beauty

December Favourites

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December was a weird month in particular this year; I won’t purposely try to make you all gauge your precious eyes out with cliched phrases such as ‘it passed so fast’ and ‘it was so stressful and busy’, although life seems to be full of the two lately. University kept me crazy busy and stressed for the first two weeks but as soon as the fourteenth hit, I was done and it was weird.

My skin has been duller than ever with abundant dry patches and I’ve perhaps gone a little too highlighter happy and my product of choice has been the old limited edition MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl, which is a gorgeous glowy shimmery golden champagne.

It should be no secret that I’ve fallen in love with L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black($10 CDN) this month. It has more pigment than Maybelline Master Precise and is more precise and slightly easier to control. With this, it’s quick and easy to create a subtle wing on an everyday basis. This liner is fine enough to create the thinnest line, which I tend to struggle with.

I’ve had the MAC Eyeshadow in Sketch($12/18 CDN) since the end of the summer but I’ve previously found it to be chalky and difficult to pair with other shades without effort but this seemed to change this month. I’ve really enjoyed placing the “velvet” but pretty much matte plum shade in the outer v and it’s been gracing my face frequently, most often paired with rosier and taupe-y shades. 

The contour powder, sold as a blush, MAC Harmony ($25 CDN) is easily one of my favourite beauty products of all time – I included it in my recently posted yearly favourites – but it’s made it’s way back into the daily rotation this month as it functions nicely as a contour shade but has some warmth to it, without looking overly warm and orangey. It has enough rosiness to it that I can go without blush when wearing this and I adore it, especially with bolder lips.

In the cold weather as of late, I’ve been finding that my natural loose curls are determined to fall flat and lifeless along with their characteristic dryness. I’ve found that applying Bumble and Bumble Texture (Un)dressing Creme ($17/33 CDN) straight out of the shower adds volume and texture while still providing control either by itself or in combination with a curl-enhancing product with hold. I think this cream manages to be one of those universal products that adds great texture among all different hair types without leaving the hair dry — it’s concentrated and even with my abundance of hair, I’m still using my travel-sized product that I bought in the spring.

My daily use of Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance($24/40 CDN) and my love for it snuck up on me. This is the first foundation primer that I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a few) that proved to be worthwhile. A little bit prior to starting the blog, I saw the 15 mL size at my Sephora in the 100-point-perk case and it had to be mine… I can’t resist a good free beauty product and as a sample, the size was very generous. It’s tinted a peachy-gold sheeny shade that adds notable luminosity to the face (which I adore), doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin in the slightest and seems to help the foundation glide on more smoothly with the touch of hydration it provides. The thing is that, as I’ve mentioned far too many times before, I do not have issues with foundation longevity and this is generally what primers are aimed to do but I like this one because it helps to blend the foundation seamlessly along with illumination but I do not think it helps with longevity or prevents oil from breaking through. I think this is a great primer for drier and duller looking skin, especially for those who haven’t had the greatest success with traditional foundation primers.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright ($40 CDN) is indeed one of those products that takes you by surprise with its efficacy — that was horrible, I know, but I couldn’t resist. It’s a chemical exfoliant in serum form with lactic acid in a moisturizing base that I’ve been using pretty much nightly since the beginning of the fall and I didn’t notice the results at first but within a few months, it helped with the formation of clogged pore bump-like things on my forehead, faded the textured marks that blemishes always leave behind on my skin and seemed to brighten and even out my skin. I’ve received some compliments on my bare skin recently and I know it’s because of this cream-serum that exfoliates without being harsh or irritating – even on my sensitive skin, all I can feel is a slight tingle (and I tend to feel the tingle with even the gentlest of products).

This month I’ve been playing The Neighbourhood‘s I Love You($7 CDN) album nonstop this month. I’m sure everyone is familiar with them because of “Sweater Weather” but the whole album is just as good. The music is moody, slightly-grungy and angsty deliciousness. I don’t know else to explain it — if you like music that iTunes places in the “alternative” genre, give this a listen if you haven’t already heard it.

Have you tried any of these? What were your favourites this month?

Daily Face #3: Minimal Makeup & Dark Lips

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EYES: Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo, Maybelline Copper Chic Quad, L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black, MAC Charcoal Brown, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

FACE: Laura Mercier Radiance Primer, Diorskin Nude Foundation in 011, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer/Highlighter in Ivory, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light, MAC Harmony Blush, MAC Semi-Precious Pearl MSF, Nars Orgasm Blush

LIPS: Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing

I don’t know about you but I’m a go big or go home kind of girl when it comes to makeup. I don’t feel as confident without it on but being without it in public doesn’t bother me and if going out bare-faced means a couple of minutes of sleep, I’ll gladly go out without it. I don’t tend to be one of those girls who has a go-to minimal makeup routine for every time I leave the house or anything but lately I’ve been intrigued by the concept. I’ve always liked the look of the bold lip with minimal makeup that still defines the features and here was my attempt.

When I’m keeping my overall makeup quite subdued (minus the lip), I like to keep my face dewy and natural-looking, although this seems to be my foundation preference overall as of late but it’s even more important when going through major issues with dehydration. When your skin looks as dry, pale and dull as mine does this time of year, a radiant complexion tends to be an essential. I’ve been using Laura Mercier Radiance Primer, underneath the tiniest amount of Diorskin Nude($47) that I can get away with wearing that still offers coverage.  I’m recovering from a stress-induced breakout from last week that has left me with dry marks and scars and I’ve been spot-concealing them with Maybelline Fit Me ($10) because it covers them without emphasizing the dryness.

I’ve returned to my contour of choice, MAC Harmony Blush  — ($25) when I wear anything bold (or wear any makeup in general), adding some shape to the face is essential and this is a staple of mine. I couldn’t decide on what blush to wear, so I reached for the old stand-by, pink-coral Nars Orgasm Blush ($32) and I was feeling looking particularly glowing so out came my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl (LE – sorry!) for my Thighlighter. The texture of MAC MSFs are really smooth and seem to blend in with the skin and I think the product itself is a gem.

I wore the Maybelline Copper Chic Eyestudio Quad ($10) and after having it for ages I’ve decided I quite like it, although it’s certainly not mind blowing and slightly on the sheerer side. I quickly placed the frosty champagne on the inner lid, the sheer and slightly glittery copper pink on the rest of the lid and put the warm burgundy in the outer v and the lower lashline, blending into the crease. On me at least, I think that a thin and subtle winged liner pairs nicely with a bold lip and of course I used my latest love, L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black ($10) along with a generous amount of my favourite mascara — I don’t think I even need to spell it out, do I?

Revlon’s newly launched Lacquer and Matte Balms have been getting lots of press since their release but most tend to gush about the Matte Balms, but I have a Lacquer Balm and I adore it – mentioned here. Enticing is a comfortable to wear, glossy neutral-toned darker red that actually does not cling to the outside of the lip as it fades. It wears for about four hours on the lips with light eating, I’d say. I think it’s a nice festive bold lip, but that might just be my inner need to justify my makeup purchases… If MAC Ruby Woo was less matte and had a baby with MAC Dubonnet, Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing ($10-11) would be the offspring. Need I say more?

What did you think of this Daily Face? Have you tried any of these products?

 

Dior 609 Earth Reflection Quint

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Dior palettes are the kind of makeup item I find myself gazing at longingly but never seem to purchase as they seem to extravagant and pricy but I have to say I’m glad I took the plunge and picked up this one.

The eyeshadow quint retails for $61 CDN for 0.21 oz of product and I picked mine up at Sephora. The shades are the typical size of a full prices shadow pretty much (0.042 oz each) and the cost breaks down to $12.20 per shadow which is not too bad granted all the shadows are to your liking – and luckily in this case they were for me.

Obviously this palette contains five shades. The darker shades do tend to be more pigmented but all the shades are impressively long wearing with a buttery, smooth and blendable texture with a beautiful finish. Like all of the palettes in this series, the shades are iridescent but manage to have that sheen without being overwhelmingly shiny or glittery which can be a difficult feat. The texture is so soft and amazing. There is slight fall out but I don’t believe it’s escapable.

This palette seems to me to have a taupe theme and is neither overwhelmingly cool or warm. The palette features a shimmery pale pink that is sheer in consistency and quite brightening, a pale gold champagne shimmery shade with the same consistency, a light gold-beige shade with more pigmentation, A silvery taupe with a hint of purpliness to it (sort of similar to Satin Taupe but a touch lighter and more golden) and a darker taupe shade that is slightly warmer and plummy.

Even the dark colours have that soft texture and blendability, which is tough to come by. Although I don’t own it, the overall colour scheme of the palette seems to be along the lines of Urban Decay Naked 2 but obviously with less selection. The lack of selection doesn’t bother me. I find myself enjoying this palette for its simplicity. Just using this palette I can create subtle day looks to a dramatic smoky eye and that’s hard to come by for me. It’s a nice palette to create entire looks from.

The lightest two shades are grey highlight shades for me, the pale gold looks great on the lid, the silvery taupe I either wear on the crease and the darkest shade I like to wear in the outer-v for more subtle eye makeup or in the crease for darker looks and it’s dark enough to be used as liner. I like having a palette that I use every shade in!

I would have to give this product an A rating because the only downside of the product is the lack of different finishes and the price. These shadows have really impressed me because of their buttery texture, pigmentation, texture and longevity. I decided that I was going to create actual categories for review purposes to make my perceptions of products less arbitrary:

Pigmentation – 9/10

Longevity – 9.5/10

Packaging – 9.5/10

Value – 9/10

Overall Quality – 10/10

Total Grade – 47/50= 94%/A

Far too expensive for your wallet? Although they are not quite as longlasting, buttery and pigmented, Physicians Formula Nude Eyes palette struck me as similar. It features the same taupe shades and beautiful iridescence. Those shadows are generally impressively soft.

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Top - Bottom: golden shade on upper left, pinky shade in center, light taupe on upper right, dark taupe on bottom left, highlight shade on bottom right
Top – Bottom: golden shade on upper left, pinky shade in center, light taupe on upper right, dark taupe on bottom left, highlight shade on bottom right

Daytime Nude Lips and Tangent

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When I first started getting really into makeup, in 9th/10th grade, I was a nude lips kind of girl. That sort of changed lately, starting in my senior year of high school, when I started venturing into wearing brighter lips and before then, nothing at all. I suspect this was because pinks (especially cool-toned ones) look absolutely horrible on me. After I discovered brighter lipsticks, nudes (especially pale ones) were delegated to occasions where I wore a dramatic smokey eye. Lately as I’ve begun my no-buy, I’ve been in a rut in terms of lipstick – there was nothing in between just good old lip balm and a bold statement lip and I’ve been digging out my nudes as a solution of sorts. In my early days of makeup, nudes were my daily go-to and over the last little bit, I’ve been enjoying them and I think they can be worn on an everyday basis. Even more, they can be quite flattering.

I found myself quite liking the way that nude lips put the emphasis on my eyes and how low maintenance it was. I used MAC Creme d’Nude Lipstick which was my second lipstick from MAC and the third lipstick I ever purchased (the previous two were complete failures). I stupidly bought MAC Viva Glam Gaga, which was a horribly unflattering cool-toned pink and I should have learned from that mistake… In other words, this was my first lipstick love.

I may have accidentally taken the above photo with flash and captured the dreaded flashback effect but what can you expect wearing an spf 50 BB Cream? I’ve gotten back into using Skin79 Snail Nutrition on the regular and it is a great one. Cheek products were standard. The concealer/highlighter from Rimmel is very nice and has been making its way into my everyday routine.

The daytime smoky-ish eye is a look I always think can look great but is hard to do without overdoing it. However, using my old stand-by MAC Woodwinked and adding in some trusty Sketch, Dazzlelight, Satin Taupe and Charcoal Brown and I have to say it’s one of the few (as of late) days where I’ve been really liking my makeup. Although I abhorr the word, Woodwinked really does make the blue eyes ‘pop’ and stand out without looking heavily made up.

Happy Wednesday! Thoughts?

 

FACE: Skin 79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer/Highlighter in Ivory, Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder, Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer in Warm Tan

EYES: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, MAC Dazzlelight, Woodwinked, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe and Sketch eye shadows, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Brown, Maybelline the Falsies mascara, Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette

LIPS: MAC Creme d’Nude lipstick

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The Tired, Sick and Stressed Face

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Face: Lancome La Base Pro, Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in 2.5 Warm Sand, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light , NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny, Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino, Benefit Girl Meets Pearl

Eyes: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, Dior Earth Reflection Quint, NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny, Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 liner, Maybelline black Gel liner, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara, Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette (whoops forgot to picture….)

Lips: Revlon Pink Truffle Lip Butter

It can be difficult to muster the energy to put on makeup and wear some sort of semi-appropriate outfit when you have to be out the door on Monday mornings by 8:15 and you’re swamped by work and stress, along with being perpetually sleep deprived. Even though I’d rather hit the snooze button, I find myself reaching for a few products – I suspect this is because I get an unhealthy amount of enjoyment from makeup and use wearing makeup as justification of wearing lazy-day outfits every day while looking somewhat presentable and alive. So here is what happens on a typical day (when I’m not running uber-late) in order to feel somewhat polished but I’m not one with qualms about not wearing makeup and rocking the fourth-day-hair messy bun… end ramble.

My skin has been even more dull than usual, dry,red, sensitive and somewhat flaky and uneven which tends to pose some difficulties on the foundation front. I do generally suffer from foundation sitting on my dry patches awkwardly and its even worse this time of year. Although I’m a skeptic on the facial primer front, I’ve been trying out a few of my primer samples from Sephora and am trying to see if it helps any, as people always seem to claim it does. Today I used Lancôme La Base Proand it seemed to help the foundation glide over my drier spots (most of my face at the moment) to a small degree.

I would normally just whip out my trusty Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect but my skin is too dull and red for that to be enough today – my skin is getting back at me for late nights and subjection to stress. I’ve heard that Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation is one of the rare ones that can provide great coverage yet not highlight dry patches and her shades run so dramatically yellow that they do tend to neutralize the redness in my skin. I’m always nosy to find out what shade other people wear in foundation so I’m feeling compelled to elaborate that my shade is 2.5 Warm Sand. The coverage was medium buildable and struck me as a foundation like LM Silk Creme but better for those with drier patches – it didn’t completely hise dehydrated patches but it did not emphasize them by any means – and I would say they were less visible than when I wasn’t wearing foundation so colour me impressed.

I’ve kind of gotten addicted to tightlining my eyes with Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liner in Perversion daily, even though it tends to irritate me when it smudges onto the bottom waterline despite my best intentions for it not to but we can’t have it all – It doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes and actually stays put. Some migrated to the lower waterline and I couldn’t be bothered to remove it. I did this before my NYX HD Eye Primer because I find it has a really siliconey feel that tends to make creamy products migrate until it dries completely.

For eyeshadow, I started with NYC Sunny Bronzer in the crease and then finished with my latest obsession, the Dior Earth Reflection Quint (expect a review soon!). I used the iridescent golden champagne across the lid and the pink in the inner corner, a little bit more of the taupe shade in the crease and the darker taupe shade in the outer-v. The shades have great pigmentation, texture and longevity and the shades are in the golden taupe sort of family. I felt compelled to whip up a wing with Maybelline Gel Liner. I recently picked up Maybelline The Falsies and I remember why I love it so much. It’s my favourite mascara and creates the best thick lashes.

I ended up being quite a fan of the rosy Milani Red Vino on the cheeks (along with some NYC Sunny to contour … who doesn’t love contour?) and went for something easy on the lips with the browny-rose Revlon Pink Truffle Lip Butter.

That’s got to be one wordy daily makeup post — any thoughts?

Fall Skin Edit

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I am one of those poor unfortunate souls whose first unignorable sign that it is now fall/winter is in my skin. I notice this even before the chill – my skin becomes very dehydrated, itchy and sensitized. I am a firm believer that you have to switch up your treatment of your skin with the seasons and I thought I’d share a few products in my arsenal that I’ve been enjoying.

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm for Dry/Very Dry Skin

I will admit I’ve been sharing my love for this wallet-friendly cleanser a little too frequently but a moisturizing cleanser such as this one truly makes a difference in the cooler months. It removes makeup at least as well as Bioderma (with the aid of a cotton pad or face cloth) while soothing the skin and adding extra hydration. This is one of the rare cleansers that my skin has never reacted to by burning, tingling or some other unpleasantry. I know the fragrance is not good for my sensitive skin, but the scent is nice and the product feels very luxurious. Highly recommended!

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Daily Hydrator

As I do not have a Kiehl’s retailer near me I picked this up a few months back while travelling and I must say that I’m impressed … although I like the next product equally as much but for different qualities. The price point impressed me; I paid $42 CDN for 75 mLs which is rather good for a middle-end product as it contains well over the standard amount of product. Although we are all sensitive to different things, this would be a reccomendation of mine for those with sensitive skin as it doesn’t contain any typical irritants (fragrance or drying alcohol) and contains good quantities of glycerin and squaline. I’m not quite sure how potent they are but this moisturizer also contains small amounts of both Rosa-Gallica Flower Extract and Chamomile (supposed skin soothers), if anyone is interested. This moisturizer is soothing and concentrated, the smallest amount of this light-but-rich cream with a somewhat-sticky texture hydrates the skin and absorbs fairly quickly.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

This is a product that has been in my routine since May and it has pretty much become essential. I picked mine up at Sephora for 40 mLs of product at $40 CDN. Unfortunately this contains fragrance although in it’s defense, it does smell lovely. The texture of this moisturizer is what makes it remarkable. It has that whipped and light souffle-like texture that absorbs immediately and feels nice on the skin. This is a product I apply and feel the immediate calming and deeply moisturizing effects. Ingredient-wise, the second ingredient in this product after water is grape water, which is an antioxidant known to have a beneficial impact on the skin and contains small amounts of chamomile, grape-related extracts and a good quantity of shea butter. Because this moisturizer is so light, I think more combination skins could use it with success. I am nearly out of this product and plan on repurchasing either this product or the richer moisturizer in the same line.

Coconut Oil

I am neither one to preach on about oils being the best thing ever nor one to be opposed to them – I like them and enjoy their benefit but they’re not an essential in their pure form. No matter how irritated my skin is, applying coconut oil is not painful and I like to apply it after moisturizer on occasion and wake up with much more hydrated and radiant skin. It’s also an amazing body moisturizer and makeup remover.

These are a selection of products that I’ve been really appreciating in my transition to the cold season here in Canada but I have a few more products on my wishlist; I have been lusting after a moisture masque or serum. Thoughts?

September Favourites

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September in a nutshell was crazy, stressful, busy and somewhat depressing. I spent much of it in a makeup rut, hard-pressed for time and generally sleep-deprived. Somehow this resulted in some clear favourites,

MAC Dubonnet Lipstick

This is an amplified creme finish lipstick (most likely my favourite) that is a deep berry red with some brown in it and neutral undertones. It is quite versatile as it can be worn as a subtle berry stain or as a deep berry bold lip. The formula is nice and moisturizing while still lasting on the lips. I think it’s that wearable but bold fall lip for me and although many skin tones can wear it, it is an ideal bold lip for fair skin.

Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder

I must admit that I purchased this product due to a moment of weakness and stress, but I can’t bring myself to regret it whatsoever. I surely did not need another blush, but this is a light-buildable rose-gold with a nice sheen and neutral undertones without being too glittery or shimmery. The colour is really finely milled and the shade is especially unique – a rose gold (not too pink or too peach but rather in the middle) without the coral-orange undertones of shades such as MAC Stereo Rose.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Ever since I got back into school and those exhausting long days, I had been having issues with my eye shadow creasing and this fixed the problem. Boring favourite, I know.

Mac Harmony Powder Blush

Like most other people, I use this “blush” as a contour powder. I’ve talked about my love of this before, but I’ve gotten into using it slightly differently; I’ve been using it for more of a precise contour then just generally adding shape to my face. It’s sort of an odd colour – a matte, cool brown with reddish undertones. It looks natural as a contour but the ruddiness in the shade can prove to be a difficulty to some.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

I’ve done a review of this foundation before and as it was then, my shade is Rose Ivory (which oddly has no pink undertones whatsoever…) but I’ve gotten quite into this foundation recently. With minimal product used, I find that you can achieve a good medium-buildable coverage with a slightly luminous finish. My only irritation is that it does stick to dry patches and is not flattering on me when I am having my drier days.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

My shade is 10 Light, which is a fair-light shade with yellow undertones. This is a really natural looking concealer with medium coverage and is easily blendable. I use it both underneath my eyes and on blemishes but I find that it wears off of inflamed blemishes more quickly than I’d like.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion

I know I mentioned this in last months favourites and all I’ve said about it before still applies but this month I’ve gotten really into tightlining with this and applying it in the waterline. This liner actually stays put and does not irritate my eyes.

What I actually wore for back to school

sorry about the poor quality!
sorry about the poor quality!

So today was the first day of my second year of university and in light of all that back-to-school craziness, I thought I would share what I wore! As pictured above, I wore a Club Monaco blouse, a bandeau from American Eagle, and an ancient pair of pastel-blue shorts, also by American Eagle. Not pictured were my simple brown flat sandals and white crossbody bag with gold hardware, both from Aldo……. I might possibly have been to tired to get them from downstairs. I quite liked the outfit because it felt appropriate for the awkward between-fall-and-summer season, was the right temperature and was the right amount of put-together.

Top to Bottom (and L-R): L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light, Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup in 20 Beige (Sephora sample), MAC Well Dressed Powder Blush, MAC Harmony Powder Blush, EOS Peach Lip Balm, Wet n Wild Blue Had Me at Hello Palette, Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Eyeliner, MAC Charcoal Brown e/s, MAC Satin Taupe e/s and Maybelline Barely Branded Color Tattoo
Top to Bottom (and L-R): L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light, Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup in 20 Beige (Sephora sample), MAC Well Dressed Powder Blush, MAC Harmony Powder Blush, EOS Peach Lip Balm, Wet n Wild Blue Had Me at Hello Palette, Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Eyeliner, MAC Charcoal Brown e/s, MAC Satin Taupe e/s and Maybelline Barely Branded Color Tattoo
poor quality again but taken of me a bit before nine
poor quality again but taken of me a bit before nine
close up of the eyes at six (ten hours after application)
close up of the eyes at six (ten hours after application)
the rest of the face at six
the rest of the face at six

The makeup was definitely the more remarkable part of the getup. I used Laura Mercier Radiance Primer, buffed in Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup in 20 Light Beige (I had a sample) and concealed with Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light. The eyes were when I became afraid of my intentions. As I usually do, I used Maybelline Barely Branded Color Tattoo as a base and then went on to fill in my brows with MAC Charcoal Brown and placed MAC Satin Taupe in the crease. Then I decided to use the Wet n Wild Blue Had Me At Hello Palette in some sort of wearable way. The shades I used were the silvery white (highlight), the silver with blue undertones (lid), the second darkest blue (in the outer-v) and the darkest blue (to line the lower lashes). My eye liner was Urban Decay Perversion and my mascara was L’Oreal Voluminous. I kept the rest of the face simple: MAC Harmony to contour, MAC Well Dressed as blush and just EOS lip balm on the lips.

So, this was obviously quite a dramatic look for first day but I thought it turned out rather nice and was surprisingly flattering on my blue eyes. I would say it was a mermaid-y smoky eye and It was one of my latest makeup attempts that was not a complete failure. I thought it was a relatively wearable way to wear this bold palette and that my overall look was nice and awake, which is always nice for the perpetually-exhausted like myself.

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August Beauty Favourites

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There are two beauty-related thoughts that frequently came to my mind frequently in the last month; I have been in a major makeup rut and that it pisses me off to no end when bloggers list 102 items as their favourites and we all know that it’s simply a list of products they used – not helpful for those of us with a limited makeup budget. As a result of these two things, I have sort of edited myself to compile a list of beauty essentials this month (not just stuff I wore a few times and went overboard).

I was never a lip-gloss girl, never even in my late elementary school or junior high days and because of this I thought I would not be a fan of the whole ‘lip butter’ craze because of their glossiness. However, Revlon lip products were on for a rare buy one get one free promotion and I picked one up to feed my makeup addiction. I think the hype is sort of worth it. The colour I have is Pink Truffle which is a warm, rosy browny pink that is a no-fuss kind of shade. The texture is like a waxy balm and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it lasted on my lips for maybe three hours

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At the end of last month, I ran out of my go-to eye primer, Urban Decay Primer Potion that came in my Urban Decay palettes and as I am currently broke and spent way too much money on makeup (story of my life), I switched to something I already owned, my Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded. I’m sure everyone and their cat knows this, but these are long-lasting cream eye shadows that double as bases like MAC Paint Pots. It is a shimmery gold-based light champagne sort of colour. I would say the shade is a darker version of MAC Dazzlelight with a touch more champagne in it or is a slightly lighter version of Urban Decay Sin with golden undertones instead of the pink. The texture is ultra-creamy (creamier than the other one of this line that I own) and has good longevity. I do find that this shade performs better as a primer/base than Bad to the Bronze, as it lasts longer without fading and creasing. It performs almost as good as a primer and also doubles as a stand-alone shade..

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liner in Perversion is another one of those products seems to be a cult-favourite that I’ve found essential in the last month. It is a creamy jet-black that has amazing longevity, in that difficult-to-remove kind of way. It’s quite versatile as it provides the intensity of a gel or liquid, yet can be smudged out with the ease of a pencil.

I picked up Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips New Eyes Palette towards the end of last month and initially was quite disappointed; it’s not completely practical to have a palette of nine entirely shimmery shades, the shades are a touch sheer and there is not much variation in the depth of the shades. Needless to say, it got used and grew on me. It’s a palette full of those rare taupey shades (there are ten of them in all). My favourite shades in particular were as follows: the light taupe with golden undertones (third from left) and the other light taupe with grey undertones (middle) on the lid, the taupey brown with purple-y undertones (second from left) and the taupey brown with grey undertones (forth from left) in the crease and outer-v and the frosty yellow-toned white (farthest on the right) in the inner corners. This is the kind of palette that is good for everyday looks but is lacking somewhat for more dramatic ones. The shadows do have a nice texture and are easy to blend, I have to say.

I find it particularly difficult to find affordable drugstore conditioners I like but L’Oreal Power Moisture Moisture Infusion Mask really impressed me. I find it very moisturizing without coating my fine hair and weighing it down (like it claims to do), but I think of it more as an everyday conditioner than a heavy mask – but I do have very dry wavy slash curly hair that is quite long. It does contain non water-soluble silicones high in the ingredient list, but I do not find amodimethicone to build up on my hair and its conditioning agents are not oils but rather emollients, the wax mineral oil is derived from and a small amount of hyaluronic acid. The only downside to the product is the artificial-floral scent and it fades after being rinsed out.

I’ve been really enjoying using Organix Luxurious Moroccan Argan Creme Shampoo this month. I was a fan of the regular Argan-oil shampoo in the Organix line but like this one even better. It is sulfate-free but cleanses with gentler surfactants (Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate and Cocomidopropyl Betatine) and the only silicone it contains is water soluble. It contains a fair amount of Argan oil and I do find it to be a moisturizing gentle shampoo that does not weigh my hair down in the least. It has the same amazing sort of scent that MoroccanOil products have.

I’ll start of by apologizing for the current state of this product but I used it and haven’t gotten around to cleaning it yet (and it stains anyway). About a month ago, I saw a Beauty Blender replica at Shoppers Drugmart for a few dollars and after hearing great things about the seemingly magical sponge I couldn’t resist. When used damp, the sponge expertly blends in makeup without wasting too much of the product.

 

 

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Top to Bottom – Revlon Pink Truffle Lip Butter, Maybelline Barely Branded Color Tattoo and Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Liner.

 

Physician's Formula Nude Eyes Palette swatched from the right at the top to the left at the bottom
Physician’s Formula Nude Eyes Palette swatched from the right at the top to the left at the bottom

July 2013 Favourite Products

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1. Bumble and Bumble Texture (Un)dressing Creme is one of those products that oddly enough seems to suit all (or at least most) hair textures – from the straightest to curly, fine to thick. It is a thick and whitish sticky putty-like substance that defines curls, provides medium hold, controls frizz moderately (but not like a gel) and gives beachy textyre without drying it out. I can use this product in my wavy-curly hair wet for that beachy look (with no other products) but I love to use it to refresh my hair after a few days particularly in dampened hair; this is a godsend for me because I only wash my hair twice a week so anything that will help my hair look defined and volumized is amazing in my book.

2. Lately there’s been a whole lot of cleansing balm hype and hoopla (particularly after Caroline Hirons pretty much proclaimed them as the next messiah) and I spotted Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (which coincidentally was free of mineral-oil) at my local Shoppers for under ten dollars CDN so was compelled to pick it up. It is marketed as part of the dry/very-dry skin range, if anyone was curious. I wouldn’t say that it’s a balm cleanser, as its name suggests, I’d say its more of a cleansing milk. It’s very similar to Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser except that it contains fragrance (boo), removes makeup a little better (but not fantastically) and contains oil (which is a plus in my book but might not be in others). Fortunately, I do not find it irritating and I would agree with the claim that it is not only very hydrating but does not strip the skin whatsoever. If anyone is curious, I did not include this in my skincare post because I’ve only been using it since the start of this month.

3. I really tried not to do this but I couldn’t resist; I have only owned this for twenty-or-so days but I’ve worn Skin79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream every day since I’ve gotten it and miraculously it doesn’t break me out or irritate my skin. I plan on writing a detailed review soon so I’ll try to keep it short and sweet (but I’ll most likely fail). It’s one shade oxidizes to a fair to light neutral tone, provides light-feeling medium buildable coverage and looks almost imperceptible on the skin. It has SPF 45 and contains Snail Secretion Filtrate (not sure how I feel about that…) as well as providing a long lasting natural-dewy coverage that holds up well in heat.

4. Upon reviewing my previous posts, I have come to the realization that I have a tendency to gushing about the same products over and over, so it’s no surprise that I’m including Tarte Natural Beauty Amazonian Clay Blush after my “Top 5 Blushes” post. It’s a matte bright water-melon pink blush that gives a nice bright flush wit fairly good pigmentation (it’s not as scary as it appears in the pan). This is the longest lasting blush that I’ve ever tried, hardly even fading after the 12 hour mark. I believe that this is a fairly unique colour, but don’t mark my words. I’m now intrigued to try this formulation in different colours…

5. Everyone has that makeup product that they have that love-hate relationship with (or so it seems) and for me this product is MAC Woodwinked eye shadow. I’m onto my third pan of this eye shadow but it can go months untouched. The texture is really easy to work with, smooth and pigmented, however I find the shade difficult to wear unless I have a bit of colour. As everyone I’m sure has heard before it is a very warm-toned medium gold shade with some brown in it that I find pulls orange-toned when I blend it (which is why I prefer it when I have some colour on my fair skin). Because of its orangey-gold undertones, this is a particularly flattering shade on blue eyes. I don’t find this shade to be particularly versatile – I tend to only wear it as a lid colour.

6. I think MAC’s matte eyeshadows are some of the best. MAC Charcoal Brown eye shadow is the only one I’ve personally owned but I’ve tried others. I use this shade daily to fill in my brows and I find that it’s the perfect no-fiss crease shade. It has nice pigmentation, longevity and texture. It is a matte slightly cool toned medium brown.

7. I’ve had MAC Sable eye shadow for well over a year and I’ve always passed it off as MAC Satin Taupe’s warmer and plummier less-attractive sister but I’ve pulled it out and kept it on rotation for when I want to look nice and wear eye shadow but don’t want to have to think about it. It has the same great finish/texture as most
(but not all) of MAC’s eye shadows and is a shimmery plummy-bronze colour that I like to wear in the outer v – I swear I’ve worn it like 20 days this month! It’s extremely similar to UD Toasted if anyone is curious. This medium-dark shade is also a nice lid colour.

8. One of my first posts on this blog was my review of MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder and although it was a powder I thought was exceptionally good, I didn’t find myself reaching for it all that much but that changed this month. I wear this product in Light which is a fairly neutral pale colour for reference. This powder has a relatively non-powdery look and provides sheer coverage. It’s sheerness comes in handy for setting foundation without adding to the heavy appearance on the skin but I also find it sort of buildable for pretty much invisible light coverage on its own when I’m having good skin days. This wore for over six hours on its own without fading which I thought was rather nice but keep in mind that with my dry skin skin products do tend to stay put for obscene amounts of time.

9. This is completely expected and unsurprising but with the warm weather and all, I’ve been really getting into using Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Glow. It has a nice texture, good longevity, decent pigmentation although it is a nice light shade for my fair skin. I enjoy that it is matte (although sometimes I swear I see a sheen running through it but my eyes could be playing tricks on me) so it can be used to contour as well as to add colour to the skin in a natural-looking way and is not orangey. I would say that this is a warm-toned light golden bronzer. Too bad that it has horrendous packaging…

10. For someone with an unhealthy makeup obsession, I hate reapplying my makeup and as a result I spent a lot of my time dreading lip products because they require frequent reapplication. I got a sample size of Benefit Benetint with my 500 point perk from Sephora and it seems to be the answer to my prayers. It is somewhat drying on the lips but it is a stain that lasts a long time and is a flattering rosy colour.

Any favourites to share? X