Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick

Weekly Medley #50/51

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Believe it or not, I have discovered something positive about my consistent tardiness in putting these kind of posts – wanna hear what that is? When I’m writing these weekly posts far after I’m supposed to, I don’t have to have deep inward contemplations over what tense to use while describing the week because it’s far gone. This is about as positive as I’ll ever get and you would be correct to detect my genuine sarcasm and generally misunderstood sense of humor. Well, for the first time in ages, I stayed home from class today, feeling like I was drowning in the ocean that is my cold-filled respiratory system, unable to move and like a large animal was pounding my skull. I’m pleased to report that things have made a turn for the better and I’m able to do something as productive as actually write a post, but actual coherency is out of the question so I’m returning to point form format.

1. The cold slash tired slash dying of winter skin essentials… These are a few of the products of the skincare variety that I’ve relied heavily upon in the last two weeks, not just because of the coughing-cold sense but because we’ve been having some serious dry, windy, snowy and generally freezing weather. I’m kind of ready to declare my love for the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Masque, the Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil and the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick.
2. The standard other loves… I won’t bore you by prattling on about my love of caffeine – particularly lattes – yet again but it could not be neglected in my show of non-beauty loves. I’m also ridiculously thrilled to have the deliciously musky Bath & Body Works Flannel Candle in my life again, even though they only brought the mini sizes back with their big sale. I know what candle I’ll be buying in the larger size next fall – unless they are actually irrational and do not bring back the heavenly candle. These are what have got me through the frustratingly long weeks.
3. Some general blogging musings… While I have not been able to produce the five weekly posts that I have often unrealistically set as a goal for myself – although I certainly wish I could -, I have been pleased with the quality of the posts that I’ve put out lately. More specifically I’m pleased with some of my recent photography attempts especially when you put the winter sunlight issue into consideration.
4. The lipstick that I’ve dreamed about… It would not be out of the question to doubt my sanity after reading this but regardless, have at it: Ever since falling in love with the gorgeous rosy peach NARS Audacious Lipstick in Brigitte at my local Sephora but finding out that the shade was not in stock, I’ve been thinking longingly about it incessantly and I might have had a nightmare where I was chasing the lipstick and it remained out of reach. I have some pretty creative dreams but combining my beauty obsessiveness with the usual running out of time dream might have to take the cake.
I hope your January has been a tad more interesting and eventful than mine?
Maggie, x.

(Late) Weekly Medley #38

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1. The essentials for productivity and sanity … I’ve been relying on this trio, a nice magazine to escape to, the uber-amazing Bath & Body Works Flannel Mini Candle and the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick. I‘m confident to say that I can’t explain my deep love of magazines and a good lip balm is such an essential for my permanently chapped lips. And there’s something about lighting a candle that helps me to get stuff done and this one smells warm and spicy and somewhat masculine in a good way.

2. The Thanksgiving face… I set out about to put a normal amount of makeup on, doing my usual thing and somehow this happened but I was rather pleased. The lipstick is the gorgeous MAC Dubonnet, if you wanted to inquire and I love it to death.

3. A trio of products that I’ve been loving … I’ve taken back out the coral MAC Style Blush that’s yet another one of those gorgeous corals with that golden shimmer running throughout, I’ve still been obsessed with my recently discovered Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara and the L’Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighting Concealer Pen for instantly brightening up my far too-tired face.

4. The shameless self-promotion of the week… I wrote out and put up an updated post that reviewed the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet last week and it had to be my favourite but I might also enjoy that it serves as evidence that I’m trying to get into the habit of writing more frequent review posts.

5. Hello bath, how I’ve loved thee… I haven’t been really into that whole bath situation in years but I’ve recently gotten into them as of late and have been finding them essential and consequently a wee bit more frequent as of late. The relaxation element is good for my sanity, it ensures that I actually shave my legs on a frequent basis and it’s a way of getting some reading done in peace and tranquility. Those pictured are the noteworthy products.

6. Writing, writing, reading, reading, with some studying thrown in … It never ends and I’m exhausted. It’s that time of year again and obviously this is why I’m putting this post up so inexcusably late!

Things have gotten to that point for me when there’s so much to do and little energy to accomplish anything on that list and this is why this post is so very late — my apologies! Regardless, things have been a little more hectic around these parts and stress-filled so I’m afraid nothing noteworthy has been happening blogging wise but I’m alive and not particularly sleep deprived and/or over-caffeinated at the moment and with that considered, everything is pretty good. I will say I’m loving the whole fall thing as it’s been hitting; there’s something lovely about that cozy attitude and not casually dying of sweat throughout the day.

How was your week?
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.