diorskin star

The Daily Face #24 | Smokey Eyes and Rosy Lips & Cheeks

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I acknowledge that with my general busy-ness over the last few weeks I could write a book on the things that I’ve been slacking on but one of the most noteworthy things that I’ve been slacking on for a much longer period is doing these daily makeup posts on the regular – it’s been likely over three months since my last one and I haven’t been doing them consistently since last summer, even though they were once one of my most frequent posts – and here I am, finally getting my act together with one. This is a neutral but smokey eye kind of situation with a rosy lip and all things that I love and go for when I have a bit of time and effort to put into my makeup – because of all that blending etc. – and I’ve featured some well-documented love products, a few new items that I’ve been enjoying from my recent Target trip and the Sonia Kashuk Creme Bronzer that I just felt like digging out today for the first time in ages.

Face

DSC_0323To be completely honest, I did the entirety of my eye makeup before even thinking about what went on my face because I could for once but I seem to have a mental block against actually starting off the post with anything other than the face, but I digress. Before going in with a pump of the DiorSkin Star Studio Makeup in 20 (and a little bit more to help the matching situation on my neck), I went in with my newly-acquired Maybelline FaceStudio Master Prime in Blur + Redness Control to actually prime the face. I’m actually rather enjoying the silicone-based primer because it’s rather lightweight but it does not have much of a green tint applied to the face to be honest. To cover my generally problematic undereye darkness, I dabbed on some Pixi Brightening Peach Correction Concentrate, with most of the product staying in the inner corner. I randomly decided to go for some cream bronzer today, concentrating the product, the Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze, in the hollows of my cheeks before blending out to the temples and the top of my large forehead before setting my t-zone with some of the lovely MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light. For blush, I went for the gorgeous rosy-coral hued Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat and feeling kind of dull and matte after that bit of powder, I went in with Incandescent Light from the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette  as a highlighter, focusing on my cheekbones.

 

Eyes

DSC_0334I started the whole face with my beloved NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base because it actually works to keep things on and relatively uncreased, despite my deep-set eye situation before moving onto the gorgeous Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow in Cuir Cannage that I’ve been loving reaching for on the daily. I began by blending some of the matte caramel shade into the crease, before building it up to add some depth and then applied the shimmery champagne onto the inner 2/3 of my lids with my fingers, dabbing a nice amount in the inner corners along the way – then the smokiness happened. I smudged the metallic plum along my lower lash-line and applied it to the outer corners of my eyelids, blending it somewhat into the crease, before finishing off the eyeshadow situation by concentrating the blackened plum shade in the outer corners, building up the colour before blending it into the surrounding haze of colour. On the eyeliner front, I went for a thin line and the subtlest flick using the L’Oreal Lineur Intense Brush Tip and for mascara, I went for a nice coat of Maybelline The Falsies on both the top and lower lashes. For the brows, I’ve still been using my rather large sample of the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Taupe and have been enjoying it tremendously – I apply it with an angled brush focusing on the outer tail and arches of my brows before bringing it forward slightly and this way it gives a defined but actually believable sort of effect. It will be purchased full-size before long.

Lips

DSC_0329There really should have been some balm in the equation first but to be honest, I went straight in with the rosy coloured Annabelle Stay Sharp Waterproof Lip Liner in Java – which I’m loving by the way, especially for having a creamy formula and a retractable tip that actually does not break off – to both line and fill in my lips. Over the top, I went for the comfortable muted rosy-red offering from NARS, the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita; and this is equally as amazing for a warm-hued true rosy shade for the lips, if you had any sort of doubt.

What makeup have you been reaching for as of late?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #52

20150126-185056In the last week I’ve experienced the cold in both the worst and the best way; I both came to the realization that I had quite a cold and enjoyed the cold weather brought on by the blizzard. I really should have figured out that I was coming down with a cold earlier than this, with the extreme fatigue and the beginnings of congestion that developed into quite the sore throat and cough but the last few days have left me aware with complete certainty that my current state and general sense of grogginess has been brought on by that lovely thing that is known as a cold. On the more exciting front, it’s been a winter wonderland outside – aside from the freezing rain and general iciness – with snow falling and that authentic cozy feeling all around and I have to say I rather enjoyed Tuesday’s snow day where I enjoyed being a generally unproductive human being without shame. Now, let’s get onto the other points of interest this week…

(1) Hello October’s “Going Out-Out” post

I really really love Suzie’s blog in general and more specifically I adore these kinds of chatty/wordy posts that describe a makeup routine with some general product thoughts and ramblings included. Once upon a time, I used to write these posts frequently but as of late I seem to have stopped, but it should be noted that mine tend to involve much more aimless rambling. I have got to get back into writing my ‘The Daily Face’ posts; note to self.

(2) Live Chat With The Paula’s Choice Research Team – “How to Treat Your Most Frustrating Facial Concerns”

In the last month or so more generally, I’ve discovered and loved these hour long informative skincare videos with the research team at Paula’s Choice and Friday’s was a particularly enjoyable one. I love that their information is unbiased, despite having their own range to promote and clear and I also get a kick out of the sense of humor of the staff hosting the show. I highly recommend giving these a watch if you want to learn more about skincare – even if you feel you are already somewhat educated – or specific skincare products/ingredients and you enjoy some sense of humor thrown in more often than not.

(3) This Week’s  Posts

I’m well aware that I am my worst critic, but as a whole I have been happy with the four posts I’ve done in the last week, especially when you take how busy classes have left me and that lovely cold that I’m currently experiencing. I didn’t feel like any of my posts were rushed and I was pleased with my mediocre photography, despite the general lighting issues. However, if you’re someone who works full-time or juggles classes with an actual job, I have some serious respect for you – I have no idea how you do it and I’m in awe. Finally this week, I managed to post the long-promised review of the DiorSkin Star Foundation.

(4) Two Costco Acquisitions

I’ve been impressing myself recently with my shopping restraint; I haven’t been casually strolling into the drugstore and coming out with four or five things every week or so at all, or doing any sort of indulgent splurging on anything resembling the regular. This aside, I ventured into Costco on Friday with the mother and picked up two things: the Eucerin Calming Daily Moisturizing Cream and a book titled The Back of the Turtle by Thomas King. I’m running low on moisturizer for my eczema-laden skin and the Eucerin offering seemed to fit the bill with a suitable ingredient list and a large affordable tube amount plus there’s something wonderful about reading a book for fun that can make life seem a little less frightening and repulsive. I might have read a fair amount of the book and I might have enjoyed it tremendously.

(5) The Nail Obsession

I go through the strangest phases of enjoying nail polish and then being annoyed by the maintenance of the stuff but this week in particular I have been obsessed, painting my nails multiple times and actually writing a polish-centric blog post. Also I’ve enjoyed obsessing over nail polish with my friend instead of doing anything productive, ideally the piling mountain of schoolwork.

How was your week?
Maggie, x.

 

The Review: DiorSkin Star Studio Makeup

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I’ve been declaring my borderline obsessive love for the Diorskin Star Studio Makeup since succumbing to the allure of the new and hyped-up foundation in October and have been promising a review for almost as long. I’ve raved about the “spectacularly brightening” foundation that’s infused with SPF 30 with the PA++ designation, supposedly providing “weightless perfection” countless times by now so its about time for a full-on review. But there’s no way of getting around my favorable opinion of this foundation – it’s among my top foundations of all time and I’m a foundation-obsessed kind of girl.

Dior describes this foundation as inspired by the professional illumination techniques in the studio, enhanced by the makeup artist and designed to re-create the “spectacular and perfecting light of Dior’s studios”. In a more particular way, its characterized as a brightening foundation with a weightless fluid texture, providing a more visibly even and bright complexion – with the aid of hollow silica beads and light-filter pigments – and supposedly “the complexion is purified and more dazzling” due to anti light-trap ingredients. I definitely see the skin-brightening, illuminating and to a certain degree, the perfecting properties of the foundation but I’m slightly skeptical of the light-filter pigments but that’s rather inconsequential; the latter claim about purifying and dazzling the complexion cracks me up with its audacity as there are not any ingredients that would do this inside the foundation and that its questionable that any ingredients in the formula could transform skin in some way, beyond appearances. What I love about this foundation is its lightweight fluid texture that is impressively formulated without drying and irritating alcohols, its medium to medium-full coverage that does not mask the skin but keeps everything luminous and brightened, the fact that it lasts a ridiculous amount of time and that it’s fantastic on my dry and uneven skin. The formula is hydrating in itself and it does not highlight dry patches in the slightest and beyond that is flattering on those areas, especially considering the coverage and longevity of the formula.

The foundation has an impressive shade range, suiting fair – but perhaps not porcelain-fair – to deep skin tones with the 20 shade offering that includes a good number of different undertones but in Sephora and Shopper’s Drugmart stores near me, the different shade variations in the first shade range (011, 012, 013) seem to be absent. The foundation contains the average 30 mLs or one fluid ounce and retails for $50 dollars in both the United States and Canada, coming housed in a luxe glass bottle with a pump. I’m wearing the shade 020 Light Beige, but it’s not an ideal match for me in depth at the moment, as I’m at my fairest in the dead of winter but it works when blended into my pale neck even now because the slightly golden-leaning beige undertones are spot on. 010 Ivory is a paler shade that I’ve found available nearly everywhere, but it runs a bit too pink for my skin but I suspect 011 Creme with yellow undertones or 013 Dune with peachy undertones would be my optimal match. In my shade at least, the foundation looks darker in the bottle than it applies and I would say it matches around an NC20/NW15 to maybe a NC25/NW20 ish, suiting skin tones that are slightly fair but nothing resembling porcelain.

before | after
before | after

The foundation both feels and appeals remarkably skin-like despite the coverage and longevity it has, camouflaging texture and discolouration remarkably well. Although it lasts well over 12 hours without any sort of fading, it develops some considerable shine even on my dry skin with a somewhat normal t-zone after a few hours without setting powder; it has considerable longevity but not astounding oil-control. I would suspect that the lack of oil-control and the serious glow it develops is a function of the seriously hydrating texture of the foundation and absence of oil-absorbing ingredients like drying alcohols, so I don’t think its necessarily a weakness of the formula. With that being said, anyone except the driest of the driest skin will have to set this foundation with powder and perhaps touch up with powder once during the day. I would say its suitable for combination skin seeking some hydration and glow – with a healthy dusting of powder on oilier places – and anyone on the dry skin spectrum. I’ve used this with good success with some moderate flaking on my forehead but I haven’t tested it with a seriously Sahara dry overall complexion – I’m pleased to report my skincare routine has saved me from this fate.

the full face featuring a touch of powder in the t-zone | the face untouched 12 hours later minus lipstick
the full face featuring a touch of powder in the t-zone | the face untouched 12 hours later minus lipstick

Oh, and on the sunscreen note, its an Octinoxate and Titanium Dioxide blend, a mixture of both mineral and ‘chemical’ sunscreens and even on my chemical-SPF-sensitive skin, – and incredibly so at that – my skin does not feel or look irritated upon application. It’s broad-protection sunscreen by the way and it despite the higher SPF, there is definitely no flash photography issue. Again, I emphasize that it can appear a bit shiny without the aid of powdering and by shiny, I mean more pronounced than it is in real life.

 

the face 12 hours later with flash
the face 12 hours later with flash

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 5.99%; Titanium Dioxide 3.50%. Inactive Ingredients: Water, Isododecane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide (Nano), Glycerin, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Barium Sulfate, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Undecyl Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Parfum (Fragrance), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lecithin, Tromethamine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Carbonate, BHT, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Linalool, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Palmitic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citronellol, Sodium Phosphate, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Magnesium Hydroxide, Tocopherol. May Contain: Bismuth Oxychloride, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

Have you tried this foundation? I’d also love to hear your current favourite foundation!
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #36

Recently Updated351. The new foundation that I’ve worn consistently since spotting it on Monday… I’m aware that I kind of sort of made a promise not to go out and buy a new foundation until I finished my Rimmel Wake Me Up but upon seeing the Diorskin Star Fluid in 20 for a good eight dollars less than expected, I couldn’t resist picking this one up and then wear it every single day that followed. It’s a good one…

2. A review here … I’ve been making an active effort to get into the habit of writing more individual product reviews and this one on the Marc Jacobs Brown(Out) Highliner was the weekly effort.

3. Quite possibly the standout post I read this week… I’m a big fan of reading blogs and do so on a frequent basis so it means something when I give one a shout out around here and I loved Tamira’s ‘Reflecting’ post. Obviously, she had her aesthetically-pleasing minimalist style going on in the background but she also wrote a really honest account on why she blogs in particular and I found it really relateable, agreeing with lots of what she said.

4. A Saturday Haul Post… I’ve mentioned before that I’m not entirely comfortable with the whole hauling post situation, but nevertheless, I posted one yesterday and I was rather pleased with it. Check out the edited list of purchases here, if you’re interested.

5. A notable meal at Pavia… I tend to hit up our favourite cafe with the mother fairly often and I always enjoy it immensely so I thought I would quit with the laziness and actually document it slightly. I looooove this toasted sandwich loaded with olives, proscuitto, cheese and olive oil and rather enjoyed my iced mint dragon green tea, as well, despite it not being a beverage of the espresso variety. If you’re ever in Nova Scotia (Halifax in particular), I recommend hitting up Pavia Espresso Bar & Cafe. Drool.

6. Just casually reading Dickens in the mall … So on Friday’s shopping trip I might have had time to kill but no effort to move from any sedentary position on account of the shopping bag situation so it would only make sense to get some reading done while I was at it. Right? I still felt rather odd.

7. A Daily Face Post… Monday’s post was a return to my ‘Daily Face’ series and this return was long overdue if you ask me. It actually followed an autumnal theme, as you can see here.

 

I will warn you that I’m feeling rather chatty/wordy today — I can’t decide which word is more appropriate because I know I’m writing but what I’m writing could easily be read aloud as its in that format, but I’ll stop now before this post gets overly critical-theory-y and just plain weirdly theoretical. On an oddly related note, I would separate my week into two thematic categories — perhaps this is a consequence of reading books thematically far too often — the fatigue and stress of coming up to my presentation on Wednesday and the sudden re-emergence of my cold that hit me harder than ever before. So, it wasn’t necessarily the most relaxing week but I didn’t mind too much.

You might also notice that I’m coming at you with this post on a Sunday after switching posts of this variety to a Monday a while back but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are consistently going to go up on Sundays; I’m still undecided whether or not I want to assign them a day or go with the flow. Any thoughts?

I really did intend to get five posts out during the week (instead of the four), but I’m afraid that life got in the way. I was so ill on a few occasions that all I could do was close my eyes and hope that I would succumb to sleep so post writing and organization was not exactly in the cards. However, I’m feeling better but not amazing with my cough and irritating congestion so this week looks more promising.

How was your week?
Maggie, x.

The Daily Face #22: An Everyday Autumnal Thing

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Long time, no daily face post, huh? Well, here I am bringing you yet another edition of detailing the products that are currently residing on my face, after a somewhat long hiatus. I assure you that said hiatus was accidental; for a while towards the end of the summer, I wasn’t necessarily feeling the result of my makeup or writing posts of this variety and as soon as I got out of that funk, school was in session and things got all sort of crazy and I just wasn’t mustering the energy to take decent face photos or product photos and all that jazz. Except today — but I’m doing this as another form of procrastination, so I’m not sure that it completely counts… Alas, I thought I would give a rundown of the products gracing my face and provide some information on the highlights.

Smashbox Photo-Op Eyeshadow Palette in Cherry Smokes ($44)

I’ve yammered on about this before and my mixed thoughts towards this beauty (read: amazing quality interesting shadows but lacking coherence as an intensive stand-alone palette) but recently I haven’t been able to get enough of this more wearable rusty autumnal-eye that features this palette and just this palette. For simply blending purposes, I began with the matte cream Bare shade all over the lid but then when for the peach-tinged champagne shade called Shell. I went in with the stunning coppery shade Oxidize on the outer portion of the lid and through the crease and this was definitely the most interesting part but then I finished with the deeper matte Rustic in the outer corner and along the lashline. I’ve been pleased with how this straddles the line in between having that gorgeous red-tone and being overkill on a daily basis.

Dior Star Fluid Foundation in 20 Light Beige ($50)

So, I spotted this enticing talked-about beauty for the first time at Shopper’s Drugmart yesterday and after seeing that it was only $50 (the same as it costs in the US, unlike the $58 that Sephora lists online) and asking the girl there if I could return the product if my skin went crazy, I had to get it and so I did. I’ve only tried this once (today) but I couldn’t resist sharing my very early thoughts here. This shade is ideal for me, with lovely beige undertones that is a perfect match for me now and should also suffice as I grow paler, which is rather nice but I rather enjoyed the product too. Despite being free of irritating alcohol, this foundation offers substantial medium-coverage and a weightless feel on the skin. It was a nice finish that was particularly flattering on uneven texture, starting off satin-y with that kind of inner luminosity to it and so far so good. Time will only tell if this turns out to be as fabulous as I’ve heard bloggers saying left and right…

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 FACE: Dior Star Fluid Foundation in 20 | NARS Contour Blush in Paloma | Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette | L’Oreal True Match Blush in Innocent Flush
EYES: Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque | NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base | Smashbox Cherry Smokes Photo-Op Palette | Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner in Brown(out) | L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara | MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette
LIPS: L’Oreal Glossy Balm in Ginger Candy

What have you been wearing lately?

Maggie, x.