Loving Lately - September 2014

Hello, friends.

I am writing this post in a haze of mental exhaustion. I just started my MBA and the last 3-4 weeks have been a very firm and real adjustment of schedules, sleep, priorities and stress factors. Cortisol is at an all-time high in my body - seriously, stress rashes and hives are a thing I had the displeasure of experiencing during orientation - and feeling energetic or well-rested is a fleeting memory, but I'm actually enjoying my classes I'm in, so yay for me! On the flip-side, I'm quietly cursing the TTC commute. Here are products that have made me either look or feel less dead lately. High praise for everything mentioned below!

Saje Pocket Pharmacy 

Essential oils have always seemed a touch hippy-dippy for my liking, but when I went to the NKPR IT Lounge during TIFF this year, a brand representative rolled Peppermint Halo all over my shoulders and neck area and the tingling delight was quick to set in and remain for probably a solid hour or so after the fact. It felt like a tension release without having to actually do anything, except use a rollerball. Pretty simple stuff. This set is dubbed a pocket pharmacy because several ailments can be addressed with the five rollerball minis enclosed in this pouch. The set comes with an instruction manual, explaining the benefits of each essential oil and where to specifically apply them on the body for maximum benefit. A superb little kit to keep on hand.

YSL Fusion Ink Foundation

I know, I know, another oil-based foundation. To be honest, I've tried every iteration that's come out from L'Oreal and they're all pretty excellent. I generally felt the biggest difference was actually the shade range, not much else....until this YSL version launched. It's slightly more geared towards oily skintypes, which I certainly don't have, but I'm finding it to be the perfect texture for September weather, when it's chilly early and late at night (anyone else feeling their skin get a little drier?), but temperatures still hit the 20s, which can cause a slight spike in sebum production (at least in my skin). It manages to stay velvety matte pretty much no matter what. I also love the original oil wonder, Armani Maestro, but it definitely gives a far less matte finish than this formula. I wear shade B60, which seems a bit dark and warm for me, but blended out, it's a pretty spot-on match. It's definitely not full coverage - more medium, I'd say - but I do get at least 14 hours of wear out of it, so I have zero complaints about longevity in my experience.

Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Eye Liner

I can't say this liner itself is groundbreaking, but it does apply with the utmost ease imaginable as far as waterline application goes, and it's a dream to tightline with. No brush, no fuss, no mess - just a simple glide of the pencil. A downside to this product is that it's supposedly only 17-20 uses in each cartridge (this can be purchased as a single unit, or in a set of 3 pencils - all obsidian black in colour). I have to beg to differ, because I've been using the single pencil since the product launched a few months ago, and I have yet to hit the end of it. It transfers to the waterline a bit when I tightline with it, but I don't particularly care about that. I don't find that it runs, smudges or smears, so it stays in the rotation. 

Blush, Blush, Blush

I probably pile on more cheek colours than apparent to the naked eye, but that's because I'm a big fan of natural, second-skin blushes. The term "nude blush" just seems silly, but I maintain these products have been one of the biggest saving graces I've had in my arsenal to prevent me from looking like the living dead on campus and in transit. I like that these shades sort of serve as both a blush/highlighter all at once, since there's a sheen or subtle shimmer to all of these (minus the CdP palette). I also like that these colours create an understated contrast against my skin, as I evidently am at odds with brighter makeup these days. 

Go-to shades, from the top right moving clockwise:

- Benefit Dallas - I've developed a significant dip in this boxed powder, it's been in rotation for years

- Joe Fresh Shimmer Powder Blush in "Radiant Rosette" - $6 steal, people! Pigmented but not scarily so!

- Lorac Velvet Rope - a bit more on the mauvey plummy rose side
- Edward Bess Quad Royale in "Summer in Capri" - definitely more of a highlight or for super low-key days
- Clé de Peau Beauté's cheek/eye palette from their Holiday 2014 Makeup Coffret (minus the included lipstick and mascara, which are both lovely) - This was love at first swatch. I've been using the whole palette (how often can you say that about a palette? That you use the whole thing?!) pretty frequently, as a couple shadows and a hit of blush are about as elaborate as my makeup gets these days. Available in October at Holts.

I hope everyone has had a marvelous month. Fall is a brief stopover on the way to winter hell, but I'm gonna try my best to enjoy it and I suggest you do the same!

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.