Pregnancy in the time of COVID-19 (with a splash of "must-haves")

When your blog goes dormant for about four years, it’s sorta random to start up again out of the blue. I guess a new life experience or chapter is all the more reason to write; processing the changes as they happen through writing feels like a reasonable thing to do. I’m currently nearly 39 weeks pregnant with our first child (a girl!), and have always found advice from my beauty pals of yesteryear that have entered the threshold of motherhood very helpful, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on my pregnancy so far. 

This year has obviously been a bit of an odd one as far as pregnancy goes, as it isn't exactly the norm to trudge through this massive life change whilst the world faces a pandemic. I'd been diligently keeping notes on how pregnancy has felt from week to week; from March onwards, I found myself writing more and more about thoughts on COVID-19 than my pregnancy. The note-taking kind of fell off from there, but thoughts have found their way into some paragraphs below. As usual, probably worth noting I'm not an expert on anything medical, let alone pregnancy and it's also worth stating every single pregnancy is different and that comparing one person's journey to the next is largely pointless. In my experience, it doesn't make it less engaging to read about someone's journey - I find every story related to pregnancy, labour, delivery and the fourth trimester fascinating because of the nuances, but that's just me. 

First Trimester Thoughts

We found out I was expecting by way of chance. We had been trying for a while (I chalk it up to only having one fallopian tube - my right tube was twisted and damaged in 2000; we imagine stress also factored in) and were about to begin cycle monitoring as we entered the new year. Cycle monitoring is when you visit a fertility clinic for an internal ultrasound and bloodwork from day 10 of your cycle every other day until you ovulate in order to pinpoint when you and your partner should try to conceive. With the help of basal body temperature tracking and PreMom ovulation predictor testing strips/app (pretty clutch), I knew that I ovulated late in my cycle, so the concept felt both daunting and invasive, knowing I’d probably be looking at 5-7 visits until we successfully detected ovulation each month for...as long as it would take, I suppose. We learned about cycle monitoring on January 6 and I was instructed to call them on day 1 of my cycle, aka when my period would start (which was due to start any day thereafter), and we’d be slotted in for appointments to monitor my ovulation progress thereafter. Days passed and my period never came. 

The hilarity/absurdity of early pregnancy is that the signs of pregnancy are basically identical to the signs of your period starting. I had cramping, I was fatigued, I felt all the usual menstruation symptoms I had each month for years. I decided to take a home pregnancy test the morning of January 14 and had a very faint positive. I contacted the fertility clinic that was going to conduct cycle monitoring for us. They offered to confirm the home pregnancy test results with a blood test later that week. On Friday, January 17, I went in for bloodwork first thing in the morning and that afternoon, I received a text saying a new message was awaiting me in the clinic's online portal. I logged into the portal to see that I was indeed pregnant with strong hCG levels. I screencapped the message and texted it to my husband. Soooo 21st century pregnant millennial, I know. We confirmed that my hCG levels were still on the rise with another blood test the following Monday, and away we went, determining I was about 4 weeks along already.

For me, pregnancy was pretty foreign territory. We weren't ready to share news widely, so we rode that wave together. In my experience, the level of exhaustion I felt was overwhelming. I could get through the work days, but by 7:30 p.m., I was out like a light. Hormones are working overtime to support embryo development until the placenta fully forms in second trimester, so that’s basically why first trimester is largely devoid of energy or desire to do just about anything. I took a step back from exercise entirely, eventually mustering up some ability to push through a spin class here or there. 

We went to Florida for a few days at the end of January to visit my mom (she had been there since the holidays); I spent most of it horizontal on the couch, staring at the ocean. Right before we went to Florida, we had an ultrasound that showed us two yolk sacs and two fetal poles and one heartbeat. We were potentially looking at a twin pregnancy. It was a lot to process, and not the easiest thing to fathom that early on in the pregnancy (we were about 6 weeks along at that point). As time went on, Baby A continued to grow and thrive while Baby B's heartbeat never developed and eventually, Baby B's yolk sac diminished and was no longer visible in our ultrasounds, a phenomenon known as vanishing twin syndrome. Our ultrasound tech urged us to focus on the notion that having one healthy baby would mean less complications than having twins that may struggle throughout the pregnancy. It wasn't easy to get past and our minds occasionally went to Baby B, but we were grateful that Baby A was growing on track. A couple of weeks later, we also found out that I had subchorionic hemorhagging and went on bed rest for a while. That was a curveball we didn't expect, which was a bit tough on our nerves. We also discovered that we couldn't do any NIPT testing or find out the gender of the baby before the 19-week anatomy scan because of the vanishing twin syndrome. It was a weird trimester and things were only getting weirder in the news cycle. We were away as COVID-19 entered Canada with the first known case officially surfacing the exact day we flew to Florida. From there, the cases mounted and we made a conscious effort to stay in or closer to home as the weeks passed in February.

First trimester was kind of like a sleepy, foggy haze cast over regular life. Habits were shifting or falling to the wayside (what was exercise or clean eating?), I personally hadn’t really processed the mental or physical changes I was about to undertake and it all felt straight-up odd because there was so much unknown with so much to learn ahead of us. Pregnancy was somewhat isolating at this point by our own choice to not share news until we were ready to do so. I wonder if we would make the same choices to withhold news and not socialize much during first trimester if we knew how unusual and isolating the rest of the pregnancy would be. We basically didn't socialize from Christmas onwards with anyone except family, which, unbeknownst to us, would become our norm for a while.  

Second and Third Trimester Thoughts

My dad, a retired doctor who had been following the pandemic perhaps too closely (he’d been housebound due to a recent knee replacement), instructed us to stock up on food and supplies to last us three months. I was rattled by his advice and thought he was projecting his anxiety onto us. Turns out he wasn’t entirely off the mark. We thankfully haven’t touched our emergency stash of nonperishables, but it’s been a surreal experience to be pregnant and not be able to fully embrace and utilize our final months as just the two of us the way we probably would’ve. I always envisioned many meals out and a trip or two to celebrate spending time with simply each other. I was in the midst of baby shower planning for July, which we then cancelled upon lockdown. I had never touched a stroller before, I’d never picked up a car seat or explored baby clothes or gadgets before. We've gathered everything we need with the help of family and friends. It’s sad that this pregnancy has largely been in lockdown, and that we couldn’t celebrate as intended, but we have had many loved ones rally around us with so much excitement for our baby girl. Shoutout to our coworkers and friends that held virtual baby showers for us and our kiddo - they were incredibly heartfelt! 

There have been moments of frustration and upset brought on by the circumstances we have found ourselves in for this pregnancy. It's been wildly isolating to largely commit to essentially only going to OB appointments and ultrasounds by myself with no support person due to COVID restrictions. At the anatomy scan, we found out the gender, but instead of sharing that moment together, my husband had to wait in the car. I asked if I could call him or FaceTime him or have them write it down on a piece of paper that we could read together. I was told 'no' to all of the above, so instead, he waited in the parking lot and I walked out and verbally told him when I handed him the sonogram photo. It was not the moment we had in mind. We told our families on a Google Meet (very fun to coordinate with the 65+ crowd). It was kind of devastating to not be able to hug any of our family members when we told them our baby's gender. There were lots of moments that we simply were not afforded, but that's life, isn't it? At times, it has felt like it's one thing after another that we're contending with in terms of concerns related to the baby's health and I suppose I've come to terms with the notion that that's what parenthood is - a steady current of worry and concern that underscores your days and nights. Mixed emotions and pregnancy twists/turns aside, we are incredibly grateful we were able to conceive at all and that our little lady is almost here. 

Pregnancy is weird in the best of times, but being largely out of sight and out of mind has made this time fly by for me, personally, while others largely lose track of how close we are to welcoming our daughter into this world. Many friends ask how many weeks we have to go and when we say it could be any day now, they're shocked. I imagine we're all shocked given that we started sharing our news via text in March (as the video calls started mounting) and it's now September and we're still largely spending time at home (well, we are, as we're quarantining prior to labour/delivery). We know it'll remain this way for a while for us as our kiddo arrives and develops her immunity. We will do everything we can to ensure she's safe and healthy, so we're settling in for a fairly quite fall. 

I've mulled on things that have made my pregnancy more bearable through the different trimesters. Here’s a brief rundown of things I found useful:

Physiotherapy (ideally specializing in Pelvic Floor Therapy)

We were well into lockdown when I started experiencing groin tightness and tenderness that was extremely uncomfortable. It was particularly tough in the evenings and overnight to get past, so I reached out to a physiotherapist friend and asked her if she knew anyone that was doing virtual sessions. She connected me with a colleague who specialized in pelvic floor therapy and was indeed treating patients virtually... and she was also pregnant! We had 3 appointments total before she went on maternity leave for her own daughter’s birth, but the impact she made on my pelvic floor health was tremendous and so greatly appreciated. Everything I had read related to pelvic floor health and pregnancy could be summed up in two words - “Do Kegels!” That’s good and well, but ultimately, I was experiencing an overactive/tight pelvic floor, so simply “doing Kegels” wouldn’t actually benefit me since I was already so tense. I’m incredibly glad I listened to my instincts to not just keep marching forward with this wild pain I was experiencing (legitimately couldn’t walk without discomfort or get out of bed without pain before seeking treatment). I’ve been keeping up with my stretches and I’ve also found that a pregnancy body pillow has helped minimize the discomfort as well. My physiotherapist also hooked me up with specific stretches and exercises to do from week 34 onwards to help prepare for labour/delivery, so I’m feeling like I have some good structure to follow as I prep physically for delivery. I think this is also a great thing to explore pre-delivery as it can help analyze and assess where your pelvic floor strength is before labour to help plan for post-labour stretches/exercises that can be done. 

I think being proactive when it comes to pelvic floor health is important when it comes to pregnancy. In order to prepare for my postpartum care, I sought out a local pelvic floor physiotherapist for in-person treatment before labour/delivery to clearly establish correct perineum prep to stretch/relax these muscles leading up to our due date and to have a physiotherapist to turn to postpartum (specifically after the 6-week post-delivery mark). Regardless of how anyone delivers their baby (vaginally or via c-section), the pelvic floor has worked overtime for 9+ months carrying extra weight and could likely use some dedicated time/attention/therapy to heal. I've been told this multiple times and now I'll preach it even before I've experienced it because honestly, I don't know that I need to delivery a baby to understand how important this is - don’t overlook your own health once baby arrives. Healthy mom is as important as healthy baby. I'm carrying this sentence with me into the fourth trimester - believe that. 

Lululemon Align Super High-Rise shorts/pants

As a person who has owned Lululemon Align pants since the initial launch in 2015 (I still have my first generation Align pants kicking around that I have worn during this pregnancy!), I was a touch skeptical that my pre-pregnancy size could actually fit me throughout my pregnancy. I’m now mere days out from my due date and can confirm my size 10 pants are holding up increasingly well! I also picked up the Align bike shorts (size 10) in a 10” super high-rise inseam (bold choices that could potentially look disproportionate on my 5’3” frame, but turned out just fine!), and I love them. They were great for the summer heat, painfully on trend (oh well!) and the compression is minimal yet still supportive for the belly. 

I also have dabbled in pregnancy-specific gear like Blanqi belly-support leggings and tanks (read: these seem to go on sale randomly, do not pay full price for them!). They smell absolutely strange (like...fuel?) and the smell never really subsided with my initial leggings and tank order despite multiple washes. I DM’d the brand about this on Instagram and they sent a replacement set without me even suggesting it, no questions asked, no exchange request, nothing. They just issued a new order immediately before they even replied to my direct message. It was great customer service (albeit a bit extreme?!), ...but the new set smelled the exact same. Stench aside, the support is pretty good, but it’s hard to get past the weird scent when your sense of smell is super heightened and on par with a blood hound thanks to pregnancy. I have still worn them plenty when I know I’m going to be stationary for a good chunk of the day at my desk (they are high-compression and minimize swelling), but I have found that by 3:00-4:00 p.m., I can’t keep wearing them! They just sort of slowly drive me nuts, which I suppose makes sense, as I am more compact in the mornings and gradually expand as I eat/consume fluids all day. I ordered a large in the tank and leggings and probably could’ve gotten away with a medium for the tank. The sizing was a bit large at first, but I’ve filled these garments out as I’ve moved towards the end of this pregnancy. Overall, if you luck out and don’t get a Blanqi purchase that smells like chemicals, enjoy the support! The fabric is quite compressive and thick, so I'd recommend these more so for pregnancy that doesn't stretch into the summer. 

Gin Gins (especially for first trimester)

I have been fortunate enough to not have thrown up at all (so far! we'll see how labour goes) in pregnancy. Nausea, however, was a steady challenge for a good stretch of my first trimester. Gin Gins ginger chews (pick your flavour or texture type - they’re all good) and organic ginger tea were the only saving grace. I found my appetite was pretty strong in the early weeks and then it was a “carbs are helpful, how did I ever eat salads daily?” stretch. I found I ate a lot more when I was at work, commuting back and forth. I think one of the important things to note is you only need 200-300 extra calories per day to support a singleton pregnancy (i.e. one embryo/fetus). I didn’t really understand why I’d always hear that deciding what to eat next was so challenging in pregnancy....then I started experiencing nausea and understood it entirely. One bad choice and it can throw off your whole day. I still have little bouts of nausea here and there and have stuck to mini meals and snacking over larger, proper meals, as they just don’t really appeal to me. This has remained true through third trimester thanks to raging heartburn. Tums should probably eventually go on your shopping list, too. 

HMF Prenatal Probiotic

I was seeing a naturopathy doctor for a while in 2019, as I was trying to regulate my hormonal health after well over a decade on the birth control pill. She put me on a HMF Genestra probiotic that helped balance out years of stomach challenges (I grew up lactose intolerant, I also had been on antibiotics for appendicitis and other infections over the years) and as soon as I discovered I was expecting, I sought out the prenatal version of the same probiotic on well.ca and started taking it daily. I’ve been very grateful that my digestion has been pretty consistent throughout pregnancy, which is not usually the case in pregnancy for many! Highly recommend this if you’re a person who already grapples with digestion challenges pre-pregnancy.

Province Apothecary custom facial serum

Switching up skincare was something that felt sort of hard to do when it came to pregnancy (and knowingly into postpartum). I have been a devoted user of retinol since 2013, so having to step away from it felt like such a shift in normative behaviour. I’ve taken short breaks from it before and have instantly seen expression lines deepen on my forehead where I raise my eyebrows. It’s a part of my routine that I am so steadfast about that cutting out virtually all actives felt like a weird compromise in my identity, which sounds so dramatic, but I think that’s pregnancy in a nutshell. You’re sharing your body, you’re making decisions that effect two lives, it’s all a huge shift that gradually prepares you for parenthood (if one can ever actually be prepared for such a shift). During lockdown around my 33rd birthday, I ordered a few hand sanitizer bottles from Province Apothecary and discovered that they offer custom facial serum blends. I filled out the questionnaire to determine what my skincare needs were and purchased the trial size. This stuff balanced out my skin in a way that was almost hard to believe. My breakouts vanished. I still had an abundance of post-acne hyperpigmentation (no actives meant no diminishing those for a *while*), but my skin was smooth, even in texture and hydrated so well. It’s not a small price to pay, but every other product I had been using was not agreeing with my skin, so I was happy to find something that finally did. It was a small victory that made me feel more like myself again, which is also something I was low-key hellbent on - not losing myself entirely in this very different stretch of life.

Natural Deodorant

There are lots of reasons to use natural deodorant, which I touched on years ago. I’ve flipped back and forth between deodorant and antiperspirant dependent on circumstances and weather. I usually opt for antiperspirant when working in an office space or in the summer months. That being said, It’s been a great stretch (working from home) to shift to a natural deodorant in order to get through the adjustment period. I’ve read that natural deodorant may not cut it when it comes to postpartum hormones and how they impact body odour (it’s apparently to help your baby identify you!); that being said, I’ve been using and surprisingly enjoying Drunk Elephant Sweet Pitti Deodorant Cream. I had never tried a formula that featured mandelic acid before, which is pregnancy-safe (hallelujah!); I am not a huge almond extract or essence fan normally (no, not a marzipan fan either), but I appreciate that there isn't a bold or fresh or 'spa-like' scent associated with this deodorant. It agreed with my body chemistry as soon as I tried it and it holds up pretty well (even through the ridiculous heat waves we've had this summer). Fingers crossed it continues to hold up in the fourth trimester and beyond. 

Pregnancy Pillow

As I entered the third trimester, my husband heard from a childhood friend that suggested we get a pregnancy body pillow. I had been resisting this so hard for a multitude of reasons. I felt like it was such a temporary stretch that I'd use a body pillow, I hated the idea of an object occupying such a huge chunk of our bed (I had already put a memory foam mattress topper on half the bed in order to spare my hips and shoulders when sleeping exclusively on my side)... the list goes on. Well, a 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath and Beyond later and this pillow was on its way to us. I wasn't even that big when it arrived, but I can say with confidence that I wouldn't be able to sleep at all without (not that I'm really sleeping that steadily these days in the homestretch). It provided support in places I didn't realize I needed it and I imagine I'll find uses for it postpartum as well. It's proven to be worth it's price given that sleep is seriously choppy as pregnancy progresses and you don't really sleep through the night. The short stretches you do get need to be sound, and I feel this pillow really helped me make the most of the brief periods that I can actually sleep.

I'd load this post with a bunch of photos, but honestly? I'm pretty wiped. Sleep is scarce already (anyone who says you should sleep before the baby comes is full of it), my body is tired and achey from carrying extra weight and I'm impatiently awaiting our baby's arrival. I hope this was somewhat useful for someone out there! 

Loving Lately - September 2016

Man, where to start? September has been a zoo of a month, with a ton of family time and lots of early mornings/late nights working on projects. We started the month with a long weekend spent working with a splash of family get-togethers for good measure. That was followed by a brief but packed NYC visit for a few days; I walked around 5 miles each day, just exploring the city like I never even did when I lived there. I met up with my dear Marina for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, mentally reenacting a scene from RHONY all the while.

It was a great visit, even with the absolutely heinous heatwave. We naturally took in a Jays game, knowing they were in town for a series with the Yankees.

Once we returned to Toronto, I wrapped up a digital magazine endeavour I had been working on since July for a fab company called Milni, which connects South Asian couples with wedding vendors of their dreams. Check out the first issue right here: http://bit.ly/MilniIssue1

We've had new additions to the family this summer, two very sweet nieces. I am completely enamoured with how tiny and peaceful and absolutely beautiful these babies are. Here's the latest addition, who was born the morning we flew to NYC. She is a little doll and makes my hands look like that of a giant. I love her to bits.

I also started a new gig that has been a wonderful experience, so it's been an amazing month. Tiring, but super fulfilling! Onto the products that made me feel a little bit more polished and presentable than usual:

Dermalogica Hydrablur Primer

This product has been out for a year now, and I've always been drawn to it purely because I wasn't into the finish of Skinperfect, a primer/SPF offering from Dermalogica. I love Hydrablur for exactly why you'd think - it's hydrating and it smoothes the skin's surface out, making skin a now-perfect canvas for makeup. It is loaded with silicones, but it also contains fruit oils and sunflower oil to balance the formulation. There's a "tint" that is released once the product is applied to skin, but it is virtually nonexistent so I imagine this would work on all skin tones without leaving a white cast. It's a real keeper as we move into cooler mornings/evenings, so I'm officially softening my "no primers ever" stance.

Artis Elite Smoke Oval 6 Brush

Y'all. I love a good makeup brush. Majority of my brushes that I reach for the most are made for the masses; Real Techniques and EcoTools have been in high rotation for years, accented with the occasional high-end brush. I admitted got sucked into the hype of Artis brushes, but the hype is real. This brush is awesome for foundation and concealer without absorbing all your product (glaring at you, BeautyBlender). I'm happy I chose this brush size in particular to pick up, as the larger brushes (Oval 8, Oval 10) all look like they would do a great job of quickly distributing product, but I reckon it'd be a little bit on the messy side. This size allows me to do concealer/correct under my eyes and around my nose with ease, so it's a real multitasker in my experience.

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo in "218 Script" 

I don't commit to a lip colour for a full day of wear. I usually start with a lip balm, follow up with a lip stick or lip liner (sometimes both) and then as that combo of products wears off, I tend to reapply balm only, not usually feeling inclined to add more colour as the day goes on. I'm simply not a touch-up person; I've never carried a makeup bag in my purse (probably because  my preferred size of purse is usually smaller than most makeup bags out there) and it's simply an unappealing idea. All that being said, this lip colour has made it into my bag for trips to and from the office because I genuinely enjoy wearing it! It's a comfortable, creamy formula, so lasting power is certainly variable based on food/drink consumption, but the colour is a perfect colour for my pigmented lips and it simply livens up my face. Slim packaging is streamlined if you are a fellow small-purses-only person, and the formula doesn't settle into lines. Perfect fall treat.

Tom Ford Cream Eye Colour in "Sphinx"

Do you see that hint of duochrome-y goodness up there? It's a packshot, but there's a sense of sheen and shine in there, no? This peachy-pink-gold cream shadow is really beautiful when swatched. It looks underwhelming in the pot, but once it's on the skin, it comes to life! 

The out-of-focus nature of this shot is with purpose - it best captures the shimmer. The shimmer particles are certainly leaning towards the larger side of the scale, meaning it's definitely a shadow that catches the light, but it can certainly be mellowed out with powder shadows or other cream colours on top. I love wearing this on its own or with winged liner. It's a little on the summery side for some people at this time of the year, but so what/who cares/it's really pretty. Really looking forward to pairing this with Tom Ford's Honeymoon eyeshadow quad, which was my eye obsession earlier this year. I suspect they'll be a match made in heaven. 

Loving Lately - August 2016

Hard to believe August has come and gone, meaning the last days of summer are upon us. It was a markedly less hectic month, with no weddings to attend and only one baby shower in the calendar. What I've been focused on the past month is improving the structure I have in my daily routine, working more gym visits into my schedule, which has been genuinely great. As a person who never prioritized exercise in any stage of my life up until now, it's exciting to not hate the concept of working out. Endorphins are finally a thing in my existence, so that's awesome. As a result, my hair looks like hell majority of the time and makeup is usually kept to brows/lashes until I'm in a post-workout state. If it's late in the day, makeup doesn't happen at all. It's been a shift in habits in more ways than one, but nothing that's bothered me too much. Newness has been minimal this month, but a Manhattan visit is looming just after Labour Day, so I reckon there'll be much to gush about thereafter! In the meantime, here's a few items I've found appealing in this last stretch of summer.

Burberry Light Glow Blush in Cameo

Burberry blushes are the definition of user-friendly in my experience. They are offered up in wearable colours that are usually quite difficult to overdo in application. The one shade of this range I've seen hyped up over and over again is "Earthy", which, as you can imagine, is a taupe shade with a greyish undertone. I have it and basically never reach for it since it's about the same shade depth as my own skin tone, making it a stupidly subtle contour shade, if anything at all. I saw this cute little set on sephora.ca and couldn't resist the allure of miniature products. I'm not a massive Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base fan, which is a liquid illuminating base that they seem to put an obscene amount of marketing behind given how unremarkable its performance is. It's not a bad product, it's just a product that doesn't do much of anything. The size included is that of a deluxe sample, and I've more or less used it up already so let's focus on the lipstick, blush and kabuki brush. The lipstick included is a mini Lip Velvet in "Rosewood" (yes, yet another rosewood addition to my collection), and it actually isn't too light for me, which I consider a huge victory for my pigmented lips. The blush is a midtone pink, a little on the muted side, but still pigmented. I've enjoyed wearing it right on the apples of my cheeks and lightly dusted across my eyelids for a monochrome, slightly-80s look that it quick, easy and pretty. No issues with patchiness and I actually love the floral fragrance of this blush. The mini kabuki is actually decent quality and comes in a tiny velvet case, making it one of the cuter things I've ever owned. No complaints about this purchase, I downright adore it!

Giorgio Armani Eye Tint Fluid Eye Colour Film ...aka Matte Eye Tints

Fall is upon is and it's hardly shocking to see yet another season of nude shades, and the worst part is I'm not even sick of it. Armani's Eye Tints are usually a microfine shimmer finish, but this new range of shades are all matte and lovely. The full range is swatched here and gives you a solid idea of the colours and finish. I love #23 Camel Smoke as a wash all over the lid for daytime, as well as #21 Fur Smoke through the crease and buffed out in a rounded shape for evening. The formula does not crease at all, and I don't use an additional primer. In no way have I been exempt from perspiration this summer, especially through my face, so the steadfast nature of this formula is a blessing. What drew me to such moody colours in the middle of the summer? Sabyasachi's Instagram account, of course. The type of look depicted all over that IG account makes me wanna get LASIK ASAP, just to sport dark lids all day, every day. I always feel it's overkill with glasses. *sighs wistfully*

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in Toffee Pink

I suppose you could consider this an almost-cheap thrill, since the price point isn't that high by department store brand standards. This tinted lip product occupies the space between a gloss and balm, imparting soft shine, moisture and a bit of colour for a very easy-going product that smells sweet as hell, yet somehow abstains from crossing into cloying territory. I love this colour, which certainly isn't as milky and light as one may think by looking at the tube, and it also goes on semi-sheer, so your natural lip colour can shine through a bit. I have kept this in my purse all summer and it has been so clutch when out and about for a little hydration and low-key, no-mirror-needed application.

Bite Beauty Multistick in Biscotti

Bite is slowly expanding its product roster to go beyond lips...sort of?! This multi-use product can grace eyes, lips and cheeks for an easy monotone look (or, you know, pick and choose which part(s) of your face you sport it on). The formula is creamy enough to blend out and settles down to very on-trend matte finish. This shade is a little pink to sport on lids, so I've mostly been sticking to lips/cheeks, and it's been perfect for a natural flush or slightly defined lips. In usual Bite fashion, the formulation is silicone-free and this range in particular contains 35% amino acid-covered powders plus some sugarcane-derived squalane, so lips/cheeks/lids won't be dried out. Lots to love here!

Loving Lately - July 2016

July was a whirlwind of weddings, Jays games, a baby shower, early arrival of a new niece and a seemingly endless heatwave, which made wearing makeup a particularly challenging endeavour. As per most beauty fans out there, when summer weather is coming in hot, I actively try to lighten up my routine, but that doesn't really stop whatever makeup I do decide to wear from melting down my face. I rapidly become a slave to Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (which is a long-time favourite), and make a habit of blotting whatever base I choose to commit to for the day before powdering to remove a bit of excess product before sealing everything in. This little trick is a gem I picked up from a Wayne Goss vid ages ago, which actually ties into one of my favourites. On to the goods:

Wayne Goss Air Brush

Okay, I'll level with you. I'm pretty sure this brush was limited edition, but if the balance of Wayne Goss' brush range is anywhere near this soft, then they are absolutely worth checking out. Full disclosure: Goss' brush range does use animal hair, so stick to the plethora of synthetic options out there if that's your preference. This particular brush was created with the "buffing" technique in mind, as well as contouring, blush, bronzer and general setting, which Wayne explains in full here. I own a lot of brushes of varying quality, and this is hands down the softest brush I own that gives me the most seamless finish ever when applying blush and bronzer. I have always felt sort of underwhelmed with cheek brushes in my arsenal, feeling as though they applied too much product or didn't blend product effectively without moving my foundation underneath. As Wayne explains, the bristles are not that densely packed, so the chance of disrupting your foundation/concealer while blending your powder products is pretty much nonexistent. This brush was priced at $35 and I'd pay way more for the results that it provides. I believe this brush from the same range is a similar concept, slightly different shape.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Cushion Foundation

Can't say I ever really dove into the cushion craze, especially when most of the Eastern versions were simply way too light in tone and the Western versions were... well, I don't know, they just didn't really strike me as anything particularly special. As a self-proclaimed foundation fanatic, I couldn't believe I'd never tried Lancôme's original Teint Idole Ultra fluid, as it's increasingly raved about. That being said, I can't really comment on this cushion formula versus the original fluid. I can, however, tell you that this stuff has solid coverage and a little goes a very long way (max 2 light-pressure taps on that cushion - for real). I like how skin-like the finish is even though coverage is still very much present. I also don't mind the colour match (420 Bisque roughly translates to my NC42ish summer colour). It holds up to heat decently, to boot! 

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Compact

While sifting through my various drawers of makeup, I was pretty pumped to find this nearly untouched compact of Armani powder foundation. I never really fell for the Lasting Silk offerings the way I did for the Luminous Silk range, but I figured I'd give this powder a go, and I'm really fond of the smoothing effect of this powder. I've definitely had some skin woes this summer, so it's been great to have a powder that really goes the extra mile to seal concealer in and keep my makeup in tact regardless of the high temperatures. I don't think this one is available in Canada, but it's definitely a worthy purchase when in the US. It gives skin a virtually air-brushed finish, which is gorgeous.

Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Precise Micro Pencil

It was only a matter of time before this product launched! I say that largely because it had become damn near impossible to find Maybelline Define-A-Brow in any shade aside from "Medium Brown" over the last year or so. This is not merely a repackaging, as I feel this pencil is a touch waxier than the Define-A-Brow formula, which felt stiffer overall, but any drugstore alternative to Anastasia Brow Wiz is welcome in my makeup bag. The tiny point allows for natural-looking strokes to mimic brow hairs. It's been my go-to for creating a slightly more handsome brow shape [I've been eyeing the beauty looks on the Sabyasachi IG account a little too much lately (this one slays me)]. Love following this pencil up with a clear brow gel for a brushed-up, fanned-out finish. 

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick in Trophy Wife

Yes, I'm at that point where products launched by bloggers aren't something I rule out instantly (well, maybe not the launches are marred with drama or controversy). I have to tip my hat to Huda for taking a bit of time to create her products and build out her business gradually. I also have to commend any brand that gets picked up by Sephora for distribution - that's no joke in scaleability and it takes a lot to fulfill a PO like that. Down to the brass tacks: this shade, Trophy Wife, is described as "rose wood" (fun note: the corresponding lip pencil from Huda Beauty is described as "the new best-selling rose wood" - that's a little loud, hey?) and I'm usually a sucker for anything described as this colour. In person, there's definitely a terra cotta vibe to the colour, but I'm pleased that this shade wasn't too light for my lips (a common occurrence with liquid lipsticks - they look absolutely absurd against the deeply pigmented outer edge of my mouth) and the formula was crazy comfortable. The colour settled in lines of my lips a bit, but frankly, my lips aren't smooth when my mouth is relaxed, so that's basically inevitable for me with any liquid lip colour. I counteract this with a tiny dab of lip balm on top of the liquid lipstick once it's set and all is well in my beauty world again. I found one layer of this lip colour was ample (two was overkill), and the shades are collectively noted to deepen once applied (says so on the packaging!), which Trophy Wife absolutely did do. It all resulted in a shade that's on trend without being too '90s for my personal taste, and my lips didn't feel like the Sahara after the fact - a winner in my books. I believe the full range of liquid lip colours will reach Sephora doors in October, with a handful of liquid lip colours and lip pencils available online now.