Lovely Lately - August 2014

Summer is winding down to everyone's dismay, and I'm not exempt from that sadness! I say this so often that it's nearly lost all meaning, but I truly have no idea where the time has gone. The past few months were pretty fantastic, so that's probably why they flew by, right?

I've worn significantly less makeup lately than ever before (with the exception of weddings, in which case, more is more), but that doesn't mean I am lacking favourite products to share with y'all. I now realize this is also a bit of a fall preview of sorts, since most of these products have yet to hit stores, but here are the products I couldn't imagine getting through August without! 

Deborah Lippman Dear Mr. Fantasy

I spotted this at the Murale Fall 2014 Preview and flipped out. It is my absolute dream colour for nails, as it's a vibrant purple-fuschia with a shimmer shot through, so it looks like glowing satin when applied. It's kind of crazy how much I love this shade and I'm going to buy all the bottles I can manage when it hits shelves. This is backup-worthy in my books. Lancôme has a similar shade or two in their fall collection (Vernis In Love in "Amethyste Brune" and "Topaz Rose"), so check those out if you can't stand to wait for this one (launching in October 2014, I believe).

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+

This is technically a relaunched product, but that doesn't make it less worthy of your attention. The formula was updated to now fight acne marks left on skin post-breakout. It actually prevents your skin from forming pigmentation where a breakout existed. Science! It can be used as an overall facial moisturizer (it wears well under makeup) or localized spot treatment. It's proved to be useful to me in fighting clogged pores and breakouts alike this summer, so I highly recommend it. I have a soft spot for most LRP products, and this is just another example of the brand's offerings surpassing my expectations. Snap this up at Shoppers or Rexall, y'all, as it's a product to keep on hand, which I find to be true of most LRP products.

Dior DiorSkin Star Concealer

This concealer isn't hitting counters until next week, but I urge you to scoop it up once it does. I've been living out of a bag for one reason or another lately, taking mini trips here and there to visit family (mine and my bf's) and I also live across from a very major construction site that seems to pride itself on breaking every Toronto by-law regarding noise pollution and construction start and end times *sighs deeply*, so suffice it to say that sleep has been inconsistent as can be the past few weeks. This concealer is a godsend for effective (medium to full) coverage of undereye darkness and it doesn't crease or settle into fine lines, even after hours of wear. I believe it's available in 5 shades, so do check it out if you're at all plagued by anything that robs you of sleep! 

Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm

L to R: Roly Poly Rosy, Robust Rhubarb

Expanding on their Chubby Stick business was just good sense for Clinique, as they have had wild success with their various lip iterations and their eyeshadow version. I am more of a cheek product fanatic than I realized, owning more blush, contour colours and highlighters than I care to admit to, but these are a welcomed addition to my stash. The stick factor automatically means portable and easy to apply - dab it on, blend it out with a synthetic brush or finger tips and you're on your way. My favourite aspect of this product is easily the subtle sheen these blushes give skin, thanks to microfine shimmers in the formula that don't settle in pores. Rejoice! 

Armani Eye & Brow Maestro and Maybelline Brow Drama

I haven't changed my brow routine much at all since this post, but I'm always open to straying from my old faithfuls to try new formulations and product types. I've dabbled in potted brow products before, starting with Laura Mercier Brow Definer in "Warm" maybe four years ago. It's a good formula, but it didn't give me the lasting power or slightly bolder colour payoff I was looking for. Upon first application of this Armani product, a hybrid brow and eye colour (wear it through brows, as eyeliner or as an eyeshadow), I was sold. The shade range for this product leans to the cool side, as I feel most brow products ought to, but the shade I have (shade 2, "Wenge Wood") has a barely visible reddish shimmer shot through. This makes sense to me, because hair is reflective in nature, so matte-finish potted brow products (looking at you, Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade) don't make sense to me. They really look painted on, instead of enhancing your brows. This product will be hitting Armani counters in the fall, so wait patiently if this is at all piquing your interest. If you have particularly unruly brows, you'll probably still want to use a brow gel in addition to this cream brow colour. My fave these days is Maybelline Brow Drama in "Dark Brown", launching in the fall in Canada, but I believe it's available in other markets already. Drugstore brow gel at its finest! 

Elizabeth Arden Prevage Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum

On a semi-related note, this lash and brow serum has really made a difference for me in the few weeks I've been using it. Every time a "brow expert" would look at my brows, they would exclaim, "You overplucked these areas!" and would demand I grow out the sparse areas I have on the outer top edge of both my brows. Like the dry person I am, I would flatly say, "I didn't pluck them this way, they've been like this since birth, so... any other suggestions?" No one suggested any specific brow growth product, so I tried this one and I'm happy with the results. My sparse spots have grown in considerably, which has made filling them in less of a challenge. Creating a good shape on a daily basis has become a simpler task and more of a joy when people see me and compliment me on my brows. Bless the peptide blend in this silver tube. It has done wonders for me. My lashes have also seemed longer and more fluttery, which I am absolutely NOT mad at.

Anyone want to share their faves of the last month or few? Do tell!

I'm A Fool for Foundation

I'm just a fool, a fool in love...with foundation. 

As a self-proclaimed foundation junkie, I feel makeup never looks as seamless as it does when applied over a beautiful base. Whether you’re into liquid foundation or prefer a powder compact, or if you’re more of a spot-concealing person who occasionally opts for tinted moisturizer, there’s a formula for you that will lend an element of polish to your overall look. I'll be covering liquid foundation picks in this post, so stay tuned for powder and tinted moisturizer recommendations in the next post! Read on for my liquid formulas that I use and love.

Guerlain Tenue de Perfection

The latest foundation iteration from Guerlain is dubbed a “timeproof” foundation, and they aren’t kidding with that claim. This is as long-wearing as foundation gets without appearing heavy on the face. While this is a fuller coverage foundation, and that isn't something many people want or need, I must say I love how this looks on the skin and the fact that I never have to conceal anything after applying this. It covers up every former blemish, every current blemish, every little imperfection I have. This formula wears comfortably on the skin, sets brilliantly without a separate setting powder (though using one will ultimately just stretch out the wear of your application), and photographs well in spite of the SPF 20 added. I buff it in to moisturized skin with a Sigma Beauty F82 Rounded Kabuki Brush for speedy coverage. I’m usually really apprehensive when it comes to long-wearing foundations and being able to properly remove them (since improper removal can lead to breakouts), but this formula comes off with no issue or extra effort whatsoever. Finding a colour match may be a challenge for anyone very fair or medium-deep and darker, but if there's a match for you, go for it.  

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup

As far as I’m concerned, no one does foundation the way Armani does foundation. I didn’t think anything would be able to please me the way Armani Luminous Silk did (and has since 2007 when I discovered it in Selfridges!), but this thin fluid, which is made of a blend of 5 different oils, is very much a skin perfector. It glides on and blends in with the most minimal effort. It’s incredibly low maintenance in that regard, so I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t want to really have to ...try, per se. It’s more geared towards someone who isn’t in dire need of too much coverage, so skin in stable condition is most agreeable for this one, but man oh man, it gives a gorgeous velvety finish to the face. This one is probably best applied with fingers, but I still buff it on with the aforementioned Sigma rounded kabuki because I find I end up washing my hands about 7 times every time I do my makeup otherwise... 

L’Oréal Magic Liquid Powder Bare Skin Perfecting Makeup

Many people, myself included, learned about this lightweight fluid and instantly thought it was a drugstore dupe for Armani’s Maestro Fusion Makeup. While the ingredients are incredibly similar between the two foundations (both brands are owned by L’Oréal), there’s actually more alcohol in this foundation than the Armani version. That being said, it performs very similarly to the Armani foundation, and at a fraction of the cost. It also sets to a velvety matte finish, which leaves skin quite comfortable. This version has a very different colour range than Armani, and the glass bottle with no dropper or dispenser leaves something to be desired, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. If you have decent skin and prep beforehand with a solid dose of moisture to eliminate dryness, give this one a whirl. 

Yves Saint Laurent LE TEINT TOUCHE ÉCLAT

 

While this isn't the newest addition to YSL's foundation family (that would be YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation), this particular formula was virtually overdue in a way. After such huge success with the brand's Touche Éclat pen (the product that spawned a whole category of clicky-twisty highlighter-concealer pens), it was a logical next step to spread the lightness that Touche Éclat brings to the eye area to the whole face. That's what this formula is, in my experience: radiance in a bottle. It's a light-to-medium coverage luminous finish foundation with not a trace of shimmer or sparkle, thankfully. The shade range is pretty substantial for a high-end range, it wears well with no noticeable fading, at least on my combination-dry skin and you'll appreciate the glowy finish if you're not into highlighting, because the luminous finish of this formula is ample enough to get by on. 

Semi-related: a small but still prized possession -- my personalized Touche Eclat pen

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here. 

Mascaras... a quickie post.

Gonna try to do a quick mascara post...quick implying I won't ramble on forever about any particular product, but maybe hit on a pro/con er two for each product and a simple yes or no for planned repurchase. Let's face it though, I try new products more than I repurchase old faithfuls. I'm a "risktaker" like that. It's a mascara, not a car. LE denotes Limited Edition. HTF denotes Hard to Find. All products were inevitable in the shades Black/Blackest Black/Blacker than Black unless otherwise noted.

Product: CoverGirl LashBlast (original, orange tube)
Pros: great volume, easy to build up, price, formula is designed to NOT migrate on the eye :)
Cons: the molded plastic wand is apparently not foolproof (though I've never poked myself in the eye with it, but that's a common complaint), bulky tube
Repurchase again?: Yes. Have and will repurchase.


Product: CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion (purple tube)
Pros: RELIABLE clean definition/volume, price, never needs to be combed through the lashes, auto-separates!
Cons: molded plastic wand (personally, I ain't mad at it), bulky tube
Repurchase again?: Yes. Have and will repurchase.

Product: CoverGirl LastBlast Length (yellow tube)
Pros: lengthening formula, price, skinny wand to get into corners of eye without hitting your eye
Cons: the wand doesn't seem to pick up on that much product
Repurchase again?: No, I can live without it.

Product: L'Oreal Lash Out (HTF)
Pros: teddy bear brush, creamy formula with protein complex (who knew!), price
Cons: lots of product on the wand, must comb through lashes with spare spoolie
Repurchase again?: Sure, it's a nice dupe for Burberry's mascara.

Product: YSL Faux Cils
Pros: volume building formula (hence the name, fake lashes), lovely heavy tube (make sure you hear the audible click to ensure it's closed properly!)
Cons: excess product on wand, dries out quickly, price
Repurchase again?: No. Been there, done that, wasn't all that smitten. Plus L'Oreal Voluminous is a dupe.

Product: Chantecaille Faux Cils
Pros: fantastic formula on a simple teddy bear brush, leaves lashes soft, great packaging
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: Yes. This wand fans lashes out and delivers better on the product name than YSL did.

Product: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill (original)
Pros: great formula (almost gel-like?) that glides on with ease, fantastic brush (once you know how to use it), lovely heavy packaging
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: Yes. Have repurchased, love it, fave mascara.

Product: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Excess (possibly LE)
Pros: very interesting brush, easy-to-apply formula
Cons: price, fragrance of formula (reminiscent of Maybelline Lash Stiletto formula scent, not good!)
Repurchase again?: Yes. However, I'm more likely to purchase the original GA ETK formula.

Product: Burberry Effortless mascara
Pros: teddy bear brush, creamy formula, awesome tube
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. Great to try, great product, easily realized L'Oreal Lash Out is basically the same for a lower price.

Product: L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
Pros: volume-building, dupe for YSL Faux Cils, price
Cons: wet formula that needs to dry out a little before ideal consistency is achieved, can be a bitch to remove if the Carbon Black formula is purchased (so beware!)
Repurchase again?: Yes.

Product: L'Oreal Voluminous Million Mascara (HTF in NYC)
Pros: fantastically fanned-out doll-eye lashes, price
Cons: molded plastic brush-head (be mindful when getting to the lash roots), clunky tube
Repurchase again?: Yes. So pleased!

Product: Maybelline Falsies
Pros: curved brush, wetter formula, price
Cons: needs to be combed through lashes with spare spoolie
Repurchase again?: No. Results weren't worth the effort.

Product: Maybelline Full'n'Soft
Pros: allegedly beneficial formula for lashes, hypoallergenic, washable mascara, great definition for everyday wear, price
Cons: none, really.
Repurchase again?: Always. It's a great go-to if my eyes are tired or ragey from too much eye makeup the day before.

Product: Maybelline Lash Stiletto
Pros: price
Cons: lousy formula with a terrible scent, lousy brush, no length or shine
Repurchase again?: No. What a disappointing mascara that lived up to zero of the claims advertised. Sad clown.

Product: Rimmel Sexy Curves (purple tube)
Pros: great double-helix style brush, great formula, price
Cons: spikes on brush can be sharp (watch the lash roots!)
Repurchase again?: Yes.

Product: Rimmel VolumeFlash (pink tube)
Pros: price, great formula that had potential to be quite messy but wasn't
Cons: had to be worked through with spoolie
Repurchase again?: No. Nothing against it, I have other drugstore mascaras I prefer.

Product: Bobbi Brown Extreme Party mascara
Pros: great defined lashes, tapered brush made it easy to get into corner lashes
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. There are other high-end mascaras that I prefer.

Product: Chanel Inimitable Intense
Pros: great formula, functional molded plastic brush
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. It's a good product, I just don't think it's as great as others for the price.

Product: Chanel Exceptionnel de Chanel in Noir Obscur (LE)
Pros: amazingly voluminous but cleanly defined lashes, FANTASTIC brush that alternates bristles with a comb (waaay before Revlon Double-Twist came out).
Cons: price, LE status
Repurchase again?: YES! If I could, I would repurchase this product in this shade. Alas, it was LE in October 2009.

Product: Maybelline Great Lash
Pros: dark formula, reputation (touted as the end-all/be-all of mascaras)
Cons: lousy wand/product delivery on lashes, smudges like CRAZY
Repurchase again?: No. How a tube of this stuff is sold every 3 seconds or whatever, I'll never understand.

Product: Estee Lauder More Than Mascara
Pros: clean definition, slight volume, good everyday mascara
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. Not worth the dollars paid.

Product: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Color Mascara (Sapphire Blue) LE
Pros: amazingly bright blue shade, GREAT volume, GREAT length
Cons: LE, price
Repurchase again?: Yes. I adored this whole LE release of bright mascaras, which was pretty unexpected given the company that produced them (Estee Lauder aka your mother's cosmetic counter...but Tom Pecheaux is really turning things around).

Product: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Bold Lifting
Pros: great formula, great tapered wand, great results!
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: Yes.

Product: Estee Lauder MagnaScopic
Pros: volume-building
Cons: price, clunky tube
Repurchase again?: No

Product: Estee Lauder Projectionist
Pros: lengthening formula did lengthen
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No

Product: Lancome Hypnose Drama
Pros: volumizing, lengthening, s-curved brush
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. It's a good mascara, but I like other products better for the price point.

Product: Clinique Lash Doubling
Pros: mega lengthening
Cons: not exactly volumizing
Repurchase again?: Yes. Cheap enough.

Product: Dolce & Gabbana Mascara
Pros: lengthening more so than volumizing
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. Not merited for the price and other products avail for equal or fewer dollars.

Product: DiorShow Mascara
Pros: none
Cons: price, wand, formula
Repurchase again?: No. I hated DiorShow and don't get why it's forever atop the "Best of" lists every single year. The brush is ridiculous, the formula is lousy and you can definitely get bigger bang for your buck with another brand.

Product: DiorShow Iconic Mascara
Pros: none
Cons: price, wand, formula
Repurchase again?: No. I hated the original DiorShow. DiorShow Iconic has a comb brush thing going on and it's just terrible. Nothing dramatic or iconic or awesome about this one.

Product: Benefit Bad Gal (blue and black)
Pros: volumizing
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. I used to like this, but since I've tried others, it's fallen into oblivion.

Product: Bourjois Volumizer mascara
Pros: two-step process involving one wand to separate lashes (beautifully!) and another to add volume
Cons: pretty wet formula, pretty fat tube, price
Repurchase again?: Yes. I actually love this mascara a LOT!

Product: Almay Dial-Up mascara
Pros: interesting delivery of product involving choosing which level of mascara you want (1=daytime, 2=nighttime, 3=weekend...apparently?), price
Cons: stiffening to lashes
Repurchase again?: No. I never go beyond 1 on the dial and even that seems like too much product. Interesting idea in theory, not practice.

Product: MAC Opulash
Pros: decent volume
Cons: large brush
Repurchase again?: No. A pretty lacklustre mascara, but MAC mascaras are generally not so great.

Product: Maybelline The Colossal Volum'Express
Pros: pretty good volume, price
Cons: ridiculous brush, clunky tube, stiff lashes
Repurchase again?: No. Stiff lashes ought to be illegal.


I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but this is.. pretty substantial, no?

Me & Cosmetics

I should probably preface this whole site with my perspective on makeup. Probably…

The Chanel counter @ Henri Bendel, 5th Ave, NYC

Well, where to start? I like makeup. A lot. It’s kind of everything to me. It is truly what excites me when I wake up in the a.m. I look forward to doing makeup every single day. This sounds so lame when I type it, good grief. Whatever, it’s fun and colourful and I love it! New collections, new products, tutorials, Youtube subscriptions, helping people pick products for themselves, buying things that literally change my appearance so drastically in the best way possible, hunting for limited edition EVERYTHING. It’s really become a lifestyle, but it’s exciting, more so now that I’m in New York and am able to explore brands that were either completely unavailable to me in Canada or just wildly out of reach due to only being carried at select Holts locations or whatever. Let it be known, distribution of cosmetics is just the WORST in Canada. It is really excruciating the way Holts has a monopoly on the whole market. Ah well.

Favourite brands include Giorgio Armani and Chanel. I like all brands, and while I tend to gravitate towards higher-end brands, I’m no stranger to drugstore products at all! I think discovering that Wet’n’Wild cosmetics were still sold at Wal-Mart was a pretty huge revelation of ‘08 to me. I just think I really appreciate the marketing and conceptualization that goes into a lot of higher-end brands and how it ties into their seasonal collections. While I am a Fashion Marketing major, the beauty aspect of every fashion week is pretty intriguing to me and I firmly believe that makeup can make or break the finished look so … that’s me justifying my major vs. my apparent natural passion. *shrug*

Fave products over the years (I’ll probably do reviews of these eventually):
- Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation (shade 7 - tan)
- Chanel UV Essential SPF 50
- Giorgio Armani Eye Brow Defining Pencil (shade 3)
- Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara (shade 1 - steel black)
- La Mer Lip Balm
- MAC 130 foundation brush
- EcoTools brushes (all. of. these.)
- Trish McEvoy Duo Matte Bronzer
- Nars Multiple Bronzer in Malaysia
- Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation (shade 34)
- Cle de Peau concealer in Ochre
- Cle de Peau Extra Rich Lipstick in R2 - Red Abundance (a killer bright red)
- Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in 75 - Dragon (fave red lip of all time)
- Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Petale & Rose Dust

Well, this is lengthy and sorta purposeless. Just trying to throw some product names out there to establish what my aesthetic is. People I look to for makeup inspiration.. well, I’m not really a classic beauty kind of person, and I’m not a natural beauty kind of person. I think I function based on colours and moods. I will do a smoky eye if I don’t want to talk to people. I will do a red lip if I feel a bit loud. Y’know, things like that. I love trying out runway looks but they seldom make it out of my apartment.