weekly roundup

Weekly Medley #34

Recently Updated341. An addition to the whole blogging notebook family… Being as perpetually disorganized as I am (but still a notebook freak), I’ve decided to up my game by adding another notebook to my blogging game – one for planning out individual posts in full, rather than just fitting the details of everything together. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it ups my blogging game!

2. An edit of my beauty bits for when the cold hits… I still have last week’s cold and it hasn’t exactly dwindled in the slightest and seeing as I have to act human and get out and face the world, I thought I would share the essential beauty bits and an add-on or five here.

3. Essentially my week in picture form… The unbearable fatigue, stuffy and runny nose and general crappiness that has summed up my week. And I have a super cute zit, too. Woo.

4. A daily face that I was partial too… I really liked my makeup on Friday and I took a decent picture too so it obviously had to include it. On my eyes, I’m wearing the Maybelline The Nudes Palette that I’ve picked up and am fairly impressed with along with my fave MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick.

5. Another document of my week… I might have only started classes again recently but the reading has piled up and I wasn’t going to let a measly cold stop me from getting things done – no. I’ve been forcing myself in a slightly upright position to do my reading with a tissue box in the other hand for some appearance of having manners.

6. A post on the Productive Pamper, a subject that I know fairly well … Obviously, I wrote a post yesterday and the subject of that post was how to give yourself a bit of a pamper while getting stuff done. Part of said pamper was lighting the above candle — I’ve finished with my summer ones. Woot.

7. Perhaps my favourite distraction this week… I really love magazines and I’ve been obsessively pouring through this special issue of Glamor, dedicated to all things beauty. It’s actually worth the ten dollars that I didn’t realize that I was going to pay for it.

 

Remember that cold that I was going on about on Thursday? Well, it certainly hasn’t passed yet. I’m still so tired/fatigued that its ridiculous but on top of that I don’t seem to be able to sleep more than two hours at a time without waking up, my whole body has become dehydrated like a prune despite my best efforts to inhale gallons of water and slather my entire body with cream and I can’t seem to stop sniffling and/or blowing my nose. Plus, there’s that cough that I’m in denial about… Okaaay, I’ll stop with the complaining now. I’ve been feeling fairly craptastic this week but regardless, I appear to be alive and putting along, writing a few blog posts here and there, while I’ve been at it. I might only be on my third week of classes but I feel the strain of it already. Figures.

How was your week?

Maggie, x.

P.S. Any other cold sufferers?

Weekly Medley #31

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In a nutshell, last week was a week of feeling under the weather. I’m not saying that I began to not feel well last week but previously I chalked the feeling down to hormonal origin but now I know that I was most certainly fighting something off. There were also a few days of scorching weather and as nice as those days can be, I was not in the mood and continously found myself wishing for cooler autumnal weather. Don’t shoot me. Along with feeling more than a little bit run down, I experienced quite possibly the worse eczema breakout in my life with that painful itchiness and burning, along with the unsightly physical symptoms. I can’t chalk it down to one specific thing considering that I’m one of those people that are mildly sensitive to a myriad of things but I did go with my cousin to pick up her new kitten at the pet store (stupidly because I am quite allergic to dander) and suddenly felt awful; BAM, then the symptoms occurred. Allergies and skin sensitivities are no fun. At all. Ever.

I might not have been wearing makeup every day of the week and when I did I didn’t exactly go for the full deal but despite these two facts, there have been a good number of makeup related items that scored highly on my “things I loved” metaphorical checklist last week…

  1. Essie Sssssexy Snakeskin Magnetic Nail Colour- At the very end of the previous week, I had painted my nails in this opaque oxblood hue and despite my extremely questionable polish skills (pertaining to its magnetic effect), I found myself really enjoying them. Also, there were about five coats of polish on my nails (because it took that long for me to figure out how to create the design) and it still lasted nicely for 4-5 days. I will definitely be reaching for this colour in the very near future.
  2. A cup of tea in my favourite mug – Traditionally I’m much more of a latte kind of girl but since feeling so drab and generally questionable, I’ve found a cup of tea to be therapeutic and relaxing. There’s no type in particular but I have consistently been enjoying that whole relaxed tea-drinking experience.
  3. My new Nars Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base & Contour Blush in Paloma – I have gone on and on about my intense love for the contouring blush on a few occasions since receiving my order in the mail and that still hold’s true as the product is pigmented and buttery, providing instant cheekbones but I’ve been really impressed with the primer as well; it might not always prevent creasing for me but it minimizes it the best out of any primer that I’ve tried.
  4. Kate’s “Forever Repurchased #8” post – Kate’s blog-posts are just the best in general, so life was extra good when I was reading her chronicle those products that are so amazing that she actually does that crazy thing and repurchases them rather than trying something new. These posts are really helpful as they show what products truly are so amazing that they beg to be repurchased but hers was also entertaining to read as well!
Apologies for the late post; regardless, how was your week?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #27/28

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Looking to catch up?

 Sunday July 21: 5 Current Lusts #3|Wednesday July 23: Two Mac Acquisitions | Friday July 25: Products Heavily in Rotation | Saturday July 26: The Daily Face #20

Sunday July 27: Beauty Blogger of the Month Award | Thursday July 31: My Go-To Spring/Summer “Lipsticks” | Thursday July 31 (again) : The July Roundup | Saturday August 2: July Favourites

I’m not one to exaggerate my personal situation to garner declarations of pity — “you poor thing!” etc. — from others but in all honesty, it has been a terrible too weeks, even aside from the obvious situation at hand. At the beginning of this week, my grandfather passed and while this was expected, dealing with this and quickly throwing together the craziness that came with a funeral with my rather large family was exhausting and stressful, even though it was nice to spend time with the family. I’ve been oddly emotional and sentimental, along with the expected exhaustion and stressed-out state. As a result of this, I’m sure you can gather that there wasn’t much excitement going on beauty-wise and my posts were more than a little sporadic but I’m not even blaming my inadequacies for that.

On a more positive note, I’ve dedicated some more time to the endeavour of further room re-organization and in the process of doing so, I found my small bottle of the Bumble & Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish ($22 CDN) and it instantly brightened my mood — honestly. However, it is unfortunate that I appear to have very little product remaining and I might just have to purchase the full-sized one — it’s necessity. Jokesssss. On an even more positive note, for those of you that don’t know I still live at home (not the positive part) and the father arranged for our heat pump to be installed and therefore for all intents and purposes, we have air conditioning and it is quite possibly the loveliest thing in existence. I’m not one of those girls who adores summer; I enjoyed it for a bit but by now I’m sick of the heat and humidity and could do with some fall weather right about now. Don’t hate me.

Don’t think that because I’ve started a new paragraph that I’m done talking about the things that I love. The Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Rollerball wasn’t something that I had to even contemplate whether to include for two reasons — first, I’ve been addicted to applying the warm, spicy and slightly musky scent in the last week or two in particular and I completely forgot to include it in my monthly favourites. I’m planning on actually purchasing a larger size of this one, woah. Considering that she’s one of my favourites to both read and watch, it shouldn’t be shocking that I’m talking about Suzie’s “Haul & First Impressions” video but it’s worthy of note regardless; she’s so entertaining but genuine and I enjoy living vicariously through her and feeling like my spending habits are understood.

In terms of things of my own creation, I’m particularly pleased with yesterday’s “10 Indulgent Sunday Staples” , where I outlined the products that I’ve been relying on to feel pampered and a little bit put together with minimal effort, but it technically should be in next week’s post of this variety considering the date so I’ll mention another to feel like I’m not breaking my self-imposed rules. That post would have to be my “Go-To Spring/Summer ‘Lipsticks'” post and not just because I was pleased with how the photos turned out.

I genuinely hope for your sake that your week was marginally better than mine.
Maggie, x

Weekly Medley #23

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(1) Just one of the many swatching-related fails of the week (2) The responsible Shopper’s purchases – gah (3) The beauteous “Weekend Makeup Staples” post over at VDM (4) I got a bit dressed up for my cousins’ graduation and took a picture obviously (5) I wrote and brought my “Summer Edit” post into fruition (6) The rediscovered love and a newfound one (7) My extremely lengthy favourites post is up here (8) My new Tom’s shoes (9) The glorious Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Milan Moment

 

Ahh, don’t you love lazy Sunday’s where you neither wake up, feeling as if you’ve just finished working up a sweat at the gym (without having the knowledge that for once you got off your ass and did something) due to sweltering summer heat or with a disgusting taste in your mouth as a result of questionable three am snacking? Well, I sure do. As per usual, I don’t feel as if I accomplished anything that can be likened to any sort of great feat but it wasn’t one of those weeks that rarely involved leaving the house and consisted of reading blogs, writing a post or two and watching copious amounts of Netflix and Youtube. It was quite a week filled with spending time with my lovely extended family down at the dock/ pool — we live by the ocean and my cousins have a lovely pool — and then eventually watching two of them graduate high school, later celebrating by going out to dinner and in the midst feeling suddenly a bit old at my mere two decades of experience. More on the getting old note, I had another moment of the same realization when I was excited to see that sunscreen was on sale. In my defense, it is a really great spray sunscreen.

I’ve been soaking up the hot weather but unfortunately have been really slacking on the photo documentation front. I’ve been swimming in the ocean all week and it hasn’t been cold so things have to be pretty great – am I right? While I’ve been doing less than ideal at general life snapshots, I’ve been making a real go of it, going out of my way to take swatches on the regular and attempt to capture them somewhat adequately with photography. I’m also rather pleased with the six posts that I put up during the week. Moving away from my blog in particular, Anna’s “Weekend Makeup Staples”post was phenomenal, perhaps even more so than her usual posts. She knows how to write these chatty posts that have me scribbling down a thing or six down on the wishlist whilst being so so so so much more concise than I have the potential of being.

Now, I’m moving onto my personal standout items and this week I have one that’s not of the beauty variety – my new Tom’s that I picked up long after completely destroying my last pair that somehow manage to be extremely comfortable and not too horrible for my feet while being rather attractive with their blue and white print. There’s another two products on the beauty-front this week, as well. First up, I’ve rekindled my love for my all-time favourite, the Maybelline Falsies Mascara;I’ve had this one for going on six months so I had been thinking that it was irritating my sensitive eyes so I had cast it off to the side and although it’s certainly not advisable to use a mascara for so long, I brought it out again and instantly remembered how much I love this mascara especially when it’s getting to be dried out. I’m one of those girls who adore drier mascara formulas, by the way. At the beginning of the week, I spotted the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains for the first time in stores here and although I hadn’t been particularly excited by the news of the release, I couldn’t resist picking up the muted tangerine-coral Milan Moment hue, even at it’s rather steep price but it was worth it because I’ve fallen in love. The staining power isn’t the most impressive in the world, the pigmentation begins on the sheer to medium side of things and the precise wand can apply the liquid lipstain in a slightly streaky way at first but the formula doesn’t irritate my lips, appears to be unfragranced, is a dream to apply with its lip-gloss wand, lasts through eating and drinking but doesn’t dry out my lips unless I leave it on for so long that shine has faded and feels weightless and balmy on the lips – without any hint of stickiness in sight. The shade also happens to be a unique one and one of those ideal everyday shades for me. It might just be worth the $13-15 that they retail for here.

I think I’ve summed up things rather nicely and the ocean is calling my name so it appears that this post has come to a close. Happy Sunday everyone! How was your week? I’d love to hear any thoughts!
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

Weekly Medley #22

Recently Updated14(1) This week’s trio of products (2) Jen’s memorable post, “Living At Home In Your 20’s” (3) Sometimes I smile, even when exposing the naked face (4) This week’s post of choice, “An Everyday Lip Combination” (5) The pre-shopping picture featuring the products mentioned below on my one day off from blogging (6) I wrote my first actual nail post on Thursday

Here I am, writing this weeks post early on a Friday night in sweats, with my hair plopped onto the top of my head in front of the TV with no makeup in sight and I have no shame. This was one of those weeks that seemed to never end where everyone around me seems to be going through the most stressful and busy time of their year while I’m in this low-key phase.

This week I learned, relearned, remembered etc. that even if I’m detoxing from the computers notebooks etc by removing them from bed only to replace it with the handy little iPhone, and the little notebook and a book or magazine, can really help to recharge you and aid in the huge struggle, the quest for restless sleep. Oh and I remembered how fantastic going barefaced can feel even to someone as beauty-obsessed as myself.

This week, there was a trio of standout products and they might not be totally surprising, as per usual. First up there’s an actual primer that rather than doing absolutely nothing, actually has impressed me with it’s priming abilities; It’s still early to say anything definite but thus far the ridiculously-named Annabelle “CC” Colour Control Luminous Finish Instant Perfecting Base has helped foundation glide on smoothly with its silicone base particularly over drier patches and uneven texture whilst adding a subtle opalescence to the face.

The next product is yet another Annabelle offering, but one I’ve mentioned before — the creamy Smoothliner in Black. Although it isn’t the easiest formula to transfer to the waterline of the eye, I’ve discovered that with some effort it actually can be used to tightline the upper lashline without transferring to the waterline and isn’t a nightmare to remove from my dry eyes.

The final noteworthy product of this week’s trio, the NYX Parisian Chic Love in Paris Palette , is yet another drugstore gem but is one that has been in my stash much longer than the former two. The shades in the palette are not fantastic across the board but the matte taupe and brown shades are fantastic and I’ve been using them to create a more natural brow as well as in the crease – And the shimmery browns and the soft black are excellent as well.

On the post-front I really enjoyed Jen’s “Living At Home in Your 20’s” post, not only because I can relate somewhat, living at home while going into my third year of University but I thought it was written in an interesting and provoking way. I’m a great admirer of her blog because she manages to write a beauty blog that also discusses the other aspects of our lives that we don’t tend to talk about in an authentic and genuine way. And it’s a great read – there’s that.

So another week has passed — an usually busy and hectic one at that — and it was fairly good as things go and I hope yours went as least as well. How was your week?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #20

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(1) Me + The Camera: The Cliched Blogger Selfie (2) the pre-evening out face (3) My new love (and an actual instagram photo) (4) my new youtuber discovery, Allana Davison (5) evening out take two photo (6) wrote up my first daily highlights post (7) Monday’s Daily Face (8) delicious Mojito on night out with friends (9) the birthday beauty-related gifts

 

It’s been yet another week of gorgeous weather — enough so that it seems as Summer has sprung upon us a wee bit early. I mentioned in last week’s post of this variety that it was my birthday (on Sunday as I was writing the post) but it falls more easily into this weeks territory. I had a great low key day and a nice family supper out the night before in celebration and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wish that I had had the foresight to photograph the low-fructose fluffy ricotta cake that my mother baked for me but I imagine that your imagination will bring you close enough for all intents and purposes.

I’m really not the easiest person to please but I must say that I received some really lovely gifts from my family and close friends. Although my main gift was a wee bit late, I have to say that the Nikon D3100that I received from my parents and brother was well worth the hiatus. Prior to beginning this little blog here, I was not someone with any sort of interest in photography and certainly did not possess any sort of skill in the whole endeavour so its definitely still a journey in progress but I’m loving my camera (and the improved pictures IMO) as I’m learning. It was quite a generous gift even when my brother chipped in and provided his legitimate knowledge of photography.

From the parental unit, I also received a gorgeous rose gold necklace that actually excites me, the girl who generally speaking has a no-jewelry policy, a few other odds and ends that aren’t coming to mind and those hair products that I had hinted that I wanted to restock on – the litre size of the firmer hold gel, the DevaCare Arc AnGel and another bottle of DevaCurl B’Leave In. From other family members and friends, I got a gorgeous maxidress, a few Essie polishes, a lovely new teacup, a heavenly selection of magazines, an intriguing book and a much-appreciated gift card. I’m not an ‘it’s all about the gifts’ kind of girl but nevertheless were they lovely.

The evening out photos above were from Saturday night when I met up with my best friends from university and we had a low key and hilarious night out featuring delicious pasta, wonderful cocktails from Morris East, brownies cooked by my lovely friend (who got me the book) and a later night full of nostalgia, watching early episodes of The Vampire Diaries. It was my kind of night, obviously.

I’m definitely repeating myself by saying this here but I’m going to risk the redundancy; as a little (HA!) birthday gift to myself, I picked up this little beauty of a foundation by Chanel when perusing the recently moved local Halifax department store, Mills — with absolutely fantastic service, I might add. I might have possibly slightly fallen in love with the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation.It has less alcohol content than its sister product, feels like nothing on the skin in even the hottest conditions, provides surprisingly good coverage and with its luminous but matte finish, doesn’t cling to my dry patches in the slightest. Win.

How was your week?
Maggie, x.

Weekly Medley #18

(1) we've fallen back in love (2) kept putting on skincare series with the Morning Routine (3) the weekly objects plus my glasses just for kicks (4) the obligatory weekly shot of my face featuring questionable red lips and the palette above (5) I binge-watched Well Taylered's videos with no regrets (6) evidence of rekindled hair interest and - don't I look cute?
(1) we’ve fallen back in love and into a committed relationship (2) kept putting on skincare series with the Morning Routine (3) the weekly objects plus my glasses just for kicks (4) the obligatory weekly shot of my face featuring questionable red lips and the palette above (5) I binge-watched Well Taylered’s videos with no regrets (6) evidence of rekindled hair interest and – don’t I look cute?

I promise I’m not always in strange moods as I write posts  — I tend to write blogposts when I’m in strange moods if I’m reflecting or all that to be honest — but I feel I must give warn you about the strange mood I’m in as I’m writing this. For some reason, going over the weekly blog activity as if it were a trashy reality television show strikes me as hilarious at the moment so I’m going to go with it… This week on beautylit: 1. Weekly Medley #17 2. Additions to the Skincare Routine 3. Morning Skincare Routine 4. An Apology to Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 08 5. Spring Essentials

While it has not been the ideal or perfect week in blogging in anyone’s book (certainly not my own), it was a beyond adequate one, sticking with my pre-made plan that I wrote out in my little book of blogging and it did produce five posts that I was satisfied with. As much as I would like to pretend that I’m free from any sort of responsibility, I have been actually working in quantifiable amounts on that whole getting a job thing and despite my unathletic status as an individual and general incompetency at strength or endurance based tasks, I’ve been continuing along with the whole exercising goal that I’ve had going on, mostly opting for the affordable and practical power yoga practice through watching the Power Yoga for Happiness 2 DVD and aching, burning and stretching my heart out. Don’t let the “yoga” in the title fool you, it’s an intense kind of thing that’s fast paced, blending cardio in with the vigorous strength training while somehow calming your mind and leaving you focused in a way that is different from other sorts of exercise. And it’s not too bullshitty either in terms of preaching the whole ‘just breathe and say ohm’ typical kind of shebang. Exercising is not something particularly enjoyable to me in the slightest but this routine strikes me as worthwhile for it rids extraneous chaotic thoughts in your mind as well as focuses your mind in the strangest way. It’s rather strange but I’m not going to complain about the result. 

Considering that I’m studying English in university, it should be no real surprise that I read constantly and don’t tend to stick to the lightest of reading. A few months back, my mother gifted me a copy of George Eliot’s Middlemarch and I’ve started reading it this week and I’ve been enjoying it thus far. It’s a rather long book but fortunately I kind of have the ability to devour books and it’s an enjoyable read that isn’t so laborious.

It should be no secret that I am the kind of girl who adores the original Urban Decay Naked Palette but after a while I was growing tired of it (after using it constantly) and put it away, instead going for other daily shadow options but in the last week or so I’ve brought it out again and I suddenly have remembered why I love it so much in the first place — it’s unbelievably practical and the warm-bronzy hues suit me to a t. However, I haven’t been using it in the same way as I always seem to instead opting for using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze on the lid and using shades from the palette such as Darkhorse, Hustle and Creep to add some more smokiness and depth and you can see this in the above weekly collage.

I’m still working on my whole skincare series thing and I can promise that a full-on evening routine post will come your way in the next little while and perhaps another addition to the series. Let me know your thoughts on these skincare-themed posts – please? 

What were the highlights from your week?

Maggie, x.

 

Weekly Medley #10

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I like to think that I’m not the only one who gets stuck into this pattern of wretched helplessness – although for your own sake, I hope you don’t experience this; when you stare at your computer screen for hours on end, stressed into submission and focused and tortured by your inability to achieve anything productive when it matters the most. Suddenly it’s 2 AM and you would want to drop out of life it it were an option when your crisis arrives and you aren’t done your first task of importance let alone the succeeding tasks so you go to sleep in hope of gaining or regaining some sort of thinking capacity. Too bad sleeping is a challenge in your state due to the combination of utter exhaustion and the stress of it all. You’re not quite sure how it happened but you wake up to the sound of your alarm and somehow managed to sleep for a good two hours despite the building wave of anxiety threatening to overwhelm you, – I’m going a little heavy with the metaphors but I can’t help myself – you splash some water on your face and drink the elixir of saving grace known as the latte. It wasn’t fun but somehow at the very last minute, you survive, assignment in hand and accomplish all that was necessary in a frighteningly productive trance until you’ve finished your eight hours of classes. This was me on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, we were due for a blizzard — yes in March — but I didn’t think anything of it out of my weather-related skepticism; I couldn’t have been happier to be wrong. Classes were cancelled, the blizzard happened and thankfully we did not lose power. The opportunity was divine, allowing me to slowly transform from my zombie state into something closer resembling a human – although it did take a few more days for the change to actually occur. The whole beauty routine was not high on my priority list, more of a rushed 3-4 minutes grab n go spectacle. When presented with this challenge, I found myself relying on my beloved L’Oreal Lineur Intensefor a quick kitten-flick to add definition to my eyes in under a minute. I know, I know, I’m always rambling on about my love for this liner but I’ve been appreciating it for when I don’t have time for anything eyeshadow wise.

Later on in the week, I discovered Natalie’s blog, Thunderlove, and obsessively began reading the archives and it’s quite possibly the best thing ever. Not only is she gorgeous (pictured in the collage above, the blonde who is not me obvs), but the content and style of her blog is fantastic and the layout and design is to die for. Highly recommend that you check it out.

All things considered, I feel pleased with the posts I got out this hectic week: another Weekly Medley post (not this one), a post on MAC Tenderling Blush, a review of the REN Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream  and yesterday’s post on the simple smudgy eye. I didn’t get all the posts that I had hoped but I’ll get up one or two of those drugstore product reviews this week this week and I would expect a monthly favourites post in the near future.

What were the highlights of your week?

Maggie, x.

 

 

Weekly Medley #3

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This week was when I admitted to myself (finally) that it was imperative that I get the ball rolling with schoolwork and the like. This was not particularly fun. Everything has been adding up and has transformed into some sort of psychological claustrophobia inducing mass. Unlike my school experience last semester (and the year before), it’s not a week or two of debilitating chaos that is messing with my mind but it’s constant long-term work that requires dedication, focus, attention and organization. Note: I would not say that I possess said skills in quantifiable amounts. Alas, – I’ve always wanted to say that in a post – I’m aware enough to be doubtful that I will survive the crunch if some sort of sorcery doesn’t occur now. Main point of this ramble: This week has been pretty focused on products etc. of the grab and go variety and quick destressing fixes.

During weeks such as these, I come to really appreciate my enjoyment derived from reading posts and watching videos (of the beauty variety of course) – this becomes quite apparent. Being as scatterbrained and unfocused as I am, I’ve taken to listen to videos while putt-ing (horrible golf reference) through my required readings (or at least most of them) and writing my papers holed up in the library and this has been rather productive method for me, oddly enough. I always adore Lisa Eldrige’s (otherwise known as the makeup goddess) videos – she’s an amazing makeup artist who has a great minimalistic aesthetic, is incredibly informative and has the most soothing voice – buuuuut I had a marathon watching her videos sneakily in the unpopulated corner. It’s a few years old but Lisa’s Minimal Makeup Tutorial – Rosy Flushhas to be one of my all-time favourites that I rewatched. She epitomizes gorgeous yet effortless makeup, need I say more?

Everyone reading this knows her blog, I’m sure, so this likely won’t be majorly interesting but Anna’s “My Edinburgh Edit”was an especially interesting post this week. She looked effortless and gorgeous in the post (anyone else noticing a theme here?), the post was impeccably laid-out as always and who doesn’t enjoy a daily face post, especially one written by the trustworthy and amusing Anna?

Early this week, my skin did this thing where it breaks out in more than a few irritated and inflamed bumps and this is hardly surprising considering how stressed I am at the moment. I have the misfortune of my skin depicting my inner state. Thankfully I knew better than to overdo the spot treatments and irritate things further (I can’t even  quantify the number of times I’ve made this mistake in the past…) and instead I pulled out the trustworthy Clinique Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask ($26 CDN) and it worked better than expected when I slapped it on before bed. My skin was not irritated afterwards and the morning after there was a remarkable decrease in inflammation and the underneath the skin pesky bumps. I’m not usually one to rave about masks but this one earned its mention here.

I cringe at the very thought of including this but even though I’ve rambled about it all week, The Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN) deserves its mention as I’ve worn it every single day this week and more than that, I have been pleased with it each and every time. It’s one of those practical-yet-elusive all-inclusive palettes that create really nice eye makeup with minimal effort. It provides the warmth that prevents me from looking like a zombie (the brain hasn’t felt like shutting off enough to let me sleep for six hours as of late). The shades are cohesive and really suit my warm-toned skin and blue eyes.

a satisfying eye combination featuring the palette in question
a satisfying eye combination featuring the palette in question

I don’t give the MAC Powder Blush in Tenderling ($21/25 CDN) enough credit as it has been a godsend for me lately. It’s that neutral blush that looks like nothing to write home about in the pan that adds both shape and warmth to the face at once with its light rosy brown matte hue with you guessed it warm undertones. It’s a blessing to have as it’s a shade you can ‘pop’ on without even having to think about it – yes I’m aware that I spend entirely too much time watching British beauty videos.

the beauteous blush in question
the beauteous blush in question

On a more random note, I’ve been adoring my Lululemon Wonder Under Leggings ($82/92 CDN) this week – not that I don’t constantly adore them; I do wear them most likely more often than socially acceptable… Before you write me off as delusional listen to this: they are as gloriously comfortable while still remaining socially-acceptable and are a less depressing alternative to rocking the sweatpants. You throw them on with some nice tall boots, a long cardigan and top with a scarf haphazardly brought to the mix and bam you look pulled together while in the optimal frame of mind to be productive. Wearing these while working in the library legitimately made a significant difference in terms of my ability to function this week. Sometimes the effort of wearing pants is beyond you and at such times these leggings are a lifesaver.

What have you been loving this week? I’m always open to new products to justify purchasing!

Maggie,x.