makeup

Weekly Medley #49

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My, my, has time flown by … since I started writing these posts last January, in the most unbelievable way – but I digress. Back on Monday, I headed back into classes and began the winter semester, emerging myself back into that whole life completely. I’m exhausted and it’s sort of ridiculous that I’ve only been back a full week but in some ways it feels like I did not actually have a holiday break in the first place. It has been one of those week that manages to both feel like the longest and shortest ones ever. When you’re exhausted in the mornings (and afternoons too to be completely honest), time feels like its frozen and its hard to believe that only an hour has passed when it feels like an eternity that you have to endure three more times that day, but in terms of being a productive human being and accomplish your designated tasks, time seemed to slip between my fingers. Another common feature of my week was just how cold and how typically Canadian it has been this week, with temperatures going between freezing and -20 plus a generous windchill. We might have had a mild December around these parts, but now winter has definitely hit us full force. I should have taken notice of this when I referred to a -2 degree day as nice weather in conversation without even a hint of sarcasm.

I’m actually quite a fan of the cold weather, as I tend to get perpetually overheated, can tolerate low temperatures surprisingly well and kind of adore that whole cozy feeling, but the unpleasant side effects are certainly there – the perpetual skin dryness, having to leave extra-early in the morning, the need for gloves etc. and generally questionable road conditions. Going with that whole cozy theme, I have been enjoying lazing around in my room underneath my covers, or under a blanket when I’m not just casually hanging out in bed with the gloriously relaxing Target Be Peaceful Jar Candle($12.49) burning in the background. The soy candle is not overwhelming in the slightest in the way that some other candles can be and has been a much appreciated Christmas gift from the mother as the lavender and eucalyptus scent is just so relaxing, calming and mellowing.

On Thursday, I finally managed to post my Top Fourteen Products of 2014 and it was kind of ridiculously laborious, even by my standards. As I’ve mentioned before, I spent eons debating which products deserved to be included in the post but even outside of that, I had this sort of block against writing it in full so I wrote it bit by bit in chunks, beginning on Monday. Long ramble aside, I’m very pleased with how it turned out and have not questioned any of my choices – as of yet. The weekend brought a nice dose of rest and pure relaxation and also spending money on two things. The first happened on Friday, when I was strolling around town and suddenly found myself surrounded by Chanel makeup and at the cash with my second Chanel product ever, the Chanel Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour in 57 Darling Pink ($39)  In my defense, I had received Christmas money and I could not resist the good feeling that comes from retail therapy-ing your sorrows away even in the smallest of doses. I’m pleased yet mildly terrified to report that the stain gloss duo somehow is the most ridiculously long-wearing lip product ever while being pleasantly silky to apply and not particularly drying or irritating on the lips whatsoever. I’m stopping myself before I dedicate a couple of paragraphs to my newfound lip product love even before I’ve had it for three days. The second thing I spent money on was movie tickets – something I rarely do – and on Saturday, I dragged my migraine-afflicted but out of bed to attend Exodus: Gods and Kings with two of my long-time close friends. Believe it or not, it was worth the money and I actually found myself enjoying the length biblical biopic even outside the amazingly beautiful ancient scenery. I’ll give you a warning about the movie, though: don’t expect it to be anything faith-affirming.

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

Last Night’s Daily Highlights 12.31.2014

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I was not lying – or being anything but genuine – when I went on and on about how excited I was to be able to move my attention back to blogging frequently with the time dedicated that it deserved as soon as I finished exams but somehow the promised blogging action did not quite happen. To be completely honest, I discovered that I was burned out and with family constantly around and a surprising amount of things to do, I did not have the energy to even blog about the things that I love most; I didn’t have the energy to do anything but lounge around in my pajamas, drink copious amounts of coffee, binge-watch youtube videos and netflix and make a dent in the books I got for Christmas to read for fun. But now on the very first day of the new year, I’m back with gusto and ready to rumble and by rumble I mean ramble about my most loved beauty products with a few others thrown in. I had a deliciously mellow NYE with some of my closest friends, a nice little game of the classic Cards Against Humanity and some low-key drinks and I thought I would share some of my favourite things for the night. And don’t roll over in disbelief, I have some non beauty products to share as well.

I’ll begin with the more fashiony bits, but just to warn you, my evening was beyond casual so there’s not particularly interesting and coincidentally they were both Christmas gifts – and much-appreciated ones at that, I might add. My most extravagant gift came from the parents of course, and it was the Fossil Sydney Crossbody Handbag in Taupe, my first leather bag that I love and was absolutely shocked to unwrap. I enjoy a good handbag and often find myself admiring the most gorgeous ones, but I have trouble putting the investment into a higher quality one so I was thrilled to find one in my possession and it doesn’t hurt that it was an actual practical purchase, being a small bag, as I tend to go for the larger ones that can hold the kitchen sink. In a nutshell, I love the quality and versatility of the bag, the fact that it’s a practical crossbody with two nice compartments inside. I’ll stop now. The other fashiony item worthy of note was the Garage Tartan Scarf, another lovely part of my Christmas gift from my friend Laura and her family and I love it because it looks nice and all that jazz along with being practical and warm in our recent cold winter weather. I never thought I would be a tartan kind of girl but I have to say that its yet another nice addition to my large scarf collection. It doesn’t hurt that it’s mega soft, either.

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Now we are moving onto makeup, beginning with the newest product to me, the L’Oreal Paris Lineur Intense Brush Tip Eyeliner in Carbon Black that I picked up a few days before Christmas in hopes to be able to create a more precise wing on account of the wetter texture. While this liner is definitely one of those traditional difficult-to-use liners that I’ve always shied away from, I have to say that when I have the patience and the steady hand required, I love the precision that this provides while creating a little wing. Even though I certainly was not doing much, I wanted to go for quite the smoky eye, as I tend to do and the majority of this was based around my MAC Eyeshadow Quad; believe it or not, I actually neglected Coquette completely, reaching for All That Glitters all over the lid, Soft Brown through the crease and Smut in the outer v to add that smokiness. On the lips were a fairly recently acquired product, the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita and I’m leaning towards feeling devastated that I’ve been ignoring the perfect rosy hued lip pencil in recent weeks in favour of either full-on bold lips or my typical sheerer nude shades.

DSC_0100I’ve raved about the DiorSkin Star Fluid Foundation a good number of times in the last few months but I couldn’t resist mentioning it again. Sidenote: I do insist that my long ago promised review of this foundation will happen soon but my love of it is so strong that I take reviewing it as something that must be done in precise detail. Although the foundation in shade 20 is not my ideal winter shade, I’ve been making it work by actually applying it down my neck and that’s the only somewhat negative thing I can say, this foundation is so good. It’s flattering on my dry patches, lasts a ridiculous long time and just looks like natural but perfected luminous skin. The last makeupy bit that I just had to mention on account of the awe I felt after applying it was the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Rasberry/Opal. It’s the most gorgeous luminous mellowed-out wine toned blush and despite having a mousse-come-cream texture, it might just have the easiest and most foolproof application method, just tabbed on with the fingers. The glow is crazy and I’m pretty sure I could apply this nicely very drunk or half asleep.

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My apologies for the questionable iPhone photos! How was your NYE?
Maggie, x.

The Monday Morning Edit

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Sometimes I think that it’s these posts that detail the products that you reach for consistently through your rushed and exhausted times can be the most telling, so inspired by Suzie’s post from ages ago, I thought I would show you a few of the products that I find myself reaching for on a rushed Monday morning, even when it hurts open my eyes in order to find them in the piled assortment that is my makeup.

MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette ($21)

When I’m in that zombie-esque state and can barely make it out of bed and change into real clothes, the last thing I want to do is mess around with my brows but still, I do feel that filling them in in some shape or form can make a huge difference. Enter this budgeproof tinted brow gel. Within moments, I can have my brows tamed and looking decent and the colour actually is appropriately cool-toned.

L’Oreal Miss Manga Mascara ($9)

While admittedly this mascara has improved in my books drastically since drying out a bit and being exposed to air, it still is not one of my favourites overall but it has its charms when you’re pressed for time and want as much lash drama going on with the most minimal time and effort involved this one really has ticked all of the boxes. It can bee a wee bit clumpier than I would like but it looks great when you just shove a little on prior to heading out the door – it’s not one that works when you attempt to spend time building it.

MAC Kohl Power Pencil in Feline ($19)

I know I’m in the minority when I honestly say that eyeliner is something that I have to reach for even when my abilities to hold my hand steady to draw a smooth line might be compromised and this one is a good option in this case because it applies nice and creamily smooth with impressive pigment and smudges out nicely, quickly masking any imperfections in the application. This liner gives instant impact but isn’t too crazy but it might not be ideal for anyone with smudging issues.

NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46)

I’m a girl who likes cheekbone definition whenever there’s any sort of makeup application involved so a contouring powder or a bronzer is a given, but this duo of shades is the most practical and nears the realm of being fool-proof. The rosy tan is a gorgeous contour shade that easily builds up to the desired (but subtle) intensity and the creamy shade serves another purpose, helping to brighten up the dark circle situation while ensuring that the concealer won’t suddenly be all over the face.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-Ist ($23)

I’ll spare you from the usual yammering on about the power of a bold lip to instantly brighten the complexion and all that jazz but the principle applies, however, on days when you wake as exhausted as I do, you don’t want to have to think about what to wear and have to worry about the maintenance and this liquid lipstick ticks all of the boxes. It’s a somewhat bold rosy shade that isn’t quite so much of a statement as a red that also wears like a champ and doesn’t transfer after it sets and lasts like a champ throughout the day. Obviously, it’s not disgusting on chapped lips either. You know how it is for me…

Annabelle Colour Control Instant Perfecting Luminous Finish Base ($17)

There’s something about those trance-like Monday mornings that seem to be associated with dull lackluster skin that you don’t exactly have time to dominate in the traditional way, so enter a radiance-boosting primer that both adds the glow factor and helps keep things a little bit smoother on the face.

What are your Monday essentials?
Maggie, x.

August Favourites

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DSC_0451Ahh, I suppose the summer is now coming to an end and to be honest, I’m not particularly sad about it for two different reasons. First off, I’m beyond done with the hot summer weather and am ready for more than a little bit of cooling down and also, this summer wasn’t a great one for me and I’m ready for a change of scenery. I’m sure I’ll change my mind as soon as the stress sets in, though. This month brought a smaller selection of products than my usual but I’m definitely pleased with this bunch as a whole… This post does contain affiliate links too.

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The Bath & Body Works 3 Wick Candle in Beach Day ($10.50 on clearance – now) was my first foray into the world of Bath & Body Works scented candles and I’ve been obsessed with this light and unoffensive but potent scent. I smells like a relaxing beach day, reading on the beach and the gentle crash of waves with the light lemon and lime, saltwater and light citrusy musk scent. It’s a nice relaxing and low-key scent that lingers nicely. Plus, finding this one on sale was rather nice and it softened the blow of spending fifty dollars on candles.

Also, on the “non beauty” front, I’ve been obsessed with my Forever 21 Coffee Understands PJ Set ($15.80). This should not be a surprise because I’m one of those people who are obsessed with comfort and these fit the bill on that one and somehow seem more appropriate to be lounging around in at random hours of the day than mismatched tops and bottoms. The set is nice and lightweight which was key for the weather earlier in the month and I do adore the cheeky and true ‘nobody understands me like coffee does‘ lettering on the top and the printed shorts. I’m saying that I wore out the top portion in public but I may have been spotted leaving the house, wearing it with leggings…

Before venturing into the usual charted territory, I have two more mentionables of the more random variety. I’ve been really loving watching Suits this month and I may or may not have had a slight binge watching episode where I went through three seasons in less than 24 hours. Without paying attention, I grabbed the fifteen dollar special issue of People Style Watch and despite its purchase happening my accident, I adored the ad-free issue. I loved how it wasn’t based on actual pieces or selling of items but rather about styling outfits for everyday life. The price-tag on this one was rather hefty but it might actually have been worthwhile – it did help me with recognizing what kind of pieces I’m looking for and what is essential/extraneous.

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By the second week of the month, I had pulled out the muted neon peach MAC Lipstick in Sweet And Sour ($19) and since, I have not put it down or gone many places without it. I will admit that it’s not gorgeous when my lips are looking a bit horrific but at a certain point, I couldn’t muster the effort to care and the gorgeous colour was worth it. It’s one of those shades that adds some colour to the face but isn’t out there in the slightest. In the latter half of the month, I had gotten lazy on the lip balm front and then managed to burn my lips — ow / ew — so I wasn’t reaching for the matte formulation as much, but I also enjoyed the flattering darker peachy-nude shade, known as the MAC Lipstick Kinda Sexy ($19). Despite being a matte formulation, this lipstick manages not to dry out my lips and isn’t completely unflattering on them either — unless they are both flaking and peeling…

Around the midpoint of the month, I picked up a few things at MAC, shortly after making an order to Sephora online and there are two products that were late to the party but I fell in love with so instantly that they were begging to be mentioned. It’s been almost every day that I’ve been reaching for the creamy and jet black MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline ($19) and I’ve been adoring it. The pencil glides on as smoothly as any one has before with almost a liquid-like appearance and can be smudged nicely until it sets, when it becomes long-wearing. Its only faults are how difficult it is to remove without an oil based remover and that it transfers from lower to upper waterlines so easily. Because of the formula, this pencil can reach small spaces that other pencils cannot and I’ve been enjoying this.

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Since receiving the NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46) with my Sephora shipment, I don’t think I’ve put on any makeup without going for the contour portion of this duo. It doesn’t look that amazing in the pan — it’s really a rosy tan shade — but its formula is so amazing that it provides an ‘instant cheekbones’ kind of sculpted effect without much effort at all. I’m in love.

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I wore the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette ($67) consistently this month, as I had in July but this month I was much more consistently pleased with the result. To be honest, I don’t use the golden Radiant Light powder often at all, but the other two shades were consistently gracing my face. Dim Light is a nice finishing powder that adds a bit of glow while blurring things slightly and I’ve been enjoying this as I’ve discovered not to put this on the sides of my forehead – it tends to look weird and out of place there — and Incandescent Light is a lovely subtle highlighter that simply reads as a glow on the skin that I’ve also been using to set my under-eye section. I reviewed the palette in full here, if you’re interested.

What were your standout products this August?
Maggie, x.

10 Indulgent Sunday Staples

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I’m not going to attempt to delude myself and anyone reading this into thinking that laziest of Sundays make an appearance in my life, involving no makeup, wearing glorified sweatpants and nothing particularly indulgent aside from never leaving my bed and eating multiple bags of chips and the like; however, there are definitely Sundays (of the quite enjoyable variety) where I do like to feel a bit more pulled together, using an edited selection of beauty bits to pamper myself whilst keeping the whole day relaxed and low-key. I’m awfully pleased to talk about ten of them below and these are by no means products that I confine my use of to the weekends.

Lush African Paradise Body Conditioner ($39.95) – I am not someone who would describe themselves as committed to the “natural” effort and this is dominantly because I believe that most “natural” products only differ from the other ones on the market due to marketing, inflated prices and the addition of irritating so-called natural fragrance; considering this, it is rather shocking that I bought and haven’t returned this rinse-off body moisturizer. Despite its gorgeous-albeit-potent fragrance — it smells rich and musky and powdery in the best way possible — the rich cream doesn’t seem to irritate my eczema patches on my legs or any other region of my sensitive skin and leaves my skin nourished.While I do like using it as a rinse-off hydrator, I won’t deny that I’ve been naughty and have been using it in an alternative way to the recommended one. I actually have been enjoying using the cream as a moisturizer without rinsing it off and I might prefer it in this fashion because my skin is so dry and irritated that a heavier cream is by no means problematic.

Jergen’s Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer in Medium to Tan ($9-10) – This is yet another moisturizer that not only agrees with my sensitive and irritated skin but actively soothes it and although it’s a tanning body-moisturizer I would use it in the place of the Lush Body Conditioner, not with it which is lovely considering the much lower price tag. I could easily use this on an everyday basis and I was for a few months earlier but throughout the week, I don’t tend to have the energy to bother with having to make sure the product is applied evenly and that it’s washed off of my hands shortly after. However, it’s a lovely treat as it leaves the body nourished whilst leaving behind a nice natural-looking “tan”.

Pureology Precious Oils Softening Hair Masque ($50) – I will admit that this step — the taking the time to apply a conditioning treatment to my hair overnight — is one that I do much less frequently than I should but it is one of the most worthwhile pampering steps, considering my hair. The expensive treatment not only smells like herbal-y paradise but offers concentrated nourishment that doesn’t weigh down my hair while detangling it and leaving it bouncy and hydrated. Unfortunately for my bank balance, this one is actually worth the price tag and it’s a lovely one to use in the place of conditioner or as a more intensive treatment.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask ($29) – Although this is only my second foray into the world of hydrating face masks, I’m confident that I can declare this one as a spectacular offering. I don’t care for the peach scent but it definitely is not bothersome and it doesn’t feel particularly heavy on the skin while offering great results — ridding the skin of flaky dry patches overnight and soothing and hydrating things impressively. Plus, when you wake up the next day, it’s obvious that my skin just looks better. This step also takes little to no effort, so my lazy side approves.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Rollerball ($26) – As at least a few of you must be already aware, I’m not a fragrance girl but recently I have been converted, loving the energized and perked-up effect that a little bit of scent can provide and this is one of the ones responsible. Without being overpowering, this musky and spicy vanilla-based scent makes me feel confident without screaming mature or juvenile in the slightest. I may be upgrading my sample to a larger bottle soon…

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Close for Comfort ($20?)  – I was not a happy camper when I was informed that the whole line of tinted lip balms from MAC were discontinued. I bought this limited-edition shade years ago and forgot about it for ages but I’ve really fallen in love with this formula that is a fantastic balm on its own but also adds a nice low-maintenance dose of colour and obviously I’m still not over it. It has that typical vanilla-smell but what I love most about this one is its status as a balm-lipcolour hybrid. Not that it matters because it’s no longer available, this shade is a lovely neutral one with rosy-brown undertones that adds a dose of life to my lips. However, the Fresh Tinted Balms strike me as similar – any thoughts of confirmation?

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup in 10 ($48) – As shocked as I am to be typing this, considering that this foundation contains some alcohol and has a velvety finish — and I hate dehydrated, dull and sensitive skin — I do believe that this might actually be my favourite foundation and I’m certain that it’s my favourite for lazy day application. Without sacrificing on the glow or coverage front, this lightweight foundation applies within seconds with my fingers and looks and feels seamless on the skin and it’s an added bonus that it looks amazing for ages and ages.

MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette ($21) – When there isn’t much going on in terms of makeup, a little bit of brow definition/taming can be a gamechanger and this tinted gel fits the bill perfectly; the result is natural but budgeproof and requires the most minimal of effort. I’ve been mentioning this loads lately but have only been doing so because it’s so good and basic.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24-Hour Cream-Gel Shadow ($9) – It should be no secret that I’m an eyeshadow girl but the whole blending four colours situation isn’t exactly compatible with low-effort Sunday makeup and using this base-shadow hybrid is the easiest compromise. You just whack some onto the lids for some definition and blend slightly with fingers and viola! It is indeed that easy. My favourite shades are Barely Branded, Bad To The Bronze and the limited-edition Nude Compliment.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black ($9-11) – As much as I love eyeshadow, it doesn’t even compare to the love I feel for eyeliner. Liner is a makeup essential for me and while it definitely does not have to be of the liquid or gel variety, I tend to favour the quickly added definition of a small-flick on these days as it’s quick to do but adds that instant polish with the least work. Standard.

I will admit that I’ve been a little MIA lately but my posting should be back on track soon. What are a few of your Sunday staples?
Maggie, x.

Beauty Thoughts: The Verdict

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Even for those of us in the blogging world that are neither sent the newest releases constantly nor are able to shell out recklessly for them, there are many beauty products that fall through the cracks after they are initially purchased — some will be granted reviews, some will be mentioned in passing but there are so many products left untalked about. I’m hoping to talk about some of the untalked about here without being incessantly wordy and detailed – hope being the key word here. By the way, these are exclusively products of the drugstore variety.

L’Oreal Miss Manga Mascara ($9-11 CDN)

I’m usually such a L’Oreal mascara fan and I’ve heard such great things about their latest mascara offering from my most trusted of sources, but for me this mascara is far too wet and much too clumpy for my liking. Although I have only had this for a short amount of time, I can safely say that I dislike it; however, I fully expect that I will dislike it less as it dries out but I’m not expecting miracles. Also, in typical L’Oreal fashion, it is difficult to remove despite not being a waterproof formulation.

Revlon Age Defying Firming + Lifting Makeup ($18 CDN)

Now I certainly did not go for this foundation offering to combat wrinkles (I’m merely 20) but as a foundation, I’m not wholeheartedly impressed with this one and I wouldn’t expect anything miraculous if wrinkles are your concern here. The funny thing is that I can’t say anything particularly bad about this longwearing medium-buildable coverage foundation but it lacked the quality of blending seamlessly into the skin and making the skin look smoother, radiant and improved rather than merely covering the skin itself. It has a satin finish, as well, and it doesn’t cling to dry patches particularly but it doesn’t leave the skin looking radiant or brightened. The shame is that my colour match was pretty good — Bare Buff, the second lightest shade in the range suited my moderately fair skin with warm beige-yellow undertones nicely. Plus, it’s not the cheapest thing out there.

Revlon Matte Balm in 230 Complex ($9-10 CDN)

I’ve said before that I was actually rather disappointed in Revlon’s matte balm offering, finding it slightly drying on the lips with the potent mint sensation and less than flattering over dry patches, but after everyone has raved about them and I’ve seen the gorgeous colour selection, I had to pick up another shade … for testing purposes, obviously. Unfortunately, I wasn’t any more impressed with the formula when I picked up this lovely peachy nude shade which was rather disappointing as I love the warm-toned flattering darker nude hue. They do wear on the lips for a long time, though. I’m still curious if the darker shades are more flattering on the lips as both of the shades I’ve tried are on the lighter side of things and their bold range is amazing – any thoughts?

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Revlon Colorstay Concealer ($10-12 CDN)

Believe it or not, I am actually moving into the territory of products that I actually wholeheartedly like. Despite not being among the fairest of the fair, I have great difficulty finding concealers of the drugstore variety that are neither too pink, too orange, too yellow while not being too dark but the beige undertones of 02 Light suit my skin like a champ for concealing blemishes and redness on my face. I find the liquid concealer too dry for use underneath my eyes but it’s ideal to quickly cover blemishes and redness as it doesn’t budge or show/highlight dry patches.

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Matte Lipstick in 111 Kiss of Life ($7-8 CDN)

From owning the bold berry-hued 107 that unfortunately doesn’t suit me, pulling rather fuchsia on me in an unflattering manner, I already knew that I loved the formula of this pigmented, semi-matte lipstick;it  manages to both last on my lips for about six hours and neither dry my lips out or cling to my dry lips unattractively. This shade is a bold scarlet hue with subtlest of an orange lean to its otherwise neutral base and has to be among my favourite bold lip shades ever — its formula merely boosts the appeal.

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Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts on them?
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.

 

 

 

 

 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

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DSC_0956Dim as a finishing powder and Incandescent to highlight

After falling in love with the extravagantly-priced Hourglass Ethereal Glow Ambient Lighting Blush, I had made up my mind that I was actually going to do that insane thing and invest in one of the hyped $52 dollar powders that people claim perform miracles – recreating flattering lighting situations even in broad daylight. However, it was not so easy to go out and actually buy one; I hum-ed and haw-ed at the shades in the range in deliberation for months but at the end of June when I realized that I hadn’t done much high-end beauty shopping, I finally took the plunge and picked up the re-released palette.

The palette is sleek and relatively compact, containing 0.116 ounces of each of the three shades, Dim Light, Incandescent Light (exclusive to the palette) and Radiant Light, priced at  $67. I was most interested in trying out the powder as a finishing powder as I had heard from a variety of trusted sources that they blurred imperfections while adding luminosity to the skin and when I had a look in Sephora and discussed them with the salesgirl, Dim Light seemed like the ideal shade for this purpose and it has continued to be the standout shade in the palette in my opinion. Like the other two shades in this palette, there is no visible shimmer or glitter particles in this one and when applied lightly all-over the face, you’re left with this satin-y glow that instantly brightens the complexion, smoothing over imperfections in the process. The powder is particularly helpful into blurring the look of textural imperfections (i.e. hyperpigmentation). Unfortunately the effect of the powders seem to be undetectable in photography as shown below but you’ll have to take my word for it on this one.

Recently Updated18before the powders to all three being used on the face

While these powders do achieve what they claim and have the most luxurious formula, the promised soft-focused and airbrushed effect isn’t overly dramatic or miraculous and because of this, I was not awe-struck upon initial application of the powders and instead grew to really appreciate the products over time. Their ability to reduce shine is minimal so if you’re looking for oil control, other powders would likely have to be in the mix but if the oiliest you lean towards is a normal t-zone like me, these should be adequate. I’m sure this is true across the shades but I find that  Dim Light in particular is the perfect product to perk up my face after five or so hours of wear when makeup is still on the face but things aren’t looking so fresh. Oh, and according to Hourglass, it’s “a neutral beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights the complexion” and that describes the shade adequately.

DSC_0975From the top: Dim Light, Incandescent Light, Radiant Light

Although I haven’t fallen for the other two shades in the same regard, the other two shades are just as lovely. Incandescent Light, “a opalescent pearl powder that brightens the complexion with a celestial glow”, does just that, working on my skin as a lovely subtle (but flattering) highlighter that’s low shimmer content allows for it to be applied to a wider area to add brightness and Radiant Light, “a sun-kissed golden beige powder that enhances the complexion with believable subtle warmth” functions as a nice and glowy warm bronzer that doesn’t lean red or orange in the slightest.

As mentioned above, the formula is impeccable. They feel somewhat powdery and product is kicked up when the brush makes contact but they are powdery in the most luxurious way – finely-milled, blendable, extremely pigmented and long-wearing to boot! I’m internally cringing as I’m writing this but I think they’re worth the money and will pick up at least another shade in the future.

Have you tried the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders?
Maggie, x.

The Monthly Roundup #7: June 2014

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It doesn’t blow my mind that the month of June has already gone by, as shocking as that might be, but it’s kind of mind blowing that 2014 is more than half over but New Years seems like just last week. June was a good month, both as my Birthday month (I turned 20 – eek) and in terms of a month for blogging changes. I’ve changed the name of my blog (not by choice), upgraded it and have switched a variety of things around, aided by my new camera and been pleased with the 25 posts I’ve put up during the sunny and summery month — no complaints there if you ask me. Here’s a roundup of what I thought were my standout posts and I’ll try to be somewhat concise about it. I’m not promising anything though…

1. The Fuss-Free and Wearable Smoky Eye – where I provide my more detailed approach to my standard smoky eye than I can reasonably offer during my ‘The Daily Face’ posts, without writing a little novella.

2. The Summer Edit – where I provide a full-on standard seasonal ‘edit’ kind of post for the current season without nearing the territory of overkill. It was difficult to narrow the products down but I was rather pleased with the end result.

3. The Essential: NARS Orgasm Blush– where I articulate my love for the polarizing half cult-favourite and half overrated product much later than I originally should have.

4. The Acquisition: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet– where I offer an abridged but comprehensive and all-inclusive account of my newest foundation love. My feelings haven’t changed one bit in the last month, unless they’ve perhaps grown stronger. I’m in a committed relationship with this one, not interested in settling for any other options more than once or twice a week at most.

5. The Daily Face #16– where I have written my first post with the new camera and am still pleased with the improved results and also did an everyday kind of makeup wordy post that I was pleased with the result of altogether. I rather liked the above photo and that might have slightly influenced my decision to include it here…

What were your June highlights?
Maggie, x.

 

 

June 2014 Favourites

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June has been a relatively nice month in these parts, both in weather and in my perceived overall temperament of the month, were it an animate human being. The month began (literally) with my twentieth birthday where I was gifted a much improved new camera — a digital SLR — and was able to make some improvements here at Beautylit & Ramblings so things were rather good on that front but in terms of my life outside of my little space on the internet, I achieved less than the ideal productive human being. Anyway, this is a roundup of my standout products throughout the month.

Bianca Topical Gel ($90 CDN):

I must say that adding the prescription retinoid gel that’s formulated impressively without irritating alcohol back into my routine wasn’t so fun last month as it is one of the only skin medication that actually is proven to cause purging for the first month or so and that didn’t stop for me until the beginning of the month and as one would expect, some scars do remain but now that I’ve gotten through this stage I’ve been happy with the improved texture of my skin and lack of general bumpiness brought on by rapidly increasing cell turnover. Weirdly enough, it also seems to help with overall brightness without irritating my skin like most other prescription and non-prescription strength products that work known to man. It’s actually the most money that I have ever spent on a skincare product but my dermatologist recommended it to me so I went for it knowing it wasn’t covered by insurance annoyingly — note, later I was reimbursed for half from University-based health coverage so it wasn’t so painful in the long run.

By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($26 CDN):

Every time when my skin gets irritated, broken out, dehydrated and/or scarred, I always come back to this oil consistently to quickly sort things out. The orange-tinged dry oil is lightweight but manages to instantly soothe and hydrate the complexion, helps with active blemishes and does miracle work with scarring, brightening the skin over time. I’ve been reaching for this loads to help with that whole skin situation.

Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12 CDN):

I’ve been using this cream cleanser to remove makeup and cleanse the face in general for going on three months but this month I really fell in love with this gentle and luxurious yet affordable offering especially while dealing with the general skin irritation and dehydration situation. With its convenient pump packaging, this rich cream cleanser removes makeup like a champ whilst soothing the skin and actually leaving it much more calmed and hydrated after removed with a washcloth. It does have some fragrance but it has a subtle spa-like scent that would lead you to believe that this is a much higher end product than the price would indicate, especially paired with the whole experience of massaging it in. I’ve deviated from my usual routine a little, in fact, as I’ve been enjoying going for this offering in the morning as well as it leaves the skin smoother and soothed in preparation for makeup and the like. It does come with a muslin cloth which has imparted me with the insight that I’m more of a facecloth kind of girl.

DevaCare Arc AnGel ($25/55 CDN):

I had gotten more into my hair in the last two months or so and I remembered loving my wavy hair last summer when I was using their gel as well as the leave-in protein treatment so when I was in the area of my salon, I picked the protein treatment up again and tried the firmer holding gel from the line in the economical huge litre tub. As with the Ultra Defining Gel, when used properly, scrunched in with care and all that jazz (in the style of the Curly Girl Method), this one gives great definition to my loose curls as well as adding life to the roots. However, this gel has to be my favourite because I find that I don’t need as insane of a quantity of it and it’s much more economical while providing even better definition and hold that keeps the shape in my hair for days. I’ve definitely been more of a fan of my hair this month and this is the product responsible for it.

Annabelle CC Colour Control Luminous Finish Instant Perfecting Base ($17 CDN):

I normally force myself to leave out products from these monthly posts that I’ve only had for the second half of the month, but after picking it up and talking about it here ,it has become a welcome addition into my daily routine and I can safely say that it’s my first primer love as of ever. The ridiculously named “CC” primer manages to not irritate my sensitive skin in any sort of shape or form whilst performing effectively; the opalescent silicone-based primer adds that luminosity that helps to blur imperfections rather than highlighting them and it also seems to keep foundation on the skin as it was applied for longer.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup in 10 ($48 CDN):

In the last month, I’ve talked about this new foundation that I’ve fallen for and I doubt I’ll be stopping anytime soon. I honestly can count on one hand the number of times I wore makeup that didn’t include this lightweight foundation and I was never happier with the way my face looked with all things considered. Being someone who suffers from dry patches and less-than-ideal texture on my face, I tend to avoid anything promising a velvety let alone matte finish but when I visited the Chanel counter at a local department store and let the lovely lady apply it to my face, I was sold. The fairest shade seems to be the ideal match for my skin and the lightweight formula looks and feels like skin, offering medium (but weirdly buildable) coverage with the velvety but luminous finish. This one manages somehow not to dry out skin in the slightest but control oil on my normal t-zone in a kind of unbelievable way. I’ve said it before and I’ve said it recently, but this really is the perfect lightweight foundation option for summer.

Annabelle Smoothliner in Black ($6-7 CDN):

It may or may not be apparent through viewing my posts in the last month, but I haven’t been feeling my usual winged liner — Don’t get me wrong, I may be wearing it in certain posts but I haven’t been loving it on — and because I’m a liner girl at heart, I’ve been forsaking it for this creamy waterproof offering. I’ve said this before but for me, these are the better version of the popular Urban Decay liners, actually creamy as compared to waxy and easier to smudge out. Because of its creaminess, this isn’t a liner that is super easy to create a precise line with but that’s a necessary sacrifice. Although they don’t last for 12 hours or anything on the inner rims on the eyes (probably because they aren’t the easiest to adhere too the inner rims), this is one of the very few that will remain on the upper waterline without transferring. Ahh, I’ve found a product to tightline with at last that doesn’t automatically transfer to the waterline and isn’t a menace to remove from my dry eyes at night.

Annabelle Lipliner in 405 Demure ($4-6 CDN):

So I hadn’t noticed how much I’ve been loving the affordable brand, Annabelle — woo, Canadian pride … jokes — but after putting this together, I’ve fully recognized this fact and have made a mental note to try more from this brand as I’ve been majorly impressed with what I’ve tried thus far. If you read my post a few weeks into the month where I picked this bargain up with a few others here,then I’m sure that you’re aware that I haven’t had this for the entirety of the month but it’s (yet again) another product that has fast-tracked its way into my daily staples. I didn’t use to be a lip-liner girl but after I picked this creamy rosy hue that sits as a warm-toned browned pink shade, I think I have been converted; its that perfect my-lips-but-better colour that suits my complexion (in my opinion) and works on its own or with a multitude of lipsticks ranging from nudes to rosy neutral kind of hues, perfectly suiting the next product worthy of mention…

MAC Patisserie Lipstick ($19 CDN):

I have sensitive and perpetually chapped lips and I’ve probably said this 47 times too many but here I go again. In the beginning of the month, I appear to have either burnt my lips spectacularly or had quite the reaction to spf in a lip product considering the chapped, sore and flaky lips that emerged and wouldn’t heal and when this happens and I want to wear a lip colour, moisturizing spf-free options such as MAC Lustres are a lifesaver. This shade is easily my go-to everyday kind of colour — a nude that isn’t exactly pale with some rosiness to it and the subtlest of brown undertones — and it might just be my favourite lip product of all time but independent of this, I’ve been slapping this on constantly this month, quite often over the above liner for increased longevity and a bit more of a kick on the pigmentation front. And case in point, the mother who only comments on my makeup maybe once every few months — more often and not in a way that resembles constructive criticism — has told me on a few occasions how nice this shade is, so I’m fairly certain is a good one.  And it actually moisturizes the lips and camoflages these kinds of situations impressively. I went on and on in more detail about the combination in a recent post here.

Revlon Photoready Skinlights in Pink Light ($14-16 CDN):

This is not a product that is any means new to me as it’s been with me since early Spring and I’ve thought it was a nice subtle pink-hued illuminator that added that dewiness without emphasizing any of the unwanted things on the face and blended into the skin impressively but since going for less of a dewy finish with foundation and wearing less makeup in general, the dewy cheekbone situation has been much more enticing. In other words, I’ve been pulling this tube out and have been applying a few dots on the cheekbones, even going a bit lower than usual and blending it with my fingertips.

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny ($2.70 CDN):

There are very few makeup products available at the usual suspects that retail for such wallet-friendly prices and more than that, this hyped product has to be the perfect finely-milled warm-toned bronzer — because it’s on the warmer side of things, I do prefer it in the warmer months (especially when I’ve gotten some colour [while wearing SPF of course!]) but regardless it isn’t one of those bronzers that is just a touch away from being brick-hued and it has a nice texture to work with both for adding some shape to the face with a smaller brush and actually bronzing with a larger brush. I had been in the mood for more of a contoured effect in past months but as of late, I’ve been going for a much more diffused bronzed application of this one. It’s flattering and subtle on the skin while being lazy-girl approved, if you needed any further persuasion.

 

 

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                                         The products in use minus those of the lip variety
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                                         The lip products

 And hopefully to benefit anyone reading this — P.S. I kind of adore you all — I continued my swatching kick, featuring the coloured makeup products (minus the foundation) from this post. Unfortunately, none of my photo attempts seem to be in particularly good focus… forgive me?

DSC_0640                                          From the left: NYC Sunny, Revlon Pink Light, MAC Patisserie, Annabelle Demure Lipliner, Annabelle Black Smoothliner
 
I really was not intending for this post to be anywhere this long and for that I apologize and as always, I would love to know your thoughts on these products as well as your standout products of the month!
Maggie, x.