Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

The Review | Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat

While the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat ($41) is extravagantly priced and doesn’t even come with very much product, coming with a mere 0.15 ounces (costing $273.33/ounce), I have to say that the formula is impeccable and kind of worth the hefty price tag in my blush obsessed opinion. Essentially my thoughts on Diffused Heat remain the same as my thoughts were on the Ethereal Glow shade that I spoke about in great detail in my review here – it has a gorgeous non-powdery texture that blends in synergy with the skin, adding that luminosity without any sort of obvious shimmer particles or sheen.

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The marbleized blush is described as “vibrant poppy” but in my opinion, it’s more accurately a pinky coral with a strong watermelon lean, and more neutral undertones. It has loads of pigmentation so it would be a suitable option even for deeper complexions, unlike the majority of shades in the line. It’s such an instantly brightening shade that can read as a subtle flush with a light hand or more of a dramatically rosy glowing flush – and more importantly the shade with its flattering satin finish is rather unique.

DSC_0627Diffused Heat has become among my favourites, even among my horrifically large blush collection, in the months that I’ve had it. It’s flattering even on uneven texture and dry patches on the cheeks and lasts for the entire day without even fading or starting to look faded or patchy. If you’re into these blushes in the coral shade family and have an interest in trying out the Hourglass Ambient Blush formula, I would highly recommend taking a peek at this shade. I love it especially for low key days where I’m not in the mood to put on loads of makeup and spend a long time doing it, as it adds instant life to the face and makes the skin instantly look less sallow, tired and ill.

DSC_1392Have you tried any of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes?
Maggie, x.

 

The Wishlist-come-Birthday-Gift-Guide

I would normally say that more than one monthly wishlist post would be excessive on my blog but this May there’s going to sort of be two. My birthday is coming in a little bit over a week – I’m not saying this for attention, in fact I’m not a fan of this kind of attention – and after frequently being asked what I would like, I thought it would be interesting and different to put together a Wishlisty gift guide post, highlighting products that I think would be nice to receive as a gift along with a few that I’m lusting after myself:

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• Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer ($58): I might have prophetic insight that I will receive a pot of this multitasking concealer and foundation in SX04 for my birthday or I might have ordered it during the VIB Sale and sold it to my parents to gift it to me for my birthday. Regardless, a nice idea for beauty gift are the more expensive cult favourite products like this one that we might find it difficult to invest in for ourselves. This product has only recently become accessible to me in Canada and thanks to
Sephora’s recent acquisition of a few new hard-to-access brands, we now have access to some of these luxurious brands. It also helps that it should actually conceal without problems on my dry patches

•Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra ($41): I’ve raved endless times about my love for these expensive but gorgeous marbled blushes, and I’ve got my eye on the newly released shade – even though I already own far too many corally glowy blushes. This is another one of those indulgent products that are lovely to receive as a gift, especially because they are difficult to buy for ourselves.

•Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 04 Peach Club ($24): When you’re not 100 percent sure of the recipients make up preferences and what to go for, but you want to give a beauty gift, a nice bright lipstick is the way to go – this moderately priced one is my pick. I adore the comfortable formula of this liquid stain and I think orangey peach shade is a nice brightening one that would suit many

•Caudalie Glycolic Peel ($39): I’m partial to receiving beauty related gifts but I think many females would be thrilled to receive one of these extra pampering products that add a nice ritual to the whole skincare routine once or twice a week, and this gentle peel is particularly attractive to me for this purpose. I’m passionate about gentle acidic products and Caudalie as a brand so this brightening and radiance boosting mask-peel so it was kind of an easy choice. I seriously want to try this product.

•Bath & Body Works Medium Candle in Black Teakwood ($12.50): I think that candles are a great gift but depending on how well you know their scent preferences and their level of obsession with candles, it can be better to go with one of the smaller single wick candles because the scent won’t reach as far, won’t be as potentially as offensive and is not the same level of investment. A safe choice is this repackage of the popular refined and relaxing but cologne-y Mahogany Teakwood.

•Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candle in Black Sands ($22.50): If you’re confident with your choice in candle scents and that your recipient enjoys candles with some strength, I would say to go for one of the classic three wick candles – this ombred-glass number is my current top pick. The packaging is absolutely stunning and the scent is supposedly a mix of aquatic and cologne-y, reminding one of the beach without any of that dreadful coconut. From my own experience, though, I would also recommend Sparking Limeade, Brazilian Blue Waters, Renew & Refresh and Bow Ties & Bourbon.

•’The King’s Curse’ by Phillipa Gregory ($20): I’m a huge lover of books but I think even the less enthusiastic would love to receive a copy of a book such as this one for a present. I would highly recommend any book of Gregory’s Plantagenet series if one has any interest in historical fiction at all – they are relaxing, informative reads that are also highly engaging. I’m eager to read this one, the newest release. Books do make the greatest gifts though, regardless of genre…

 Thoughts?
Maggie, x.

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

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

Face

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

 

Eyes

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

Lips

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

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

The Cold Edit

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Shortly after getting back into the swing of things and heading back to the university routine, I noticed that I was feeling irrationally exhausted and just kind of dazed; fast forward three days of yawning, laziness, fatigue and later on sneezing and congestion and I figured out that a cold was the culprit of things. Thinking back to it, I should have thought about things as soon as the chronic dehydration came in and many areas of my body began to instantly start peeling. Anyways, things are definitely changed up on the beauty front when you’re feeling as gross and groggy as I am and I thought I would chronicle them for you all. Am I the only one feeling under the weather?

I could have gone on for days in the skincare category and I’m not sure whether or not I’m exaggerating here but regardless, these two products that I limited myself to are essentials. I definitely add in my By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil when I feel any sort of illness coming on because it definitely delivers on the hydration and soothing front and my skin becomes dehydrated and irritated as soon as I’m hit with some sort of illness. Recently, I’ve tried out using the oil as a serum, prior to moisturizer and this really gives the skin an extra boost — and a much appreciated one at that. Being an oil, it also helps to combat the dull skin that becomes constant whenever I’m feeling like I am at the moment. I mention my problematically chapped lips frequently but they do get even worse with the dreaded cold and carrying around a balm that is both very nourishing and easy to apply out and about is essential; for me, the ideal choice is the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick, which is a lovely new addition to my whole skincare regime.

I’m going to be honest here and speak the truth that I’m less likely to get up early to brave the shower in the mornings quite as much as I should so a little bit of perfume to ensure things are smelling fresh and nice tends to be a welcome step. I’m definitely not typically a body spray girl but the Victoria’s Secret Pink Warm & Cozy Body Spray has blown me away as a warm vanilla-themed scent that instantly makes you smell nice and feel relaxed and cozy in the most low-key of ways. The next product could have been included in skincare because its sold as such but I don’t tend to count these spray cans of glorified water as skincare, however I love reaching for the Vichy Thermal Spa Water to help the makeup sit on my dull and dehydrated skin the most seamlessly — plus, the whole spritzing action feels pretty great, too!

Primer is not something that I can find myself reaching for daily because I can’t necessarily always view the step as worthwhile but on sick skin the Annabelle Colour Control Instant Perfecting Luminous Finish Base can make a big difference in the nicest of way; the hydrating opalescent liquid both delivers on the glow-giving front and helps the foundation to sit nicely over drier skin. In very much of a similar vein, the Bourjois 10-Hour Sleep Effect Foundation is a staple for me. The rather affordable foundation is quite possibly the foundation that makes my skin look the most luminous and it glides over dry patches the best out of any that I own. The Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque is something that I rely on regularly for camouflaging my dark circles without much effort but when I’m sick it’s doubly as important and when I experiment with anything else, it tends to be rather disastrous.

I’m a bronzer girl through and through but it’s dull days like these where it can make the most of a difference and as you might expect, the one I’ve been showing love is my favourite L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in Universal Sun. In the million times that I’ve mentioned this, I’ve repeated this fact constantly but the lovely deeper red-toned bronzer has the nicest texture and formula and it had to be said. There’s another cheek product that I’m afraid I must declare my love for again here because it just adds life back to the face with minimal effort involved and that product is the satiny Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow.

I’m also aware that an eyeliner is a weird choice here but being someone who doesn’t like their makeup without eyeliner being involved but cannot standwearing heavy or intense liner (and eye makeup in general) when I’m feeling as such — honestly, if it’s too much, I will start to feel drained when I look in the mirror and instantly remove my entire face. Anyway, this bronzy liner, the Marc Jacobs Beauty Hi(Liner) in Brown(Out) strikes the perfect balance of adding adequate definition while not being effortful or overly dramatic and it has the most magical formula to boot, gliding on and staying on like a dream. As nice and energizing that wearing some colour on your lips can be, I tend to favour something much lower maintenance but still flattering and brightening, so I tend to reach for the naturally rosy Annabelle Lip Liner in Demure and a neutral rosy lipstick to wear on top. I would be temped to forever go for my beloved MAC Patisserie, but I’ve found that colours that are a little deeper, in the rosy mauve family can be nice for a change when in those forgiving sheerer formulas like today’s pick, the L’Oreal Collection Privee Lipstick in Eva’s Nude.

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I thought it would be nice to provide links for these products below and a few of them are of the affiliate variety, as a disclaimer, except for the foundation and blush that I couldn’t locate online.

The Products

L’Oreal Collection Privee Colour Riche Lipstick in Eva’s Nude ($10.99) | Annabelle Lipliner in Demure ($5.95) | Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Brown(Out) ($30) | Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30) | Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) | Annabelle Colour Control Luminous Finish Instant Perfecting Base ($16.95) | Vichy Thermal Spa Water ($11.95) | PINK Warm & Cozy Body Mist ($18) |  Nuxe Rêve de Miel® Lip Moisturizing Stick($7) | By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($22-26)

What beauty products do you reach for when you’re feeling under the weather?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

5 Current Lusts #3: July

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Considering that it’s only my second week of switching my posts up on Sundays but nevertheless, I have to say that I’m enjoying it thus far. I could easily call this a Weekend Wishlist kind of post as it follows that sort of lazy and relaxed mindset but I’ve restrained myself. And weirdly enough, wish lists keep my spending closer to in line and I imagine it will help more than hurt the no-buy situation at present.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Serum Foundation in 52 ($27)

As if by any stretch of the imagination I have any reason to pick up yet another foundation… alas, I have to include this one as it’s next on the seemingly never-ending list. Note: I fully acknowledge that I have a foundation-hoarding problem. Now that I’ve tried (and consequently have fallen in love with) a Chanel foundation, I can say that the Bourjois foundations remind me of the much more expensive brand, remaining thin and lightweight on the skin while giving the illusion of naked but more luminous skin — so obviously I need to try another one of their foundations, particularly one in a shade that will actually match me throughout my paler months. There is also the fact that my most trusted sources unanimously praise this one for its ability to glide over dry patches and give a glow to the skin.

Bath and Body Works Espresso Bar Small Candle ($10 – on for $5)

I’m not someone who is usually sensitive to scents but I can’t seem to go into Bath & Body Works for any length of time without acquiring a headache so I haven’t ever tried any of their products and even more, I haven’t burned a scented candle once in my life but I’ve decided that I wanted to try one as the idea of the whole soothing experience appeals to me. While it might not be the most seasonally-appropriate, there’s not much I love as much as the smell of coffee and if this delivers and I manage to safely deal with matches and/or a lighter, thinks look promising.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat ($41)

Unless you’ve only stumbled upon this post by chance, it’s a given that you’ve read at least one post where I wax poetically on about the cooler pink Ethereal Glow that I splurged on in the April Sephora sale and I’ve made a dent in that one — don’t know how I feel about that — so I obviously *need* (jokes) another; the one I’m lusting after is the true warm-toned coral, Diffused Heat. I’m a coral blush addict but this one seems to be a fairly true coral which is definitely a little different than my typical pink-tinged ones and if it performs anything like Ethereal Glow, it will be life changing with it’s soft-focus glowy-but-not-shimmery effect.

 MAC Eyeshadow in Smut ($12/18)

I’ve been massively into the shades in my almost-full (eek!) MAC palette as of late but as I love a good smoky eye, it’s becoming particularly noticeable to me that I’m lacking that ultra-dark/black shade for the outer corner and lash line — Smut strikes me as the ideal shade. This shade is so dark that it’s almost black, the deepest of browns with some plum and grey thrown into the mix and is supposedly much nicer in texture to work with than many of MAC’s other deep shades are to boot! Plus, the slight dirty tone to the shade deeply appeals to me.

Aldo ‘Cagno’ Bag ($60)

I could definitely use a new everyday bag right now but I’m persevering despite having a bag or two wearing out on me and Aldo makes nice ones at a decent price. I’m still absolutely obsessed with anything grey and I love the different coloured sides and it appears rather roomy with a cross-body option so it should also work throughout the year when I’m in classes. It looks like it will easily fit my laptop and general obsessive tendencies when packing my bag.

What items are on your wishlist?
Maggie, x.

The Daily Highlights 07.16.2014

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Before I really get into things here, there are two things that I want to say and if we’re lucky, these two things won’t turn into a novella… First, I’m in this weird blogging funk where I have so many blog post ideas but as a result am unable to commit to one of them and therefore unable to bring anything into fruition and secondly, for some reason that I appear to be unable to articulate or even think about with any sort of coherence, I am even less competent at taking decent selfies with my new and improved camera than on the good ol’ iPhone. The point of the second thought? A picture or two of lesser quality might appear in this post seeing as I was unable to capture an aspect or two of the daily face otherwise. And I have the need to ramble, even if it is through typing.

L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in Universal Sun: Given the number of times I’ve made declarations of my love for this bronzer, it shouldn’t be surprising that I can’t put it down and that I don’t want to. With it’s pigmented and creamy soft-matte texture, it’s the most forgiving true warm red-toned bronzer; it works to add authentic-looking colour to the skin but also seems to be able to help with a bit of cheekbone sculpting as well. Love.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation:It seems like many absolutely adore this foundation and place it as superior to all others but I don’t exactly fit into that camp — I go through phases of liking it but find myself resenting it and putting it away for months at a time. If you ask me, it’s one of those products that only works well when applied in the most precise of ways and with it’s tendency to highlight dry patches on the face, it can easily look very obvious on the skin and isn’t the easiest to sheer out either. However, I applied it optimally today when I decided to pull it out and I instantly remembered why it was worth putting the effort to prime the skin for it and spend ages massaging it into the skin. This is one that I like to be very well moisturizer for and applying a primer on top doesn’t hurt either.

MAC Creme d’Nude Lipstick:I know I’ve gone on before about how this shade was my first lipstick love but now I tend to find it difficult to wear unless I’m sporting a serious smokey eye as it washes me out but when I paired it with a neutral lipliner today, it was perfection. The creamy formula does show the most severe of all dry patches but other than that, it can’t be faulted when applied in this way. When the concealer lip effect is eliminated, this warm peachy nude shade is gorgeous. Note to self: apply in this manner more often.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow:I may have stopped constantly declaring my love for this cool-toned pink blush, shot through with marbelized pale opal veining, however, I still love this blush to pieces for giving that gorgeous pink rosy glow to the cheeks. It actually helps with diffusing imperfections which is nice and I can’t exactly explain why I love this one so much – I just do. With a little more colour to my skin this one does require a little more building up though, but that’s to be expected with such a muted colour. I’m in need of at least one more shade of these. Ahh — run, wallet, run!

Have you tried any of these? What products have caught your attention today?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

The Daily Face #14: The Usual + Unseasonal Lip Favourite

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While putting together these posts, I’ve noticed an unwavering pattern of mine — forgetting to picture one or two of the crucial products — but it’s no time to change habits now. Of course, the first item to grace my face is absent here, the satisfyingly ashy L’Oreal Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde ($11-12 CDN) was applied through the brows, brushed out with the decent little spoolie and set with the gel at the other end of the pencil; I picked this up yesterday when I was strolling around the aisles of the drugstore and was reminded of my mission to find a brow product that isn’t ridiculously red and horrible on a budget and I think I’ve succeeded. However, I think this is quite a dark shade for blondes but I could be wrong.

Accepting the slight possibility that the weather outside could potentially warm up to warrant some sort of sun protection, I pulled out the lightweight and luminous spf-45-laden Skin79 BB Cream (appx $36 CDN) and blended it in with my fingers. Because there are obvious remnants of that breakout from a few weeks back across my cheeks, temples and chin, I had to go for the big guns er the Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette in 1 ($45 CDN) and obviously I counteracted my hereditary dark circles easily with the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN).

I decided to go onto my eyes before finishing the whole face detail situation, beginning by priming with the MAC Prolongwear Paint Pot in Layin’ Low ($25 CDN), before going in with Buzz, Liar, Limit, Factory and Blackheart from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN); Buzz and Liar were combined on the brush to go for less of a light lid shade, Limit was blended into the crease lazily as one does, Factory was applied somewhat liberally through the outer corners of the eyes and Blackheart was applied in a more precise manner along the outer-v and lower lashline. And because I’m someone who just kind of needs liner, I went for a thin flick of the much-adored L’Oreal Lineur Intense.The mascara in use was a new one, the Revlon Bold Lacquer By Grow Luscious Mascara,which was a pleasantly dry formula that reminded me instantly of Benefit Bad Gal – this is not a bad thing – and I’ll be pleased with this one if it removes a little bit easier than the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess…

Now that it’s actually getting sunny and such outside, I’ve been getting into the warm bronzers — this one is the creamy Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan ($10-11 CDN) — and I perhaps got a little too bronzer happy along the hairline, I must admit. I just haven’t been able to put down the seemingly-dull-but-divine Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41 CDN)and I believe that in light of this, it has earned its place in this blush-hoarders hall of fame. And I was feeling some highlighter on the cheekbones, so I went for the long-since-unavailable MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Semi-Precious Pearl.

This isn’t a truly new lip colour for me as I’ve worn the shade loads before but as I actually seem to have lost this shade and legitimately missed it, I picked up another Revlon Lacquer Balm in Enticing ($9-10 CDN).I know the deeper neutral red isn’t the most appropriate shade for this time of year but I’ve been really enjoying this kind of bold-ish lip on myself and the formula is stunningly comfortable – what more could you want?

Have you tried any of these products?

Maggie, x.

 

 

The Spring Makeup Update

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We don’t really get that graduated transmogrification from the earliest signs of springtime to full-blown spring here, but rather it was snowing until a few weeks back and now it’s about 20 degrees and being an individual who typically feels generally warm, I’ve been wearing shorts so some of my recomendations here might be on the summer-esque end of the spectrum, so be warned. You know the drill; I’m not someone who believes that the seasons completely bind what makeup shades can be worn at a specific time but I do admit, I do enjoy these little changes in the daily routine to go along with the weather conditions. So here are my thoughts about these little changes:

The Transitional Bronzer: Throughout the winter, I tended to go for much cooler-toned products to shape my face such as my loved MAC Harmony, but as we come into warmer weather and are left looking a bit drained and dull from the winter – and pale in my case – we want to go for that golden glow, but it’s easy to go too far to the orange artificial-looking side of things. Simply put, you want a shade that will add warmth without having too artificial of an undertone or being too dark in contrast to your skin and for me this is the Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan($10). However, the shade is quite a warm-toned one that can lean on the orange side of things but is not particularly dark and the cream texture blends like a dream but I have fair skin that’s on the warmer side of things so I can suit warmer shades without going overboard, I think. I tend to apply it like a contour on my cheekbones and then blend it out towards my temples with the leftover product on the brush because I like the added definition on the cheekbones.

The Weightless Heat-Resistant Base: I know that we don’t typically use the world ‘base’ here in Canada to describe products that are applied all over the face but it was the only term that seemed to encompass foundations, tinted moisturizers and all the BB/CC creams in existence. Even though it may mean extra effort as far as concealer is concerned, there is something refreshing and appropriate with going for a somewhat sheerer, skin-like option on the face. However, this does not necessarily mean going for the dewiest thing in the world regardless of skin-type as I think it is important to make sure that it’s a low-maintenance option for all day wear despite the warming weather and the impending doom of oil-production. I’m definitely on the drier end of the spectrum but I think that my current love the Diorskin Nude Skin Glowing Makeup ($48) would also suit those with an oilier t-zone with its medium-coverage satin finish with a glow that appears skin-like. Weirdly enough, I’m almost always sensitive to chemical sunscreen but not the chemical sunscreen in this one but I’m not one to complain about this all-in-one everyday kind of foundation.

The Coral Lipstick: I’m sure some of you are not surprised about this one as I take any reason I can to go for anything of the coral variety but in this case I think it’s generally appropriate. Despite the fact that I find the formula unflattering on any sort of dry patches on my lips, I’ve been going for the softer tangerine-coloured Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Mischievous ($9) that lies on the more orange-end of the spectrum – but hey, orange is supposed to be particularly trendy this summer and it tends to suit me so I’m not going to complain.

The Subtle Gold Shadow: While I veer towards warmer shadows throughout the year given my colouring, I’m particularly drawn to them in the warmer seasons and MAC Woodwinked ($12/18) — second from left in the bottom row in the picture — has that golden tone to it but has that muted quality that makes it more Spring-appropriate and soft. The shadow is a cult-favourite for a reason, applying like a dream and staying put with ease.

The Expected Pink-y Blush: There’s nothing that screams Spring like that true pink flush of colour on the cheeks. Although I’m not wearing it in the above photo, I have been in love with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) and wearing the satiny pale-pink that leans on the cooler side of things but is actually flattering and noticeable on my warm-leaning skin. The finish and texture of the blush seems to make it worthwhile the hefty price tag and it’s one of those easy blushes that gives you that flush to the cheeks that works with any sort of eye makeup or lip makeup craziness.

How have you updated your daily makeup for Spring?

Maggie, x.