matte lipstick but it wasn’t as vampy as I expected and I forgot about it. I think it’s more of a cool-toned berry red shade than it appears and somehow this made it’s way into the abyss of my cluttered lipstick drawer. I’m really going to try to wear this more and it bewilders me that I don’t use it more. It’s about as pink as I can go without looking ridiculous – if you’re new to this blog, I LOOK TERRIBLE IN PINKS and consequently have an abundance of red-toned shades. Yes, this lipstick, easily referred to as “that lipstick” that seems to be featured on every beauty blogged (and loved also) is worth it.

Rimmel 107, MAC Club, MAC Springsheen
Rimmel 107, MAC Club, MAC Springsheen
products in use: wearing the Maybelline foundation, MAC Springsheen on the cheeks with some highlighter and MAC Club in the outer corner and crease of the eye - taken with flash :)
products in use: wearing the Maybelline foundation, MAC Springsheen on the cheeks with some highlighter, MAC Club in the outer corner and crease of the eye and “that lipstick” applied onto the lips poorly and then blotted – taken with flash 🙂

Have you tried any of these products? And I’m even more curious to see if I’m the only one who completely neglects great products – if you’re like me, I’d love to know your discoveries from your stash! x

Maggie

 

 

Winter Essentials Edit- The Makeup Edition

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Living in Canada, it has been snowing straight since early November and I swear as soon as we hit the middle of October, it wasn’t really “Fall” anymore; we have in fact had multiple storms and power outages. This might seem premature but in my world, it’s been Winter-esque for ages and it’s now acceptable (I suppose) to share some of my essentials now that it officially is Winter. Some of these products are newer additions to my rotation but many of them have been my staples for the last couple of months.

Revlon Enticing, NARS Golshan
Revlon Enticing, NARS Golshan

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Golshan ($30 CDN) – review here

This ultra-pigmented lip pencil has been a rather recent addition but whenever I’m going for a dark lip, it’s been the one I reach for. The long-wearing warm deep burgundy shade doesn’t cling to dry patches and actively moisturizes the lips somewhat rather than drying them out. The shade is a flattering warmer hue that is easier to wear than brighter and vampier hues.

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Enticing ($10 CDN) – worn here

When I’m not feeling quite as bold but want to wear a reddish hued lip, I’ve been reaching for mint-scented and recently released jumbo pencil offering from Revlon. The dark cherry-red moisturizing lipstick feels like a weightless balm on the lips, wears for a decent amount of time and does so evenly and might just be my favourite drugstore lip product of all time. It manages to provide that pigmented-yet-buildable amount of payoff that allows the lipstick-balm hybrid to pack a good colour punch without requiring the maintenance and fuss of a traditional red.

Nars Golshan, Revlon Enticing
Nars Golshan, Revlon Enticing

Marc Jacobs Beauty Color Eye-Con No 7 in The Starlet ($71 CDN)

taken with flash, true to colour
taken with flash, true to colour
I forgot to take a picture of the darker grey but it's glorious.
I forgot to take a picture of the darker grey but it’s glorious.

This eyeshadow palette is undoubtedly an extravagant purchase – and I did only receive it recently… for Christmas – and it’s not something that I would describe as purely wintery but it seems to be the perfect palette for my daily eye makeup in the cold season. These might just be the most pigmented and creamy shadows that I’ve ever tried and are all metallic without being overly frosty or glittery in the slightest. The pinky champagne, like Sin in the Naked Palette that I declare my love for regularly, is my staple lid shade, particularly with a darker lip, the grey, one of the very few shadows in this hue that I find flattering, effortlessly smokes out and the dark warm coppery brown is that staple shade to define the outer-v. I could go on but there will be a review coming soon.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer
top - Maybelline, bottom - Rimmel
top – Maybelline, bottom – Rimmel

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light ($9-10 CDN)

Throughout the year, I constantly have dry and dehydrated skin but the season change to cold weather can magnify the problem. The dry patches that tend to emerge can cause redness and when you try to cover them with most concealers, the dryness is only highlighted but this concealer does not have that effect. It provides medium coverage and glides over dry patches. Particularly in the Winter when I get blemishes, during the healing process they can get dry and flaky and this is one of the only products that covers them without highlighting the condition of my skin. The only thing that could improve the product would be the colour range… it is kind of horrendous.

Rimmel  2-in-1 Concealer and Highlighter in Ivory ($7-8 CDN)

Including two concealers might seem a bit excessive, but this concealer really in essence is a highlighter that also provides some coverage. It highlights underneath the eyes while still covering dark circles and can be brought into the centre of the face and other high points which has that much needed luminizing and brightening effect.

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Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter ($36 CDN)

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl
Benefit Girl Meets Pearl

After our brief separation, when I had a brief affair with my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, I’ve returned to the liquid highlighter and have committed to a monogamous relationship with said product. It’s illuminating due to its sheen, but is not shimmery in the typical way and the texture of the pale pink-champagne fluid adds a dewiness that cannot be matched, especially with powder products. Year round, I have a love of all things that provide luminosity but this is especially important in the winter with dull, paler and drier skin.

NARS Orgasm Powder Blush ($32 CDN)

Ah, blush, up there among my top beauty loves and consequently much more difficult to narrow down my essential down to one but I’m determined to do so and it came down to this one. I think I’ve mentioned this a few times as of late but after some neglect, my most-used blush of all time is getting its much-deserved recognition. The formula is smooth and doesn’t apply patchy, being quite build able and therefore versatile – It can be worn subtly on a more dramatic makeup day with say bolder lips or can be built up to a brightening warm pink-y flush. On NYE, it began to crumble slightly and I was tempted to crumble into the floorboards when it fell from the vanity to its luckily not fatal stroke. This might seem like an odd winter blush choice but it doesn’t pull corally on the skin, well on me at least.

with flash
NARS Orgasm, Tarte Natural Beauty with flash

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Natural Beauty ($31 CDN)

So I might have lied. I succumbed to my intuition of the need to include a more typically winter appropriate blush. I know I’m definitely an outlier here as I’m not absolutely in love with the Amazonian Clay formula but Natural Beauty is a watermelon sort of colour, sitting between a pink and a red with versatile neutral undertones. The matte finish blush does in fact last insanely long on me and it gives that natural-looking winter flush that perks up dull skin.

What are your makeup picks for the Winter? x

Maggie

The Monthly Roundup #1: December 2013

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1. December 2013 Favourites  – where I ramble on about my favourites of the list and take a blog photo (and edit it) that I’m rather proud of.
2. Daily Makeup #4: Non-Festive Holiday Makeup & Playing With New Products – where I gush about a good number of my Christmas beauty product additions, ramble a bit about my life as per usual and talk about the non-festive makeup I wore on Christmas day. I was proud of myself for not being cliched and wearing red lips… not that there’s anything wrong with that…
3. My Top Six Cold-Weather Lipsticks – where I somewhat successfully photograph lip swatches of my favourite lipsticks with the same makeup and consequently make my poor dry and chapped lips revolt. I was rather proud of myself for being informative about each shade and formulation while being brief – for my standards anyway.
4. Top Thirteen Beauty Products of 2013 – where I make good on my personal challenge of narrowing down my favourite products to a scant thirteen, use my best efforts to provide concise and informative mini-reviews of each product and don’t go on an on about each product.                                                                                                                                                                        5. Base Bonaza: Dior Diorskin Nude Skin Glowing Makeup– where I make personal progress at taking high-quality product photos (in my opinion at least), force myself to write the review I’ve been meaning to write for weeks and reveal my thoughts on another foundation in my excessive stash.

I’ve always really enjoyed reading these kinds of monthly round-up posts and figured that it was time to start doing my own – but that wasn’t my entire motivation. I figure if I start doing these on the monthly, it will motivate me to keep posting frequently as I have been in the last month or so even though I’ll be weighed down by the force of that thing that one has to do at that dreaded institution known as University, work.

Thanks for reading. X

Maggie

If you’re a blogger, what were your favourite posts that you wrote in the last month? If you’re a reader, first and foremost, tell me what posts you most enjoyed in the last month. 🙂