Essentials

April Sephora Sale Recommendations

With Sephora’s sale going on (for just VIB Rouge’s thus far), I find myself rather regretful that I didn’t just make one more measly purchase at Sephora in December and own up to the fact that I have a serious beauty product buying problem and become a Rouge member. Instead, I’m here waiting for the later sale that I’ve heard Sephora is going to offer to both VIBs like myself and Beauty Insiders. Last November I wrote a post detailing some of my product recommendations so I thought I would do the same this time but I’ll focus on different items – keep in mind that everything from this post remains standing.

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  1. NARS Audacious Lipsticks ($37): There are some products that are borderline atrociously expensive but do perform excellently and these are one of them. I absolutely adore both the colour (I have the rosy shade, Brigitte) and the hydrating and no-fuss semi-matte lipstick formula. Even though these lipsticks do all of these things and coincidentally stain your lips in the nicest way to boot, it can be difficult to justify the cost so I would recommend going for it carefully when you have the option for a discount.
  2. Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle ($33): Going off of the Raspberry/Opal offering that I own and adore, these souffle-cream blush hybrids are the easiest, glowiest and no-fuss option that I believe that I’ve ever tried. They blend seamlessly into the skin with the fingers and leave their buildable tint along with the gorgeous sheen that is marbled throughout. These aren’t exactly a cream blush but they are an excellent one if you want to get out of your powder comfort zone.
  3. Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Cuir Cannage ($63): Countless times, I’ve named these Dior quints as my favourite eyeshadows of all time and while I was disappointed that they discontinued their entire range in favour of new shades, I’ve fallen in love with this slightly smokey neutral offering. The creamy shadows have a nice variety of finishes, blend with ease, last ages and don’t fall down on your face. I also adore the shade composition: a matte caramel colour, a deep plum-toned black colour with an almost matte finish, a shimmery plum, a sheeny taupe and a nice shimmery champagne highlight colour. The formula is just as impressive, let me tell you!
  4. Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16): In terms of skincare, I had to mention the product that turned me onto my love of chemical exfoliants and still it remains an excellent one – it’s effective with 0.5% BHA but is the gentlest and is impressively cost-effective. This one is definitely an unsung hero, especially considering that it’s hydrating, soothing and alcohol-free unlike their infamous paint-stripping offerings.
  5. Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40): I know that I said that I wasn’t going to do repeats in this post from last time but this lightweight and soothing moisturizer was too wonderful to resist including it twice. Although it has a light texture, it’s impressively hydrating and if you’re on more of the combination side of things I would go for the Sorbet variation.
  6. Bumble & Bumble Repair Blow Dry ($17/$37): First things first, there is absolutely no haircare product that can repair hair that is already damaged but it does work well to minimize the look and reduce damage over time by functioning as a heat protection. It does what it says, operating as a cream-serum used during the blow drying stage and more than that it leaves my wavy-curly hair so soft when used to blow dry it, offers control that allowed my hair to straighten nicely and stay that way and it was lightweight enough that I was able to get nice movement and life at the crown. I’ve only used this a few times, however, but it’s just that good.
  7. DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel ($26): There’s nothing that defines curls, controls frizz and makes textured hair look nearly as amazing as a good gel does – I would say that this one is among the very best and it’s not the priciest in the world. It has a nice amount of hold and provides great control to the hair whilst being lightweight and it never leaves the hair feeling sticky, heavy or weird.
Any recommendations to share?
P.S. I’m still alive – just struggling through the exam period.
Maggie, x.

Top Fourteen Products of 2014

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Get ready it’s time for my yearly favourites roundup, likely the most redundant and dull – or redundantly dull perhaps? – post of this year as well as the most laborious for yours truly. For the last month or so, I’ve spent many minutes agonizing over and agonizing over the products that would make up my top fourteen products of last year and I’m excited to share these loves with you all. To state the obvious, these are all ridiculously good and I would get on them pronto if their description sounds appealing…

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup ($48) | review
Knowing my foundation buying slash hoarding problem, you shouldn’t blink at the fact that I’m mentioning at least one foundation — I may or may not have also had to include another, (see below) — and this decision required little to no deliberation. I’ve had the lightweight velvety foundation in my possession for over half of the year and I went through a solid couple of months this summer when I rarely reached for anything else in the foundation department. This foundation is remarkable because despite its velvety texture, it’s flattering on texture concerns and general skin dehydration (bar severe dry patches) and has some lit-from-within kind of luminosity to it. I rather enjoy just how invisible it feels and looks on the skin whilst providing medium and build able coverage.

Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation ($50)
I might have only discovered the radiant brightening foundation early in the Fall as soon as I spotted it here on Canadian shores but it could not be left out. I love just how hydrating yet lightweight the alcohol-free formula is, how much coverage it provides while providing that glow that is generally associated with sheerer foundations, its ridiculous longevity and just how flattering it is on my winter dry patches.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30)
During this spring’s Sephora VIB Sale, I finally bit the bullet and purchased this salmon-toned corrector for a rather large sum of money and ever since I’ve never turned back and now that I’m running out, I actually plan on repurchasing and the thought doesn’t even make me cringe. It has pretty full-on coverage and can crease if you don’t make sure that it doesn’t settle in creases prior to application so its kind of ideal for my hereditary dark circles.

NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46) | review
I enjoy a good neutral taupe-leaning finely milled contouring powder and the rosy-taupe hue in this compact surpasses even MAC Harmony in these respects and is even more foolproof to apply. There aren’t too many days that go by that I want to put on makeup that I don’t reach for this contouring powder – and the ivory-hued matte highlighting powder is nice and brightening for underneath the eyes.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) | review
I do enjoy a good blush far more than I should and I might actually own more blushes than foundation and have a similar unhealthy love for and buying addiction and this cool-toned light pink has definitely been my pick for the year. Just like everybody else, I love the smooth and pigmented long-wearing formula that imparts glow to the skin without obvious shimmer and this shade is perhaps the only cool-toned pale pink shade that I like and its a bit different than the usual.

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Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in 734 Grege ($61) | review
Although it has come to my attention that with the introduction of numerous new shade variations to Dior’s quint line-up, they have discontinued their entire previous range including this versatile and practical beauty, I couldn’t leave out this essential five shade neutral palette. I’ve said numerous times before that Dior eyeshadows have my favourite formula on account of the very little fallout and creamy texture and this palette is impeccable, especially for an everyday all-in-one kind of small palette with its variety of textures. It has a shimmery ivory, a satiny pale taupe shade, another soft-matte caramel shade that suits the crease particularly well, a shimmery grey and a dark matte greyed brown.

MAC Eyeshadow Quad with All That Glitters, Soft Brown, Coquette & Smut ($12/18 each)
Over 2014, I indulged in a few more MAC eyeshadows which I remember fondly as the first beauty products that I fell in love with but among the most used were my smaller palette of everyday shades. In it, I kept All That Glitters, my favourite peachy champagne lid shade, Soft Brown, a nice warm-toned crease shade, Coquette, the grey shade that I adore for my brows and to add depth to the crease and finally Smut, a burgundy-tinged black shade that excels at adding some depth and smokiness.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense Felt-Tip in Carbon Black ($9)
In the last year or so, I have fallen for this easy to use felt-tipped liner pen and have raved about it countless times over here on my blog so regular readers wont be surprised by this inclusion in the least. Nevertheless, I have loved this simple pen-style liner that has brought me over to the realm of liquid liner, from the gel and pencil formulas that I enjoyed in the past and its what allowed me to get a hold on the whole kitten flick thing.

MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy ($19) | review
Although I didn’t discover the peachy-neutral matte shade until this summer, there was no doubt in my mind about what was the one lip product that I was going to include. It’s a creamy matte formula that is not particularly drying or unflattering on my perpetually chapped lips, wears nicely throughout the day and lasts for ages and ages, especially considering that its a lighter neutral shade. It’s another one of those shades that looks great regardless of the whole makeup situation that is going on at any given time.

Biacna Prescription Topical Gel ($80)
Ever since the end of the spring, I’ve brought this alcohol-free prescription gel product, containing 1.2% clindamycin – which is a topical antibiotic to decrease and prevent bacteria-based blemishes – and 0.o25% of the standard prescription retinoid, trentinoin for a good four nights a week at the least and this is perhaps the primary reason that I credit that my skin has remained so much more clear and even. This is definitely a pricy product, if you do not have insurance or if like me, your insurance does not cover the product but its manageable and it does require a prescription. However, I’ve had great results with this product despite having highly reactive skin that does not like to tolerate harsher ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and drying alcohols. During the first six weeks, I definitely did experience some skin purging because of the rapid turnover effect that the trentinoin has. By some miracle, this does not make my skin flake or peel.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Intense Brightening Treatment ($39.99) | review
Throughout the year, I enjoyed using gentle acidic products and this AHA-containing cream-textured serum was among the most intense of those offerings and provided impressive brightening results. The serum isn’t something I can use every single day but with my use, I could see a visible difference after merely a couple of months and I don’t say that often in terms of the usual brightening and texture improvement.

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Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40) | review
Although I didn’t try this rich but lightweight moisturizer out until the end of the summer, I couldn’t imagine leaving this moisturizer out of my yearly favourites — it’s an intensely soothing treatment and moisturizer at the same time and not only contains gentle ingredients, but also has antioxidants and all that jazz as well. I credit this for my skin keeping so hydrated during this lovely Canadian fall and winter without any freakouts in sight.

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Pureology Precious Oil Softening Hair Masque ($50)
At the very beginning of the year, I picked up this oil-rich silicone-free deep treatment and for the entire year, I used the tub with a great deal of frequency – I might not have used it each and every time, but it was used more often than not with great results. It smells amazing – as Pureology products do – and more importantly has a concentrated formula that detangles and nourishes hair like nothing else without adding any sort of weight to my curls. One jar lasted me the entire year so the price might just be justifiable…

DevaCare Arc AnGel ($25/55)
In 2014, I found my ideal standard hair product and its this concentrated, non-drying and lightweight gel that I purchased in the huge litre size and I’ve been using it for months and months with success – and I’m pleased to report that I’m no more than halfway done. This is definitely a gel that controls the hair and doesn’t require a ridiculous amount of product because I suppose the hold is quite strong. However, my wavy curls seem to eat up product and they never get crispy, so I don’t always notice, but this has been responsible for my defined wavy curls that have lasted days on end. A curly-hair gel might sound like a really boring product but it’s a staple that I have come to really enjoy and appreciate.

If you’ve made it to the end of this ridiculously lengthy post, I seriously love you. Sidenote – I’d love to know the products that were your staples below!
Maggie, x.

The Repurchases

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When you’re as beauty-obsessed as I am, indecisive to a fault to boot and easily bored, it’s rare that a product is impressive enough to warrant a repurchase so it speaks volumes when one is repurchased. In fact, when a repurchase occurs it must be nothing short of fantastic and I’ve gathered a few repurchases to share as of late. I’m not going to lie, this is totally inspired by Kate’s posts that I enjoy tremendously. Let’s get to it….

Bioderma Sensibio H2O($22)

I’ve raved about my love of the cult-favourite micellar water more than a time or two before but it is easily my most repurchased beauty product. Just like everyone and their second cousin twice removed suggests, it removes makeup like a champ gently, especially on the eye area when held to the lid for some seconds, but effectively and it’s the only thing that doesn’t ever go wonky in my dry sensitive eyes. It’s the gentlest thing out there.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP ($29.99)

This nourishing but lightweight body cream is definitely a more recent repurchase for me but it is an impressive one all the same. It’s formulated without fragrance, colour and the usual irritants and not only helps to intensely hydrate the skin and heal any sort of abrasions and skin condition, but also helps to decrease itchiness of my leg eczema over time. This is a great one for eczema in my experience for it is no frills where it counts but has a nice dose of niacinimide to help repair the barrier of the skin with the usual glycerin and shea butter.

Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40)

Although I feel that including this moisturizer love of mine in a post here to be cheating, I couldn’t write this post without including it. If you’ve been around these parts for ages, you can probably recall how I loved the Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet back in 2013 and so after I finished up the REN moisturizer that I had been using, I couldn’t resist turning back to my old faithful line but I decided to purchase the slightly more nourishing option considering the season. I’m pleased to report that this offering is still lightweight and even more nourishing and soothing than the lighter option. It has that instant ‘breath of fresh air’ effect on the skin that makes me feel like it’s a treatment at the same time.

Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara ($8-9)

This was easily the most-hyped up mascara in the beauty world a few years ago and I tried it on account of that hype but to this day I haven’t found any mascara that surpasses this affordable one. It adds great volume with a little bit of length and curl thrown in but doesn’t go clumpy on the lashes and give that spider effect – even when the formula is at its wetter stage when it has recently been opened. It also doesn’t flake, smudge or anything but is not actually a nuisance to remove as many others seem to. This is at least my third tube of this mascara and I’ve felt horribly bereft without it, despite having way too many mascara bottles in my possession at the moment.

Have you repurchased anything as of late?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #29

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Sunday August 3: 10 Indulgent Sunday Staples | Tuesday August 5: The Review- Skin79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream | Thursday August 7: I USED UP PRODUCTS #3 | Friday August 8: The Daily Face #21 – Actual “No Makeup” Makeup | Sunday August 10: The Current Obsessions

 

Another week has passed and therefore it’s time for another Weekly Medley post. Standard. This week has been a weirdly low-key one especially after the stress and generic hectic-ness of previous weeks and although the weather was a wee bit bipolar, it wasn’t too much of a terrible one, which was a rather nice change of pace, I must say. Now that its August, I had decided that it was time to go and buy a thing (or five) so some shopping happened but I was more restrained than one might expect. The first trip was actually a good ol’ day of in-person mall shopping and I came out with the fabulous sleepwear set shown above (I’m in love), a nice structured red satchel and a printed top from Forever 21, a few things from Shopper’s that were on sale (and one that I redeemed points on) and a candle or three as my first Bath and Body Works purchase.

I’m a huge comfy clothes slash sleepwear person and I’m passionate about caffeine so the $17.80 sleepwear set was right up my alley and I’ve been loving the comfortable summer set, just as expected. I talked about it in yesterday’s post already, but I must reiterate my love for the Bath & Body Works Beach Day Candle that was on for a good price as well as being absolutely amazing. Considering that I’m not particularly sad that the season is coming to a close and that Fall is coming, it’s no surprise that I was on board with the autumn scents in store and I’m excited for when I get to burn the Spiced Pumpkin Cider Candle and the weirdly scrumptious Cayenne Caramel Candle. If you’re familiar with the store, I would love to have some other scent recommendations — hint hint nudge nudge. However, my purchases did not end there; yesterday I made an online order at Sephora for the extra points offered as a promotion but was actually rather practical which both excites and horrifies me equally. I know Sunday is technically the start of the new week but since moving these posts to Monday, I’m taking creative liberty and pretending that they existed in the previous week.

It might be a while until I have my new items (courtesy of Sephora) in my possession but I’m excited nevertheless and feel the need to chronicle them here. Frustrated by my creasing issues, despite not having oily eyelids, I’ve bit the bullet and gone for the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($29), along with the NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46) that I’ve heard nothing but fabulous things about and have been lusting after. It pleases me to be actually making progress using up products but at the same time it’s not fun having to buy new products because you ran out of the previous; I have maybe a day or two left out of my REN moisturizer and rather than repurchasing it, I’m trying the more moisturizing version of the Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet that I loved so much in the past, the Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40). I’m excited to try that one out, for sure. I’ve been really interest in trying out the rather expensive liner so I had to snap up the sample of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Crayon when it was offered as a 100-point-perk. Clearly.

My low-key week was also pleasant because I was pleased with the blog posts that I wrote — it can make such a difference, truly. How was your week?
Maggie, x.

P.S. The bright lip that I’m sporting in the above collage is the Rimmel Colour Rush Balm in Lady Marmalade that I raved about yesterday here!

The Monthly Roundup #8: July 2014

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I might moan and groan about those superficial daily life struggles more often than not but it’s not expected for those to be taken 100% seriously to account for my life, however, there is no exaggerating when I say that July was not a good month; it didn’t start off on a positive note and it ended on a wholeheartedly negative one. But, I’m moving on. Wait, I lied because I have to address the sad truth that it’s not particularly upsetting that school will be starting up again in a little over a month – there’s something comforting in the monotony of that routine. Is anybody with me on that one?

1. The Beauty Bargain #4: L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in 04 Universal Sun –
In short, where I managed to articulate my love for this red-toned bronzer in a somewhat satisfactory fashion, covering all the bases. I was also rather pleased with the photo shown above, considering my truly amateur skillset.
 
2. My Go-To Spring/Summer Lipsticks –
Again, where I was actually pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pictures in said post but also made the effort to narrow down my favourite lip products and showcase them on my lips – without going overboard.
 
3. Beauty Thoughts: The Verdict –
Where I tried a new post format that involved simply giving my thoughts on a handful of products and was pleased with the result and varying lot. I might expect more of these to come – thoughts?
 
4. The Essentials with Laura –
Surprisingly where I brought another face and perspective to my little corner of the internet and was able to share her favourite products with you. I hope it felt refreshing.
 
5. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette –
As one might expect, where I gathered my honest thoughts and provided a detailed account of them on this hyped luxury buy. When I say detailed, I’m not exaggerating…
 
What were your highlights?
Maggie, x.
 
 

 

 

That First Style Post: Two Standout Pieces

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Inspired by the inspiring Sophie, of “The Private Life of a Girl”, I’ve oddly enough been somewhat focused into building a standout minimal wardrobe. I’ll admit that some of this might be in place to facilitate maximum beauty-related spending, but I haven’t always been minimal about fashion-related purchases but I think it can be the best way too go as too much doesn’t add to a wardrobe but rather detracts from it. Last Monday, when that impromptu shopping trip occurred, I picked up two staple pieces of what I imagine to be my capsule wardrobe and they didn’t break the bank either so I have to share.

The Lightweight & Breezy Slipdress: American Eagle ‘Don’t Ask Why’ Slip Dress ($35 CDN)
When I spotted it in the store, after being away for a while — I somehow seem to have a whole lot of American Eagle in my wardrobe — the first thing that crossed my mind was that it appeared to be going for that Brandy Melville thing with its one size fits all nonsense. The second thing that crossed my mind was that I had to have it pronto as it was that perfect effortless dress that I had been yearning after for ages. American Eagle does summer dresses well and the lightweight and slightly sheer fabric of this one is particularly noteworthy for the hot weather we’ve been having lately. As mentioned above, the effortless feel of this dress ensures that it can be worn with simply a bandeau etc. underneath through the summer and will work in cooler weather layered with warmer pieces. It is the most comfortable dress ever which is also rather nice.

The Luxe Basic: Club Monaco Patrizia Top ($49 from 119 – 30% off sale promotion)
Club Monaco is that store that I can spend hours in longingly staring at the clothes as my bank balance shudders so when I’m actively not trying to spend money, I force myself away, however I was shopping with the lovely and amusing Lauren and she wanted to have a peep inside because she has actual money to spend with her two jobs and there was a sale going on – all items that were already reduced were further reduced by 30% off. With a why not attitude, I scoured the racks and was determined to try on this cream-coloured t-shirt with long sleeves, made from the tricot material that is slightly clingy in a flattering way — it skims loosely — with chiffon attached at the hem. In some ways it’s just a nice t-shirt but the chiffon detailing makes it really stand out to me but at the same time it won’t clash with anything. I swear, their t-shirts are magical; I can’t explain it. It’s also the lightest weight ever and therefore versatile.

So here is my first actual style-based post as promised ages ago. Did you like this change of pace? What have you picked up recently?
Maggie, x.

Summer Edit

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I’m not sure if I’m in the small minority of those who notice this or what, but since devoting more than a little bit of my portion of free time to this whole beauty blogging thing, I’ve become a walking contradiction, promising one thing one minute and then something contradictory the next. The significance of this seemingly abstract musing? A bit inspired by Anna’s “Summer Edit”, here I am bringing you the standard summer edition post despite declaring these standard posts overrated and going for slightly different ones in the past and I’m excited.

I’m sure I included this in my ‘Spring Edit’ post, but to be honest, the non-irritating mineral sunscreen only did make an appearance on my face on the sunny days so the Avene High Protection SPF 50 Mineral Cream ($30 CDN)is a much more accurate pick for Summer. The sunscreen performs like nothing else with its hydrating texture that isn’t greasy (but doesn’t exactly help to control oil) and has a tint to mask the dreaded white-cast, adding a bit of coverage with it’s slightly pink leaning beige cast. Although I’ve gotten a wee bit naughty on the whole getting sun front, the Jergen’s Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer ($9 CDN)has remained a staple for actually hydrating and soothing the skin my skin whilst adding some gradual colour that looks natural. In my opinion, this takes the edge off of the pressure to escape pastiness.

On the polish front, Essie’s Van D’Go ($9 CDN) has been brought into the rotation, especially on the feet. It was a gift that I received for my birthday from family friends and it was a much-appreciated one, considering that the pink hue isn’t usually something that I’d usually try. The lighter pink has a coral tinge to it and leaves a flattering salmon pink hue to the nails that compliments a bit of colour. It doesn’t hurt that the formula is a standard great Essie one that’s fully opaque in two coats and is relatively goof proof. Because I haven’t been completely converted to the pink side, I’m sure that I’m also going to be rocking the muted cornflower blue, Essie Bikini So Teeny Nail Lacquer ($9 CDN)that has the same great formula but might be slightly sheerer.

Moving onto the makeup, not only has the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup ($48 CDN)found a place in my heart as this foundation-obsessed girl’s latest obsession but I’m convinced that for my dehydrated skin (and for loads of different skin condition’s) it’s the Summer foundation that gets as close as possible to perfection. I’m the lightest shade (10) so it’s definitely not one that caters to the fairest of skins and it does contain a good amount of fragrance with some alcohol thrown in (less than Chanel VA, though) but it feels like absolutely nothing on the skin (even in the hottest of weather) and looks like perfected bare skin. More than this, it offers surprisingly good coverage (medium that’s buildable) and controls oil with its velvety but luminous finish that somehow doesn’t cling to dry patches. Hallelujah. Even though I’m a drier and dehydrated gal through and through, one of those non-powdery powders is a godsend in the summer with the increased heat and my normal t-zone. I might not need one to set the foundation but if I’m wearing the Avene underneath, it’s nice to have one to freshen things up with and for this I like the L’Oreal True Match Mineral ($14-16 CDN).

I’m not strictly a warm-weather bronzer girl by any means, so they’re a constant in my daily makeup rotation but as soon as the warm weather comes around, the uber-affordable NYC Sunny Smooth Skin Bronzer ($3 CDN)never leaves my sight. Whilst the bronzer isn’t exactly orange-y, it does have stronger warm undertones to it that make it much more flattering on skin with a bit of colour to it and despite it’s price, the matte bronzer lasts and applies like a champ with its pigmented and creamy texture. The Maybelline Master Hi-Light Hi-Lighting Bronzer in Deep Bronze ($12-16 CDN)might be sold as a bronzer but as I said in my initial review during the Winter, it’s a bronzier blush in my opinion and is an amazing offering for the summer as it provides that bronzy glow like nothing else. The rosy copper hued formula offers on the longevity, texture and glow front and no doubt will be found on my face constantly in the warmer weather as it’s one of my favourites regardless of the weather and this is the season for it. Being the blush-addict that I am, I couldn’t confine myself to one (or even two). The second blush worthy of mention is my favourite, the unfortunately limited -edition MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish ($38), the lovely sheeny rosy coral pot of magic that instantly brightens up warm skin and adds a glow like nothing else. And of course I couldn’t resist mentioning a third one that to-be-honest is not miles different from the former, the cult-favourite NARS Orgasm Blush ($33 CDN)that I talked about my love for yesterday in great depth here. And although liquid illuminators such as Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator in are typically more of a Spring (or even winter) product with the subtle dewy luminosity that they provide because things can much to easily enter into sweaty territory but I’ve been going for less overtly glowy foundations as of late and enjoying more of a highlighted look. And look I did more swatches here:

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                                                                    Left to Right: NYC Sunny, Maybelline Deep Bronze, MAC Stereo Rose, NARS Orgasm

Moving onto the eyes, I’ll be bringing the expectedly coppery, MAC Coppering Eyeshadow ($12/18 CDN) into the rotation, both as something a little bit different on the lid on an everyday basis and perhaps as the base colour for a more interesting smoky eye. I’m aware that I’m not really a minimal eye makeup kind of girl but as Summer rolls around, I definitely tend to go for less fuss (and less in general) in this region and my-go to product for this is the ever-hyped Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze ($9 CDN),  for it provides that gorgeous bronzed-taupe hue to the lids that is flattering without looking like you’re trying or putting in loads of effort. Another fantastic shadow that I always go for in these warmer months constantly is that golden bronze sheeny shade named MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow ($12/18 CDN) and I’m sure many of you have this laying around. In terms of summer shadows, I definitely go for these warm and bronzy hues and if I’m not reaching for these three shades, I assure you, I’m sporting the good ol’ Urban Decay Naked Palette ($64 CDN).

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Left to Right: Maybelline Bad To The Bronze, MAC Coppering, MAC Woodwinked

I assure you this lengthy post is nearing its close now, as I come to you with my narrowed-down lip options. I talked about my love for the muted tangerine MAC Sweet & Sour Lipstick ($19 CDN) during the spring season but I think this shade is equally on point for the summer as it has that oranginess to it but is more than a little bit more wearable. In terms of a sheerer balm-colour hybrid offering, I’m sure the medium-toned pinky coral L’Oreal Sunset Angora Colour Caresse ($12 CDN) is the surefire winner, not only because the formula is spectacular on chapped lips like mine but that it offers on the pigmentation front as well. It might not seem like it but it did actually require some deliberation to narrow down my picks for lips down to these four and on some level I knew that choosing the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Milan Moment ($15 CDN) was more of a questionable one given that I haven’t had it for a week yet but the colour and formula screamed summer perfection and I couldn’t resist; the balmy liquid-lipstick that impressively doesn’t seem to have a scent both felt weightless on my lips and offers on the longevity front with its muted papaya hue so I suspect that it won’t be leaving my sight for long. Going along with the more minimal eye makeup theme, a nice bold lip is essential and my pick has to be the vibrant warm pink hue from my favourite balmy-crayon line — the Revlon Lacquer Balm in Vivacious ($9 CDN).

DSC_0619Left to Right: Revlon Vivacious Lacquer Balm, Revlon Milan Moment Moisture Stain, L’Oreal Sunset Angora Colour Caresse, MAC Sweet & Sour
For those of you who have stuck around to the end of this post, you’re kind of sort of amazing and I’m sure you know the drill already – I’m curious and want to know a few of your Summer picks below in the comments!
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

The Daily Highlights 06.07.2014

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Sometimes a girl just wants to ramble on about her noteworthy beauty products along with a random one or two highlights of her day without following any sort of other structure. Sometimes may just be today, if I wasn’t transparent enough in the sentence above. This is for the most part another low key Saturday but with the addition of meeting my closest friends from University who I love dearly out for dinner and it shall be fabulous.

Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino: This hella pigmented and affordable blush might have been passed over and neglected in recent months but last summer in the early days of the blog, I instantly fell out of this one but then about of month after I fell out of love, being as fickle as I am. The texture of the warm rusty berry shade with golden shimmer is a little dry and difficult to blend so unless it is applied carefully to your cheeks, it can go more than a little patchy, especially if you’re on the fairer side of the spectrum like me. Because of how wrong this blush has the potential to go when applied, I cast this aside early last Fall and have only just picked it up again on a whim. I’m careful to apply the blush sparingly with either my fanbrush that I’ve had for ages or the lovely Real Techniques Stippling Blush and I’m left with a flattering rosy flush that lasts for ages and ages on the skin without fading that looks kind of like the skin is naturally blushing but infinitely more attractive.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup in 10:Are any regular readers of the blog surprised? Earlier in the week in my daily face post, I kind of revealed my newfound obsession with my first Chanel purchase and it has only grown. The funny thing is that this isn’t a foundation I would expect to like with skin that lies on the dry and dehydrated side of things and balks at anything close to resembling a matte finish particularly if there is some alcohol content in the formula. I actually was interested in this one initially because there was notably less alcohol in this formula than the Vitalumiere Aqua and I wanted to try one of these weightless bases that just look like skin. While feeling like there’s nothing on your skin and not clinging to dry patches or the like despite the semi-matte finish, the liquidy base provides medium coverage that is buildable without looking dull and heavy fast. Also, the semi-matte finish also leaves some glow to the skin despite quickly setting to the velvety powdery finish and truly does look like skin. In my trials of wearing this thus far, it seems to be the perfect foundation for the summer heat as it holds up so well and feels like nothing. Plus I wore this and did some running and had less than a negligible sheen three hours later on my normal-ish t-zone. You can expect more raves on this soon and so many that you’ll be sick of me it appears.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Rollerball:Fun fact — I’m not much of a perfume girl, not because I don’t love nice scented things and the whimsy of it all but because I’m kind of selective with my obsessive beauty-related hoarding and spending. I’m not someone who loves the strongest fragrance in the world and who isn’t generally bothered by fragrance in everyday life but gets headaches from being in mere proximity to Bath and Body Works and the like and also can’t be bothered to add an extra step to remember but after picking this one up as one of those lovely point perks at Sephora, I’m enjoying it. It’s definitely more of an evening or done up scent for me but man is it one that I’m considering breaking my self-imposed rule for. It’s not stereotypically girlie in any way – especially not in that fruity way that I abhor – and has a slightly musky element to it paired with the warmth of vanilla but doesn’t go into too masculine territory. It’s not a shy delicate kind of fragrance but instead is one that is meant to be a little  bit stronger in the most understated way, giving of an air of that effortless cool aesthetic that I strive for. I hope some of this was written in comprehensible English but I wouldn’t bet on it per se…

Club Monaco Pastel Open Jacket (last year):Certainly within the last month (but I’m not sure exactly when), I talked about my interest in looking like a presentable human attire-wise and incorporating some style tidbits in with the beauty so here I am making good on this offer. This is definitely as splurge-y as things in my closet go, even though I got it on sale with my additional student discount as a special occasion gift but it’s one of those special pieces that fit like a dream and somehow seem worthwhile. The jacket itself is a muted seafoam shade with silver zipper accents on the sides and its open nature gives the jacket a laid-back kind of feel without compensating on the mega-flattering fit. I’m not one to delude myself into thinking that I have the means to spend this kind of money on clothes but the layout of the stores and the amazing clothes seem to have me wondering in on occasion against my own will – sort of. At the moment I weirdly have a thing for pastels so I couldn’t be happier to have invested in this piece.

Have you tried anything in this assortment?
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.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Essentials

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As fun and entertaining as the generic full-on ‘Spring Edit’ kind of posts are to read, I decided to hold off on doing one at the beginning of spring and thought that instead I would share what my essential products were over the entire duration of Spring as these longer-term favourite products tend to be left without mention around here. So these products have most likely been rambled on here before (some more than others of course) but I thought I would share these staples regardless…

When I discovered the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) in April and fell in instant love, I may have mentioned my love for it one or 224 times but considering that it hasn’t left the daily rotation stash since and I still find myself reaching for it over most of my blushes it deserved a wee bit more mention. The luminous-satin cooler-pink toned blush seems to actually kind of blur imperfections (sounds like crazytalk, huh?) while leaving the cheeks with that subdued rosy glow that seems to suit any sort of makeup combination. Considering the severity of my blush addiction, the fact that this has made its way into my top two or three blushes of all time is incredible. Who knew, a cool-pink would rise above the gorgeous corals in my books? 

Although the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup ($48) only made its way into the final cut of one of my monthly favourites posts, it was easily my staple foundation for Spring. With its lightweight texture and ability to blend seamlessly into the skin while offering medium coverage, the radiant satiny foundation was perfection. Unfortunately with the whole faux-tan situation, the foundation is too light for me (I have shade 11 which matches me at my palest) but prior to this it was my everyday foundation. Being radiant but not overly dewy or ‘shiny’, this fit the bill for when the weather began to warm up and my skin turned into more of a dry combination skin type, with more of a normal t-zone compared to my usual all-around dry complexion. I may have to actually pick this up in a darker shade…

Although it is a bitch to remove, especially considering that it is not a waterproof formulation, the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara ($9-11) appears to have replaced Maybelline The Falsies in my heart as my favourite mascara over the last few months – shock-horror. The mascara produces dramatic lashes, both in the volume and length department but the separation offered by the brush keeps the lashes looking natural and defined, away from that clumpy mess. And, the separation from the brush allows this mascara to deliver for both top and bottom lashes. This mascara makes my lashes look ‘pretty amazing’, as in I’ve been complimented in real life for my lashes numerous times while wearing this one and this was while I was wearing glasses if you’re interested.

My love for the Maybelline The Buffs Colorsensational Lipstick in Nude Lust ($9 CDN) didn’t occur overnight — in fact, it’s neutral beige-almost-shadowy undertones put me off originally but over the past few months this shade has become one of my absolute go-tos with its non-drying formula that glides over dry patches, nice longevity and comfort as well as its status as a slightly darker non-ghastly nude that doesn’t pull brown. I don’t normally go for beige undertones in nude lipsticks but this one has convinced me to change my mind on that front; this is the perfect nude that can be worn on an everyday basis, regardless of whether you’re wearing a heavy smoky eye or just minimal makeup.

In general, I’m a real failure when it comes to documenting my nail polish trials and obsessions and this is evidence of one of them. I might not have always had this on my nails but the rosy-tan hue, namely the OPI Nail Polish in Tickle My France-y ($9 CDN) that I got for Christmas in the lovely Take Ten Mini Set from one of my favourite people ever, Lauren, who lets me talk her ear off about beauty products without getting annoyed, has been on my nails the most and I’ve been happy with the way they’ve looked. The formula isn’t the longest lasting ever but it does last above average on my nails and it does take a few coats to build up but the shade isn’t streaky so I can’t complain and it is pretty much foolproof, going with everything and adding some flattering warmth to my nails. I never would have expected to like this hue as it seemed kind of dull but I have to say that this amped-up neutral shade has its merits.

I mentioned the OGX Kukui Oil Frizz-Defying Curl Cream ($9-11 CDN) before in my March Favourites for good reason but as the weather has been getting warmer, I’ve fallen a little bit more in love with the lightweight but hydrating curl cream for my loose curls as it keeps them hydrated whilst keeping them as bouncy as can be and defined. I have the kind of hair that does well with glycerin-heavy lightweight curl creams as the weather gets warmer and this one delivers on that front for a bargain with a luxurious spa-like scent to boot!

I may have only discovered the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($9-12 CDN) at the beginning of April but it’s proved its merits, joining the nightly rotation to remove makeup. Whilst it is mineral-oil heavy, – which is not necessarily a cause for concern – the slightly messy cleansing oil removes everything in seconds without irritating the skin in the slightest (and rather nourishing and soothing the skin) and when emulsified rinses clean. It’s one of those rare affordable cleansers that removes makeup and all that jazz gently (but effectively) while keeping with that luxurious feel, leaving the skin soothed even after its removal.

I have dry skin, to state the obvious but since the weather has become warmer and such, my forehead and t-zone have began to itch closer to behaving like a more normal skin type and the lightweight and fast-absorbing REN Evercalm/Hydracalm Global Protection Day Cream ($54 CDN) has been ideal for soothing the skin and providing hydration without feeling heavy. Although this moisturizer is not necessarily holy-grail material, I think its brilliant on someone with even combination skin to hydrate and soothe without feeling heavy or promoting shininess.

What have your spring essentials been?

Maggie, x.