Bobbi Brown Corrector

November 2014 Favourites

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For the first time ever – or more accurately since I’ve begun to blog – I was so very tempted to skip putting up a favourites post this last month. Why? You know that these are some of my favourite posts to write and read but in the last month things haven’t been exciting beauty-wise and I’ve been so stressed and laden-down with schoolwork that it’s ridiculous. Plus, there are certain moments that I would not particularly like to relive from within the last thirty days. Alas, I pulled through for you and maybe for my own sense of ego – as you can imagine, I can be rather hard on myself for my failures. Here we go.

Conair Shower Comb ($3-5 CDN)

Within last month’s craziness, I managed to pop into a drugstore and pick up this basic wide-tooth comb with detangling bits attached – like those on traditional brushes – for just a few dollars. Little did I know then that this was going to turn out to be the most effective detangling instrument that I’ve ever tried on my tanglier-than-tangly clump-prone mane.

DevaCare Arc AnGel ($26/54 CDN)

As a general rule, I had been putting more effort into my hair in November and I had been pleased with the results. This gel has been perfect, as I’m sure I’ve said before, not being drying or heavy or anything of that sort while being defining and potent enough that I haven’t ran through the bottle quickly – with my hair’s tendency to eat up product ridiculously.

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Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream ($20 CDN)

Over the last month or two, I’ve been experiencing tight, dry, itchy and flaky skin all over my body, as opposed to just in my usual eczema-prone areas and I’ve been enjoy using this rich hydrating cream pretty much everywhere except my legs. It smells zesty and lime like and in all honesty, it smells like a margarita in the best way possible while also being somewhat soothing and intensively hydrating on the skin, and not just pure irritating fragrance. Love.

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

I’m someone who fortunately has been blessed (or cursed) with a body that can withstand serious stress, sleep deprivation and the like but the havoc that I wreck on my nervous system really comes out in my skin and not just all over my body. This paired with the fluctuating wintry weather that you’ve come to expect in Canada during November has kept my skin dehydrated and more than a little irritated in areas with the feeling of eczema patches coming on. In light of this, I’ve been using this repairing oil as a serum in the evenings and a good number of mornings to. I credit this along with constancy for the clarity of my skin during this current craziness.

L’Oreal Infallible Super-Slim 12Hr Liner ($8-9 CDN)

Makeup was not exactly gracing my face on my typical regular basis last month and when it was, there was not a whole lot going on and when I’m going for a more minimal makeup situation, intense black liner is key. I’ve been enjoying using this somewhat stiff (in a good way) and precise felt-tip liner for a little kitten flick on a very regular basis when I want to look put together quickly with minimal effort and time. I like it similar to the Lineur Intense but I’ve been enjoying its increased precision, while I admit that it doesn’t create as smooth and thin of a flick.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN)

I’ve been using this creamy correcting concealer since the beginning of may and while it pains me to say this, it is worth the money and considering that I can see pan, I will have to repurchase it sooner than later. Last month’s trials in minimal makeup, minimal time and minimal sleep has taught me how great of a quick fix this salmon-hued cream concealer is. My only comment is that it has to set for a few minutes before powdering it or whatever because it tends to settle and crease in the first few minutes – but after its patted in, it never becomes a problem all day long.

What were you loving in November?
Maggie, x.

The Daily Face #23 | Same Old, Same Old

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Today seems to be the perfect day to do one of my ‘the daily face’ posts for numerous reasons. First, I’ve been seriously slacking on posts of this series for months, second, I actually have time to put one together because I don’t have class until four o’clock today and last, I’ve kind of just received my Sephora VIB order in the mail and I’ve been wanting to have a play with a few of these items. I’m ridiculously excited.

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Seeing as I wasn’t in the mood for any sort of primer, I went in with my beloved Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation in 20 first, that somehow magically seems to glide over dry patches in a flattering way, provide impressive medium-full coverage and leave the skin with the most gorgeous luminosity. Next, I applied the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque underneath my eyes with patting motions in order to allow for the product to sink in to the skin and before patting out the inevitable little itty bitty creases. At this stage, I’m one to go for their eyeshadow base of choice and mine certainly is the NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base. Next I killed two birds with one stone with the NARS Contour Blush in Paloma that I also adore and use constantly; first going in with the darker shade to sculpt the cheekbones before brightening up the under-eye region with the cream shade. Then was the blush, undoubtedly the most exciting part. With my Sephora order, I went for my first Becca product ever, the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry/Opal and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The cream texture was not overly emollient and easy to use, depositing a fool proof amount of product and quite possibly the most beautiful highlighting effect that I’ve ever seen. Drool. I’m also rather partial to the subtle rosy berry-tinged hue. The face was finished with the tiniest bit of MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light through the center of the face.

Eyes

The eyes began with the brows and although I’ve been sticking to the usual suspects, I’ve been going for a more sculpted look and have been digging it. Obviously, the products were the MAC Coquette Eyeshadow and a nice little angled brush. There was no particular novelty associated with the rest of the eyes, either. I went in with MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow on my lids, MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow through the crease and MAC Smut Eyeshadow through the outer corner and along the lower lash-line. I did a nice little kitten flick with the L’Oreal Infallible SuperSlim 12Hr and finished off with a nice coating of Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara on both my upper and lower lashes.

Lips

As far as lip balms go, I went for the EOS Sweet Mint – because I find it to be their most hydrating offering, despite the slightly irritating minty sensation – prior to going in with my brand new NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita that I’ve been lusting after forever. I’m in love. The texture is just as nice as everyone says and I love the slightly warm rose hue.

What makeup have you been reaching for lately?
Maggie, x.

The Daily Face #20

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It has been a good couple of weeks since my last ‘Daily Face’ post, strangely enough, so it goes without saying that it was time for another one. On another note, don’t get used to this whole two posts in one day kind of deal — it’s only happening because life has gotten in the way lately and this morning’s post was really meant to go up yesterday, so it truly is the post I wanted to put up today and I had the time, inspiration and focus to do so. With it being all Summery and whatnot paired with general life busy-ness, I haven’t been feeling like playing and faffing around as much with makeup so it’s on the more basic end of the spectrum for me and easily takes less than 10 minutes.

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DSC_1153First things first, I promise that the above shot is not doing my eyeliner justice — it’s the angle that makes the line look uneven, seriously. End Ramble. Seeing as I’ve accidentally gotten a bit of colour from the sun (whilst using good spf of course), I’ve been able to wear the lovely dewy Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation in 73 without having to work at blending the rather dark shade into my pale neck and therefore I did so. I was much too lazy to do that whole pinpoint concealing regime, but I had quite a red blemish on my right cheek so I covered it up (somewhat) with the Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light and my finger. As per usual, I relied on the tiniest amount of the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque to cancel out some undereye darkness. At this point I decided to run some of the MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette through the brows for some heavy-duty taming and some natural-looking effortless definition — before I went on and continued with the face.

I decided to use my loved MAC Harmony Powder Blush that I recently depotted to contour the face a bit and then of course, I decided to use a whole load of MAC products — apparently I’m having a bit of a MAC moment. For blush, I used another shade in my palette, MAC Tenderling Powder Blush, a rosy tan hue to add some warmth and colour to my cheeks with little to no effort. Then I went and grabbed the lovely Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette , running Dim Light throughout the t-zone for some finishing and blurring action and finishing with a dose of Incandescent Light to highlight the cheekbones.

As I have been for the last week or so, I went for the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded as my base to add some much-needed longevity. Then on the eyeshadow front, I stuck to three colours from my MAC palette that I’m currently obsessed with; Soft Brown was blended through the crease, the antiqued-gold Woodwinked went all over the lid and my recently acquired shade, Smut was placed in the outer corner and used to line the lower lashes. I’m having a bit of a love affair with all of these shades but Woodwinked might be the most noteworthy as I’ve had it for ages and have just recently rekindled my obsession with it. In the last week or so, I’ve also become reacquainted with my liner love, the effortless L’Oreal Lineur Intense and I obviously went for a subtle flick — that I repeat is much more on point in real life. Because we all know that mascara is a necessity, I’m sure you’re unsurprised to hear that I went for the Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara.

On the lips — you guessed it — I went for another MAC shade that I’m currently obsessed with and that shade is the MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy. While it’s a matte lipstick it’s not overly drying or unflattering on the lips but most importantly it’s the most flattering my-lips-but-better rosy peach shade with the subtlest brown-tinge to it. Neither words or swatches do this one justice, I’ll tell you…

Thoughts on this makeup?
Maggie, x.

 

The Daily Face #19: Simple But Not Minimal

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I think that it’s about time that I come to grip with the fact that I’m somewhat of a failure at the whole minimal makeup thing; sure, I can leave the house without a lick of nothing gracing my face and I do simple and quick makeup quite often but there’s no real in between for me. I thought I would share something rather laid-back and simple and would go with a bit of a different format for today…

Annabelle Colour Control Luminous Finish Instant Perfecting Base: This remains the first primer that I’ve actually found that’s worth the effort of applying. It doesn’t have a bothersome texture and it doesn’t irritate the skin whilst prolonging the wear of makeup in its ideal state and adding a subtle flattering glow.

Skin79 Snail Nutrition SPF 45++ BB Cream: It’s not my favourite base product in the world but on days when I’d rather not layer on a million different products on my face, it ticks all of the boxes — a nice foundation with a bit of glow and medium coverage, a potent sunscreen and an extra boost of hydration in one. With its heavy spf content, it requires a good amount of blending into the skin and for this I went for the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light: On my cheeks, heading towards my jawline, last month’s breakouts have come and gone but uneven texture and scarring galore remains and even with heftier coverage foundations, they need some extra help and this concealer has been a go-to for me because of its mixed ease and efficacy; as unsanitary as it might be, I can just dot the applicator onto the dark marks and blend it in with my fingers and the spots are less visible and my makeup doesn’t look any more noticeable at the same time. And unless there’s some flaking blemish situation going on, it doesn’t show any sort of dehydration.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque:Just as I predicted shortly after trying this beauty back in April, it has remained an integral part of my routine and has made all other concealers pale in comparison. The cost is justified. The pink-tinged cream has a flattering emollient texture for underneath the eyes and I apply the tiniest amount and it combats darkness like no other. In an ideal world, another concealer would be used to cover it but I’m much too lazy for that, so I’m mindful of the amount — today I applied some of the BB Cream first, however, and it helped to keep the pink cast from coming out underneath the darkness.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette:This is the treat that I picked up for myself last week at Sephora after debating getting it for months and I’m impressed; however, I’ve really only been loving using Dim Light as an allover setting powder as I did for this ‘face’. It does what it says in a subtle way, adding glow to the face while making everything look slightly nicer and brighter.

Sonia Kashuk Warm Tan Undetectable Creme Bronzer:I’ve been really into going for more of a warm terracotta-toned bronzers lately instead of the cooler-toned ones that I typically go-to for sculpting purposes and in general I’m having a love affair with bronzer in general. I haven’t been going for this one much lately, but because I was feeling more of a true bronzer, I went for this terracotta-hued offering.

Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder:I was having a bit of an indecisive blush moment so instead of choosing from the current rotation, I grabbed this one that I hadn’t used in months. The warm rusty rose hued blush is usually one that I would go for in the cooler months but after grabbing it for this makeup, I have to say that I was wrong — it seems pretty universally flattering.

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base:I wasn’t feeling like going for more of a traditional eyeshadow base so I went for this colourless drugstore offering that actually does work to prolong eyeshadow wear and all that jazz.

MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette:I’ve raved about this earlier this week so I’ll try to keep this short. The brow gel is actually waterproof and creates the look of natural but thicker and more defined brows in seconds without the faff of a pencil or powder and a brush. And this shade is amazing me because it’s neither too dark or anything other than ashy.

L’Oreal Tender Caramel Infallible Eyeshadow:I’m late to the party with these shadows and I’m sure you know all about their magical powers. Because it was rather hot, I went for this longwearing shadow and patted it onto the eyelids for that metallic look. I can’t describe the shade at all though, so i won’t even try.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Hustle and Virgin:I’m not really a one wash of colour eyeshadow girl, so you had to expect for there to be a few more shades added to the equation – and these shades I took from the good ol’ Naked Palette. I used Virgin to brighten up the inner corner without going into shimmer-overload territory and I added definition to the crease, concentrating on the outer corner, with the lovely plummy brown Hustle.

Maybelline Master Precise Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner: I’m still enjoying pencil liner (as I was last month) and I’m not completely off that kick, but I’ve been craving something more precise at times so I dug out this gel liner and made the effort to actually use and wash my Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush with it. As a result, I’ve found that when I put a little bit more effort in, I can create the most precise subtle flick — my go-to thing when not too much makeup is involved.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara + (a wee bit of) Revlon Grow Luscious Bold Lacquer Mascara:I haven’t been going for anything on a daily basis other than my long-time favourite mascara but as nice as the formula is dried-out, I’m kind of reaching the end of the time when the mascara isn’t so dry that it deposits actual colour so I added a wee bit of the much newer mascara on top. It made a slight difference perhaps? I really need to stop using this tube.

Nivea Vanilla and Macadamia Lip Butter:I’m aware that this is more of a skincare product but I make sure to apply some of this to my lips as soon as I start applying anything on my face for some pre-colour moisture.

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Milan Moment:I’m completely obsessed with this “stain” at the moment; it does stain the lips after it wears and feels weightless on the lips, much like a balm without any stickiness of smell in sight. Plus, the colour is a neutral tangerine-coral hue that’s sheer but buildable is kind of my favourite thing ever because it adds something without being bold. You’ll hear more on this soon, I’d expect…

Have you tried any of these products? What makeup have you been reaching for lately?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday Essentials #2

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This is certainly not the most unique sort of post by any means — understatement of the year — but when I spot posts of this variety in my daily Bloglovin feed, I tend to salivate over them, hanging onto every word so it seemed prudent to give another one a go; if all goes well this may turn into one of those regular things. Thoughts?

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John Freida Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray ($11 CDN):This is more of a recent addition to the daily routine as far as these things go but since giving this another go (a few weeks back) to refresh my curls after being slept on, this has become a daily product staple. At first it seemed to be a pear-scented spray that did nothing but wet the hair but since I’ve discovered that the wet sensation dissipates after a few minutes and without drying out my hair, it adds a good deal of life and definition back to my second third and fourth day curls.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN):Although this hasn’t received many raves from me since I discovered it in April, the pinky-toned creamy concealer has remained a firm love of mine. Without needing to be topped up with a more neutral concealer, the creamy-textured corrector neutralizes my dark circles like a champ, all without looking or feeling heavy on the skin.

Dior 5 Coleur Eyeshadow in Grege ($62 CDN):Although in the last month or so, this palette has proven itself as a daily compact palette that houses the shades for several versatile looks, it also lends itself extremely well to be used with other eyeshadows to provide high-quality basic shades. The caramel shade is one that I find myself constantly reaching for as a transition shade, the highlighting shade is a nice staples as is the rich matte chocolate brown. I really ought to dedicate a post to this quint soon as it’s so long overdue….

Avene High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50 ($30 CDN): With the rapid emergence of the hot sunny days of summer in the past few weeks, sunscreen has become a must on a daily basis and considering that I’m allergic to most chemical sunscreens, I reach for this one. The cream is tinted to minimize the impact of the white-cast and hydrates my hypersensitive skin without causing any sort of reaction in the realm of irritation. By no stretch of the imagination is this greasy but I will admit that my face develops a bit more dewiness in my t-zone while wearing this but I’m satisfied with paying this price for a sunscreen that doesn’t irritate the skin with its alcohol content whilst never making the skin burn with its protection and never running into the eyes either.

MAC Eyeshadow Quad ($10 CDN) with All That Glitters, Coppering, Coquette and Sketch ($12 CDN):This self-created quad of shades houses my essentials, especially for this time of year and as usual, the quality of these shadows are fantastic and you can’t beat the versatility of creating your own palette. All That Glitters is that gorgeous peachy golden shade that has to be my favourite lid colour of all time (and most repurchased) so I can’t be without it obviously, the grey-brown Coquette remains my favourite shade for filling in my brows and it doubles as a great crease shade given its pigmentation and the workable texture, the deep plum Sketch serves its place as that almost-matte shade that adds definition to the outer corner of the eye while still being a little bit interesting and flattering and Coppering (obviously) has been a staple as of late for when I want to go for something a little more intense and warm than ATG either mixed or on its own.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black ($9-10 CDN):I’m aware that I’ve raved about this affordable felt-tip liner more times than I can most likely count but its just the easiest effortless liner to use on a daily basis to create the subtle winged eyeliner in well under a minute. On top of this, the liner remains wet and pigmented for months and the felt tip remains precise. It lasts like a dream until you remove it but isn’t a hassle to remove either.

No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12 CDN):This affordable offering ticks all of the boxes as the ideal cream cleanser for me. Although it does have some fragrance, (pleasant and luxurious-smelling, if you’re curious) the cleanser not only doesn’t irritate even the sorest skin in the slightest, it removes face makeup like a dream while leaving the skin soothed and nourished. I’m not sure if I like this more than the Cleansing Balm from the same line, but at the very least it is equally as good and the pump dispenser is increasingly practical for daily use. I’m not a fan of the included muslin cloth so I don’t use it exactly as advertised.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze ($10-11 CDN): I mentioned picking up this shade of the affordable creamy bronzer recently in my last post and ever since doing so, I haven’t been able to resist putting this one down. It has the same blendable skin-like texture and longevity as the other shade in the formula does but the darker shade has much less obviously warm (orange-y) undertones and instead lends itself well to sculpting the cheekbones along with adding a bit of bronziness; it’s a dream to contour with because you can just swipe a stripe above the hollows of your cheek and blend it out with ease.

What are some of your daily staples?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

The Daily Face #15: Warm-Weather Makeup

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Contrary to the general pattern as of late, today was a gorgeous warm sunny day – but not so warm that makeup would be a no-go, of course. I’ve gotten into a bit of a different daily routine – but not too different, you know me… – with slightly different daily staples and I thought I would share the warm-weather centric makeup.

When it’s been warm and sunny, I’ve been reaching for the authentic Skin 79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream, as it offers good coverage with some added radiance and great sun protection – without using chemical sunscreens that make my skin burn and all that jazz. My skin has been pretty good so I went straight onto under-eye brightening with the magical Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque. Because sunscreen-heavy products tend to produce somewhat of a sheen, I made sure to dust the MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder through my t-zone.

Despite rambling on about more traditional bronzers frequently in posts as of late, the slightly warm-toned MAC Harmonyhas reigned supreme for adding for adding colour and shape and in the last week or two, I’ve been reaching for the L’Oreal True Match Blush in N3-4 Innocent Flushthat I previously dismissed as lacking longevity and any sort of novelty; while it’s not going to knock out MAC Stereo Rose etc. as my favourite coral blush with that golden sheen, I had misjudged this one as it does have good longevity, pigmentation and texture. As of late, I’ve also consistently been going for highlighter, namely the long-since unavailable MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl. Because I tend to find that the BB Cream can sit on my skin slightly unevenly, I misted my face with the Nyx Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray – I’m undecided on my final verdict on this setting spray, if you were wondering.

I’m now convinced that the L’Oreal Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde is certainly worth of praise – it seems a little dark for it’s name as it works for my medium-brown hair but the ashy-toned pencil-wax duo, paired with the mini-brush creates easy but naturally-defined brows. I suspect you’ll hear more on this on a later post… Because shadows need a base or primer of some sort, I grabbed for the ever-popular Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze but the real star of the show is the Dior Grege Quint that I picked up a few weeks ago (and featured it in a haul-type post) and have hardly put down since. I’ve ignored this quint in the past despite knowing the great quality of these shadows as the offerings looked neutral and boring but that could hardly be farther from the truth – the shades are surprisingly versatile for daily use with their variety of finishes. The sheeny grey shade was patted onto the outer-half of the lid, the ivory was applied to the inner corner region to lighten it up and the dark matte chocolate brown was blended into the outer corner and further used as liner. Since finding the L’Oreal brow pencil, my MAC 266 has been freed-up and I’ve fallen in love with using the brush with shadow as slightly-smoky liner. For mascara I’ve been consistently reaching for the Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascarathat I recently picked up as it provides easy adequate volume a la Benefit BadGal Lash and is not an absolute bitch to remove.

I’ve been feeling a coral lip lately, especially with the grey-toned shadow and because my lips are kind of in rough shape at the moment, I went for the hydrating and forgiving MAC Lipstick in Dreaming Dahliathat of course is no longer available for it was part of the MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Collection.

Thoughts on this ‘look’? What have you been reaching for lately?

Maggie, x.

April 2014 Favourites

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April has been a unique months on two accounts, I’d have to say, and these two accounts are that whole University situation and the weather situation. Until the last week of the month, I’ve been overwhelmed by the mountain of work that I’ve had to achieve during the time and somehow ended up surviving the stress and sleep-deprivation of it all. Somewhere along the way, the weather here switch from April snow to a good number of gorgeous sunny days that actually make getting a burn possible in between bouts of spring rain. So this month has not been one of great experimentation or any sort of great dedication to a lengthy routine of sorts but I’m pleased with the staples that I’ve discovered. And below is a picture of most of the products in use i.e. the cream shadow applied heavily, the blush, mascara etc.

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 Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup in 11 Creme ($48 CDN): If you take a look at my posts in the last month, it should be no surprise that this was deserving of mention — I did mention my love for it a few times. I’ve reviewed it months ago and wrote that I like it but I have to say over the past few months it’s gone from a nice foundation in my books for that flattering everyday foundation that looks good without putting a lot of effort in. The finish is satiny with a side of luminosity but at the same time it doesn’t highlight imperfections and pores and it provides medium-coverage but cannot be built up past that without losing its ability to look and feel like your skin but perfected. It lasts for ages and ages; I may or may not have woken up with it still intact after New Years this year… And although it has alcohol, it doesn’t irritate my skin and it contains chemical SPF that doesn’t actually irritate my skin so I’m kind of convinced it’s sorcery. I’ve reviewed this before here but my thoughts have definitely improved!

Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($10-12 CDN): After picking this up at the beginning of the month as the beginning of my foray into cleansing oils, it’s safe to say that my verdict on this affordable offering is favourable. Whilst the packaging seems to claim that the cleansing and nourishing action comes from the high-quality nut oils, when in reality the concentrated ingredient is mineral oil. However, despite the bad rap that mineral oil tends to get, it’s one of those really gentle but effective moisturizing and makeup-removing ingredients and does not universally clog pores. It’s a super-effective and nourishing makeup remover that I apply onto my dry skin with dry hands and then wet to rinse off with the aid of a washcloth. It takes a wee bit more effort than the good ol’ Bioderma or regular cleanser but it’s removal powers are outstanding. And I’m not one to complain about the skin-soothing sensation that it leaves behind. P.S. this product leaks like nothing else…

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light-Medium Bisque ($30 CDN): I’ve always kind of held onto the promise that I would never be one of those bloggers who raves about a product being their absolute favourite find of a month when they only had it for a few weeks but here I am doing so and I don’t regret it. This is because I might have only tried this under eye corrector on Easter after receiving it as a gift but I’ve noticed the tremendous difference every other time I’ve put on makeup since — it’s pink undertone actually covers my hereditary dark circles without leaving that peachy-orange cast even without a concealer on top despite my fairness. And the texture is a really nice one, I must admit – creamy and flattering underneath my under eyes that can look cake-y with concealer and this does not happen with the corrector and despite its creamy texture, it does not crease on me but then again, I do not have a tendency to experiencing concealer creasing.

Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette in 1 ($45 CDN): This has been mentioned the odd time by me here and I seem to recall including it in a favourites post before but now that I have discovered that whole pinpoint-concealing thing with the aid of the Real Techniques Detailer Brush, the palette has hugely impressed me. The cream concealers have a high-coverage but creamy texture that doesn’t highlight dry patches unless they’re to that severe place when any type of cosmetic product will highlight them. Anddd, the colour selection is nice and versatile for my skin at least, although the peach-orange is not the right tone for correcting under eye circles in the slightest on me – but I have the corrector for that.

L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara ($9-11 CDN): Let me put it this way, if the non-waterproof version of this wasn’t such a bitch to remove, it would have long ago beat out Maybelline The Falsies as my all-time favourite. But it is a pain in the ass to remove but it is worthwhile for such big and defined lashes that aren’t clumpy, even when applied haphazardly to the bottom lashes. Despite being a glasses wearer, I’ve been given quite a few compliments on my lashes since using this one which is impressive. But do keep in mind that I have naturally long and curled but wimpy eyelashes. I went back to the Falsies to compare and I have to say that I actually prefer this one now that it’s had more air in it, if the removing issue was not a problem. It looks like I’ve actually succeeded in putting the intended posts up this month as I have my full-review here.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41 CDN): Now, I’m not saying that these shall-we-say-luxurious blushes are an absolute necessity but the texture, blend ability, longevity and overall quality here. Despite my lack of success with cool-toned pinks, this one remains on the skin in a flattering way — it appears on my skin like a natural rosy hue, not particularly cool-toned when it comes in contact with the skin but not warm-toned either. And the finish is a satin without any sort of shimmer but it weirdly leaves the skin with some luminosity as promised. I’ve been wearing his all month long with pleasure, as shocking as it might be, and I’m not growing tired of it; in fact, it seems to becoming that everyday blush for me as I had surmised in my review here.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Nude Compliment ($9 CDN): After giving my early thoughts on the limited edition shade of the famous cream shadows here, my love for the taupe-y shade did not falter in the slightest as I kept on wearing and wearing this cream shadow either on lid on its own or as a base. It’s quite versatile with how it can be built up and it has to have the best longevity in terms of any of these cream shadows in the range. The satin-finish gives that flattering gleam to the eyes but keeps shimmer overkill from happening when shades are worn over the top. Also, despite the grey-tones in the shadow, it doesn’t go overly cool-toned and draining on my warmer undertones. If you have a little opportunity to creep around your local drugstore for one of these beauties, I would definitely go for it. There’s more details on the product here!

L’Oreal True Match Mineral Gentle Mineral Powder in W1-2 Light Ivory ($14-16 CDN): With the weather getting warmer and the general exam-induced stress going on, my skin felt in need of a powder and despite not being a powder kind of girl, this one has impressed me big time. It leaves a velvety finish to the skin instead of totally mattifying it, is almost devoid of coverage and used in moderation, the powdery finely-milled texture allows for it to look undetectable on the skin.

The New and Improved Book of Blogging: I should begin by stating how cheap I am in matters excluding the purchasing of beauty products, lattes and the occasional indulgent meal; agendas or notebooks that cost more than a few dollars are not something I allow myself to go for. But I splurged (for me at least) on a trusty Moleskine at the beginning of the month and it’s impressed me with its durable hard cover and its handy elastic bookmark and for once I’ve stuck to my promise of keeping organized in the little book without constantly scribbling up pages and making new lists. If you’re someone like me who tends to take your little book everywhere with you, a more durable one like this is amazing in ways you cannot imagine. It may be nothing fancy but I’m happy to have it.

Hello October: Suzie’s blog has the perfect mixture of beauty-centric posts and lifestyle with some style thrown in and writes in a nice casual low-key story-telling kind of way. She’s one of my favourite bloggers all the time but I’ve been particularly obsessed this month, scouring through her posts as soon as they hit my Bloglovin feed. It’s one of those blogs that you read and look at the pictures of and have that whole relaxing unwinding experience and it’s completely genuine. It also may or may not be of significance that I relate to her eczema-induced angst. And she’s adorable.

So here it is, another unsurprisingly lengthy favourites post but it wouldn’t be one of these posts from me if it were any other way? What are a couple of things you’ve been loving this month?

Maggie, x.

 

The Daily Face Routine

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In the last month or so, I’ve surprised myself by not only sticking to an unchanging face-routine of sorts but also being consistently pleased with the results. Considering my lack of commitment to foundations and the like, I thought I would share the routine that has been gracing my face daily with pleasure. As usual, I haven’t been using a primer daily but if I use one, I go for the generous sample-sized Laura Mercier Radiance Primer that has never steered my skin wrong in terms of irritation and the like and doesn’t help with pores, longevity and the like but helps the foundation to sit more nicely on the skin. I’m wearing it today, if you’re curious.

The foundation in question is the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup ($48 CDN) and despite my lukewarm initial feelings about the foundation, I can say that I’ve fallen into love with it and this love is of the deep-commitment kind. The only thing I can complain about is the quantity of alcohol in the formulation but it doesn’t seem to outwardly irritate my skin so I’m thankful. The foundation is a satin-finish with a nice dose of luminosity but it doesn’t emphasize pores or imperfections in the slightest so its obviously a life-saver. It provides medium-coverage and can look like glowy skin as long as the skincare routine is in order – and your face isn’t flake city – and I’ve been liking the way it looks day after day. I’ve given the loved Real Techniques Buffing Brush a rest and have returned to the Quo sponge that I picked up at Shoppers ages ago that seems to actually function well, gliding over dry patches without soaking up the excess product that others do. And it doesn’t cost a fortune. My shade is 11 Creme, if anyone is interested.

Thanks to my discovery that using the Real Techniques Detailer Brush in combination with my Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette in 1 ($45 CDN) actually can achieve the magic that is ‘pinpoint concealing’, I’ve been employing the technique on blemishes and scars almost daily. It doesn’t make sense completely to me but by placing it just on the smallest areas, the skin can be concealed without looking artificial and this has been especially helpful in the last ten days when I got the yearly slightly-horrific exam-period breakout covering my cheeks and chin. It still isn’t gone yet but it’s beginning to go down into the scarring phase so at least it’s not painful anymore.

So, I have hereditary dark circles that cannot be eliminated despite my best efforts and I’ve tried a bunch of concealers with meh-like success, including the corrector in the above palette and for the first time I’ve found something that truly works beyond merely brightening the area. And it’s the hyped Bobbi Brown Corrector ($30 CDN)that I admittedly have not been using as long as the other products as I received it as a gift from my mother for Easter after contemplating getting it for ages and ages. Despite my initial skepticism, it actually works to cancel out the darkness underneath my eyes without leaving that unattractive orange cast even with concealer on top and it doesn’t make the under-eyes look dry or anything. I use the shade Light-Medium Bisque and the pink hue actually cancels out the darkness without requiring a concealer on top to get rid of the pink cast. I’m sort of kind of in love with this magical pot of corrector.

I’ve also been going for powder on the regular, as I’ve been able to apply the L’Oreal True Match Mineral Powder ($15-17 CDN) without having it look artificial, obvious or dull on the skin. I have the lightest shade of the warm-family in this finely-milled powder but I don’t think colour is especially important with this formula as the coverage is so sheer. Funnily enough, I’m not wearing any powder today after going out last night with some friends for drinks to celebrate a birthday and the end of the school year — my skin gets into this dehydrated state whenever alcohol seems to be involved and powder is rarely used in such a state attractively. I’m sure some of you know how it is. I’ve been using the Real Techniques Duofibre Brush to powder, if you’re interested.

Have you tried any of these products?

Maggie, x.