drugstore

I USED UP PRODUCTS #1

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

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

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

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

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

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($11-12 CDN)

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

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

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

x,

Maggie

What products have you used up lately?

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

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

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

MAC Club Eyeshadow ($12/18 CDN)

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

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

MAC Springsheen Powder Blush ($25 CDN)

MAC Springsheen
MAC Springsheen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maggie

 

 

Winter Essentials Edit- The Makeup Edition

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

Revlon Enticing, NARS Golshan
Revlon Enticing, NARS Golshan

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

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

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

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

Nars Golshan, Revlon Enticing
Nars Golshan, Revlon Enticing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter ($36 CDN)

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl
Benefit Girl Meets Pearl

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

NARS Orgasm Powder Blush ($32 CDN)

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

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NARS Orgasm, Tarte Natural Beauty with flash

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

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

What are your makeup picks for the Winter? x

Maggie

Everyday Staples #1

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Real Techniques Buffing Brush, MAC 217 eyeshadow brush, MAC 266 Small Angle brush, Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush, MAC Patisserie Lipstick & NARS Orgasm Blush
the brushes
the brushes

Real Techniques Buffing Brush – sold in the Core Collection ($23  CDN)

The funny thing is that I don’t think I’ve ever talked about makeup brushes here but my only explanation is that I so rarely purchase them. For the first time in five years, I picked these brushes up at my local drugstore (Lawton’s Drugs) this summer out of hearing the hype and actually seeing the brushes available at an affordable price. I had really been lusting after the buffing brush that unfortunately is only available in this set and it did not disappoint . The synthetic fibres really help to blend foundation seamlessly into my skin and minimizes the appearance of dry patches unlike other brushes. I use the other brushes in the set but the buffing brush is the standout in the kit.

MAC 217 eyeshadow brush ($28.50 CDN)

I fondly remember receiving this, along with my first MAC eyeshadow, on my thirteenth birthday and to this day, I adore it and use it constantly. And it’s still going strong. It’s so faded that the number is no longer visible but it’s the best eyeshadow brush nevertheless. It might actually be worth its high pricepoint.

MAC 266 Small Angle Brush ($24 CDN)

I remember (fondly as well) receiving this as a gift from my mother within the same year when I bought MAC Fluidline. This was the brush that taught me how to apply liner and I use it daily even now, years later. It’s not my absolute favourite for gel liner anymore but it’s a staple for filling in the brows with eyeshadow and using eyeshadow as liner. I’m contemplating purchasing another one…

Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush ($9-10 CDN)

Speaking of gel liner, this is the brush that recently took the MAC 266’s pkace in my heart as the ideal brush for gel liner because it allows for additional precision, creating the thinnest lines and the best wings by my (admittedly shaky) hand. This was one of those love at first use kind of things. I would go on for ages but I really should move beyond brushes.

the makeup
the makeup

MAC Patisserie Lipstick ($18 CDN)

This lipstick has actually been my first go-with-anything kind of lipstick love. The warm-toned darker pinky-brown nude has a lustre finish and therefore does not highlight my perpetually dry lips and is actually slightly moisturizing. I could easily write an entire post on my love for this lipstick but I’m trying to restrain myself. It’s a nude that isn’t all that different in colour from my unpigmented lips and is the antithesis of concealer lips as I find it brightens my face without adding overly obvious colour.

MAC Patisserie in its true glory
MAC Patisserie in its true glory

NARS Orgasm Powder Blush ($33 CDN)

I’m proud to say that I purchased this blush a few years ago, about a month before they raised their prices (from $27 CDN). This is the blush that I’ve made the greatest dent in ever and that’s saying something, being the blush hoarder that I am. I wear it in the way and for the same reasons as many others seem to wear the iconic (but disappointing in my humble opinion) MAC Well Dressed Powder Blush – it’s that goes-with-everything instantly brightening shade that brings that sought-after glow to the face. I would describe the shade as a warm pink with a hint of coral with golden shimmer running throughout that imparts that subtle glow to my face without looking obvious.

What are your everyday staples? Do you use any of these products in your daily routine?

My Top 6 Cold-Weather Lipsticks

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I’ve said it before but I feel compelled to say it again – I don’t really abide to the whole ‘you wear dark colours in the winter and corals in the summer and only the summer’ kind of thing. My staple lipsticks do change with the season, however and I thought I’d share mine. If you’ve visited my blog before you would know that I’m fair with yellow-undertones and have cool-toned brown hair but I don’t think I’ve mentioned that I have pale, somewhat ghastly looking lips and this does influence the kind of shades I like — browns look more brown on me because of the lack of pigment in them and I look like I time-travelled from the early nineties, I’m sure you get the gist. And pinks, especially cool-toned pinks look horrible on me so they won’t be featured here.

MAC Patisserie ($18 CDN) is that effortless, nude-y shade that adds life to my face while still looking relatively natural. I don’t like the phrase but it fits in the ‘my lips but better’ category’ as it’s a darker nude. The undertones are a warm pinky-brown and the lustre finish is forgiving and foolproof to apply. It’s been part of the daily rotation ever since I bought it in October. This is one of the only shades that looks good with any sort of makeup.

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L’Oreal Sunset Angora ($12 CDN) is not your typical fall/winter colour at all — in fact it pretty much screams summer — but I think it’s flattering on me and I reach for it often — at least I have since I picked it up recently, but I’m sure it will remain a favourite. Aside from the old-fashioned smell (blech!), the lipstick is notable for its light hydrating texture and sheen. It’s a creme formula medium-toned pink coral with warm undertones. Another everyday kind of shade like Patisserie but this one packs more punch. This is about as pink as I’m able to get, it appears.

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Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart ($9 CDN) was not a product I fell in love with immediately after first use. I’ve had it for four months, I believe, and I had lukewarm feelings towards it before a month or two ago — I dug it out again and found that I really liked it with minimal makeup for that bitten, rosy glossy lip. It’s easy to wear because of it’s sheerness and it’s especially great if you want to wear red lips and are intimidated by doing so. I think the undertones are quite neutral if you were curious.

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MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick ($18 CDN) is easily one of those famous, cult-classic red lips and I absolutely adore it. It is not the kind of lipstick that gets the most use on a daily basis (but I have worn it during the day!) but it’s the perfect red to pair with minimal makeup for that sophisticated look. Wearing such a showstopping red in the winter at your palest is a look I adore and Ruby Woo is the product for the job. It’s a retro matte which means that it wears for ages and ages on the lips but is so so drying and can look patchy as it fades. It’s a bright almost-neon red with slight-cool undertones. This is undoubtedly my favourite true-red lipstick.

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Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing ($10-11 CDN), yet another lipstick love of mine that fits into the red colour family, has a wonderful hydrating and smooth formulation in the pencil format that I adore. As I’ve mentioned a few times on recent posts, it is a glossy deep red with good buildable pigmentation with neutral undertones and a hint of brown to it. This is one of those deeper shades in the berry colour family that is easier to wear and can be applied on a more everyday basis without requiring much maintenance.

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Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Golshan ($30 CDN) is easily the most expensive lip product that has ever been in my possession and my acquisition of it resulted from the recent VIB Promotion at Sephora and I know I bought it recently but it was love at first sight — the perfect hydrating and long-wearing dark lip. I’m not going to get into much about the formula as you can expect a more detailed post in the near future but I will say that it wears evenly on the lips for a long time. It’s described as a “spiced wine” but it has more red in it than that in my opinion. It’s a warm burgundy shade with slight brown undertones without being brown at all. It knocked my loved MAC Dubonnet out of this top five and that should say something. I need more of these, pronto.

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What are your favourite lip products for the cooler seasons?

It May Be Winter but I’ll Wear Coral if I Want To

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My latest makeup crisis has been lip colour related. I know that nudes, reds and vampy shades are in season at the moment but sometimes we don’t want to wear either of the three. My problem is that as I’ve said many times before, the natural pink-y shades do not work on my skin-tone particularly if they are cool-toned and that leaves coral-y shades which tend to scream summer. However, I really find lighter coral shades flattering and I think the whole you wear this colour in the summer and this other colour in the winter to be particularly irritating and limiting. These two lipsticks would typically be thought of as summer shades but I’ve been incorporating them throughout the cooler months as well — they’re what neutral shades look flattering on me. In my opinion, wear whatever makeup whenever you want to. End Rant. 

I picked up Juicy Papaya ($9) as soon as I spotted the four newer Revlon Lip Butters in my local drugstore sometime in August and I’ve been making good use of it ever since. The formula is nice and hydrating, lasting the 3-4 hours on the lips and being foolproof to apply. Blah, blah, blah. I’m that weird girl who adores that these have no scent or taste — I generally find scented products weird with the exception of mint-scented ones. This shade is difficult to describe but my best attempt would be to call it a warm-toned muted light coral shade. It’s exactly what I was hoping MAC Shy Girl to be but wasn’t. 

L’Oreal Colour Caresse Lipstick in Sunset Angora($12) is a much more recent addition to my makeup stash; I’ve been hesitant to pick one up because they retail for more than ten dollars and I’ve been waiting for a sale but they might just be worth their surprisingly high price tag. Going by the formula of this shade — a muted medium-toned warm-toned pink coral –, this moisturizing lipstick offering from L’Oreal might give Revlon a run for its money… well aside from the annoying perfume-y smell that is. Compared to these, the lip butters are thick and waxy on the lips and feel more like they’re coating your lips, whereas these feel lighter and more hydrating on the lips. The pigmentation is at least as good and they wear for the same amount of time.

Have you tried either of these? Do you think coral lips can be worn in the dead of winter?

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?

 

Daily Makeup #2: Naked Palette Attempt #3

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FACE: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Montblanc, Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette in 1, NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny, Physician’s Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl

EYES: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, Urban Decay Naked Palette, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl, Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Black Ebony, L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara, Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette

LIPS: EOS Peach lip balm, Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

There’s something about a subtle(r) smoky eye that works in this late autumn time of year (it feels like winter here in Canada so I cannot bring myself to call it Fall). Sometimes you want to get all into the spirit of the season without wearing the high(er)-maintenance bold lip and this is when I favor the flattering slightly-messy daytime smoky eye.

From the stress of the impending doom otherwise known as finals and the great lack of sleep I’ve been getting I presume, my skin decided to go on protest and I woke up this morning with a big, painful underneath-the-skin blemish that’s impossible to cover along with the usual blemishes, bumps and general dehydration issues.

As per usual (even more-so this time of year) I slathered on some moisturizer immediately before starting the face in the hope of a glow – my current pick is Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer. When I woke up this morning three words were on my tongue “Nars Sheer Glow” and true to my word I used my sample from Sephora that I haven’t used in ages as it has been too pale but I’m back to my natural fair state so it worked. This foundation sort of reminds me of Rimmel Wake Me Up but with a tad more coverage and no shimmer and I really wish I bought this instead of Diorskin Nude. Alas… It gave my skin that glow while still providing very good coverage (with the aid of some heavy-duty concealer on the hideous zit painful spot) without looking ridiculous. I’m resisting the urge to run to Sephora and purchase it right now – but honestly it’s high on my mental wishlist.

Apparently subconsciously I was determined to use the Naked Palette in an everyday sort of way without using my favourite highlight/lid shade Sin so my brain in its typically irrational sense used another shade in the same vein as Sin to use in its place so every eyeshadow look I post did not include that one shade — I used the pale golden champagne outer-ring of the limited-edition and no longer available MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl (but in all honesty most MSFs are rather similar) on the inner-third of my lid. The warm medium-toned reddy bronze Toasted went on the rest of the lid and was blended into the crease and then Hustle was blended into the outer v and Creep was blended slightly into the lashes. The result was that sort of hazy and warm smoky eye that wasn’t too attention grabbing.

I was determined to use a strictly non-Autumnal lipstick so I went for the easy and somewhat unseasonal Revlon Juicy Papaya Lip Butter and I was feeling bored with my blush choices so I pulled out the forgotten-about Physician’s Formula Rose Happy Booster – great rosy shade but the colour has to be built up and the longevity leaves some to be desired.

What are your thoughts on my weekly (or more often than that) face posts? What have you been reaching for lately?

The Daily Face #1: I actually wear this to class and look like a sane person

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Face: Kiehl’s Stress Rescuer moisturizer, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (Ivory), MUFE 5 Concealer Palette (1), Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer/Highlighter (Ivory), Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan, Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder, NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray

Eyes: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, Dior Earth Reflection Quint, Maybelline Master Precise Black Pen-Liner, Maybelline The Falsies mascara, Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Black/Noir, MAC Charcoal Brown eye shadow, Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette

Lips: MAC Patisserie lipstick

This is probably quite boring but this is the kind of post that I enjoy reading maybe the most — the makeup that I wear the most on an everyday basis (what I wear to Uni) and is a standard amount of makeup compared to others (you know the odd occasion when you don’t look like you’re wearing 10x the amount of makeup that everyone else is) and takes five minutes, max. It’s the perfect happy medium to make me feel put together and polished but does not scream overly made-up.

Being the foundation hoarder that I am, the foundation I wear on a daily basis varies depending on the state of my skin at the moment and general mood, nevertheless a favourite of mine for everyday (and is also up there for all time) is Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. The almost invisible slight shimmer gives that nice glow while still providing a natural-looking medium coverage. Luckily for me, Ivory (the lightest shade) is perfect for my moderately fair skin for most of the year with its yellowy undertones.

I ran out of Urban Decay Primer Potion (sigh… :() and I have weirdly oily eyelids so I picked up Nyx HD Eyeshadow Base, which works better than Maybelline Colour Tattoos and and ever so slightly better than MAC Paint Pots but not as well as UDPP… but I can’t complain.

I’ve always had rather large and deep-set eyes and I’ve learned that outer-v definition can really make a difference for me and liner is essential. I put the Lancome on to tightline and applied a thin line on the upper lashes with the Maybelline. It was a complete splurge but I’m really enjoying my first Dior quint; I did quite a standard eye today with the golden champagne on the lid, the taupe in the crease and the deepest shade along the lashline and outer-v and I have to say that I’m a fan of the look.

I’ve struggled using the MUFE Concealer Palette for ages because the dark-correcting shade is just so orange and although it conceals dark circles, it can be very obvious but I’ve been putting the Rimmel on top and I’m impressed. The lip choice was obvious; the standard wearable pinky-brown nude MAC Patisserie. 

Benefit Rockateur is holding its place in my cheek product rotation and the Sonia Kashuk Creme Bronzer has been a pleasant surprise, finding it’s way into my daily makeup. Big deal right here. Um and my No-Buy might have maybe sort of turned into a Low-Buy after spotting the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray (First impression – lovely) and the limited-edition velvet matte top coat from L’Oreal……

Thoughts?

I may or may not have cut Benefit Rockateur out of the frame :)
I may or may not have cut Benefit Rockateur out of the frame 🙂 – see box to the far right

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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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