This month entailed a jaunt to the west coast and an inordinate amount of time spent out and about, in spite of allergies. Sharing a few pics from our trip because staring solely at beauty products is a touch dull, no?:
Have you ever seen such a gorgeous ball park? I've gotten more and more into sports in the past 8 or so months and the Jays being in town just cemented our intention to hit the Jays-Giants game while in San Fran. The game went into extra innings and the Jays ultimately lost, but getting to spend 5ish hours staring at this view was awesome.
A stunning view that my best friend wakes up to every morning. Suffice it to say, it's a pretty prime spot she has found for herself, which I'm super happy for!
I've included a couple products that were very clutch during our San Francisco visit, as well as some products that have been in high rotation in the last couple weeks. Onto the goods:
It's no secret that I have dry hair that has no chill. It takes a lot of product to get my hair to mellow out and resemble what I consider calm hair aka what most would consider organized chaos. In any case, I was curious about Dove's latest offering to address dry, curly hair. The key ingredient is buriti oil, which works to soften hair, and naturally, there are silicones at play here - but they work marvellously. This serum left my hair very soft and unbelievably manageable, which is a key claim from the brand, one that I'm happy to report Dove delivers on. I seldom find drugstore hair products that do the trick for my hair, so this was a pretty welcomed win.
I've been waiting (im)patiently for Supergoop! to relaunch at Sephora Canada, which I was told would happen last year. That clearly didn't happen, but we do have very strict regulations regarding sun protection in Canada, so hats off to any brand that can get on the shelves here. In the meantime, put this SPF serum on your shopping list for your next visit stateside. I wore this under makeup daily while cruising around San Francisco and it kept me free of a sunglass tan (a common thing on my nose, which always gets a bit red after time outside) without any heavy sensation on my skin. The formula is very thin and comfortable to wear, and it's boosted with vitamins E and B5. I noticed my skin's texture has visibly improved with wear of this particular SPF, so that never hurts.
I wasn't wild about this when I first received it, but I admittedly received two shades that were really dark for me at the time. I tucked them away for when I'd be a bit more tan, and that so happened to be after a few days in California. Even with sunscreen, I had a tiny bit of colour that made one of the shades a great match. My low-key skin days entailed blending a couple dots of this tint into my heavily moisturized skin using a Sigma F80 flat-top buffing brush and spot conceal with a bit of Diorskin Star concealer. I do set this with loose powder (Chanel or Laura Mercier), and it doesn't compromise the velvet finish of the tint. I like the polished finish that this formulation gives skin without looking overly perfected.
I'm evidently softening my stance on silicones. I suppose it boils down to the feel of the formulation on skin or hair. In this case, I was sucked in by the packaging and then fell hard for the product thereafter. This blurring balm smoothes the appearance of skin while helping control shine. I think this is a great alternative to powder for anyone who is opposed to adding additional texture to skin. I apply this in a patting motion with fingertips (the included applicator is kind of a joke - comically tiny and will undoubtedly become dirty in no time) to my forehead and nose after applying foundation. I believe it can also be used as a primer, but I prefer to use it through my T-zone in the midst of my makeup application. Can we all pause to appreciate the pink and gold compact? A lovely addition to one's handbag or vanity, no doubt.
It's hardly a secret that I'm a Charlotte Tilbury fan and have been for a while. Not only do I appreciate the artistry of Charlotte Tilbury herself and how her brand came to be, but I also really admire how well each product performs, from the pencil liners to the eyeshadows to the concealer pens to the blushes to the powders and - most definitely - the mascaras. CT's Full Fat Lashes was a fave of mine before the brand even launched in Canada; I got my overzealous mitts on it through a cheeky online order to my dear brother's in NYC. I loved the volume, separation and lift that it provided, but I definitely deemed it an everyday mascara, nothing overly geared towards statement-making lashes. Legendary Lashes is apparently targeted towards evening, with a result that's all about length and buildable volume, two claims I can certainly agree with. Upon first stroke into my lashes, the traditional bristle wand (oddly described as "innovative" on the official site - nice try, but no, I don't think there's anything "innovative" about this wand) deposits a lot of product into the lashes without becoming a clumpy nightmare. From there, you can build up lashes to be as full-on as you please. The formula is enriched with tamanu oil and waxes to keep lashes soft and flexible, with no irritation or flaking in my experience. I'd rank this up there with Chanel Volume de Chanel as far as head-turning lashes go. They're right around the same price point, so I suppose it boils down to preference of volume vs length; if length before volume is your cup of tea, this is your best bet.
