March Favourites

I don't believe I've ever done my favourites post before the month's end before.   Actually, I was going to film my responses to the 11 Questions Tag, but every single thing that could possibly happen to interrupt my five separate filming occasions has happened -- picture fire alarms, battery packs dying, not one, but two full SD cards...I digress.

This month has been a very favourite-y month for me.  Did that make sense?  Probably not.  What I mean is, that for me, favourites usually refer to products that have made more than one appearance within a given month.  These favourites are different because I've used every single one of them at least five times a week (except the nail polish, but only because I don't reapply every day).  That's insane for me.  Not surprisingly, I'm not wearing any of them in the video.  In fact, I'm not wearing a stitch of makeup in the video, because I was so excited about catching the last five minutes of evening light.  You do what you gotta do.

As always, links and products mentioned will be on the Youtube page.  Click through and enjoy!

Other things I've enjoyed this month...
1. Since you all loved my dad's top shelf last month...check out my brother's.
2. The Face.  ANTM with infinitely better sponsors  Anyone see the finale last night?
3. Lemon water.
4. This clip of Jennifer Lawrence talking about her mom.
5. The Wild Oats & Bourbon candle from NEST Fragrances.

Tell me about your March loves!

Clarisonic vs Neutrogena Wave, Re-Evaluated

The most popular post on this blog is my Clarisonic Mia vs Neutrogena Wave post.  I didn't know how popular that post would get -- if I did, I probably would have included my own photos instead of relying on the power of Google Images.

I think it's time that I update my experience with the Clarisonic.  My knowledge of skincare since that time has expanded so much, my skin needs different things, and I now have the power of hindsight.

First off: Don't buy the Neutrogena Wave.  It will do nothing good for your skin. Even when I thought it was exfoliating and helping my moisturiser sink in more, what it was probably doing was tearing up my skin matrix and the moisturiser was bleeding into the gaps.  Horrifying visual.  Throw in the cheap, skin-peeling cleanser they pre-soak the cotton refills with, and you'll spend more money trying to fix your skin afterwards.

The only thing left to consider is whether or not you need a Clarisonic.  I bought the Mia, which I'm fairly certain has gone down in price since I purchased mine.  Refills are $30 a pop in Canada, and you have to replace them every six months if you use it once a day.  And that's where the issues begin.

I first got a Clarisonic to help remedy my vengeful cystic acne.  It was as though bacteria and sebum had decided to band together and have a dirty, four-month-long orgy on my jawline, cheeks and chin.  Before one cyst had shrunk, three more would pop up to see it go -- they started multiplying on top of each other, and effectively changed the shape of my jawline because they were so swollen.

Twice a day, for six weeks, I diligently used the Clarisonic Mia with Lancome Creme Radiance foaming cleanser. In fact, I don't think I've been this careful about my skin before or since then.  After a while, I noticed that the acne started calming down.  Thrilled with the results, I continued with my routine.

Then it happened.  The acne started coming back.  After blaming everything I could -- my diet, my lack of exercise, hormones -- and changing all those things, the acne persisted.  It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that since I was using the brush twice a day, the suggested replacement time was effectively halved.  So take note of how often you're using your brush, and don't vibrate the bacteria back into your pores.

After figuring that out and properly maintaining my Clarisonic, I continued on.  I eventually graduated to a different kind of acne -- it wasn't cystic, it was a more human-sized pimple that would still scar.  It also took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that I was over-exfoliating, and that my skin was producing more oil in order to keep up with its twice-daily foaming torture.  After switching to a gentler cleanser and once a week use, my skin calmed down, and we arrive at my skin today.

I still break out.  And of course, whenever I do, I attack with my Clarisonic and its faithful army of treatments.  But on a regular basis, I almost never use it.  Every once in a while, I'll have been lazy about washing my face or been wearing especially heavy makeup and I'll do a pass with good ole Lancome Creme Radiance just to satisfy my neuroses.  I don't know that I actually need to do that, but I'm a firm believer of the placebo effect.

All in all, you only need one if you have acne, and the problem with your acne is that your skin is clogged and dirty.  Even then, know that this is a one-time fix for your acne -- after it goes away, you won't and shouldn't use it that often anymore.  That said, $139 CAD to rid me of 85% of my skin issues?  I don't regret a thing.

Bridal Beauty

Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Bare Face, Eyes and Left Brow finished, Lashes, Finished look

A few months ago, a friend asked me to do her bridal makeup -- I've done a tutorial before, but she wanted to do a proper lesson where I talk her through tools, colours and long-lasting textures.  You know by now that I love to ramble on about beauty, so I jumped at the chance.

Emma is a fair-skinned, blue-eyed redhead -- a fantastic combination to work with.  Extremely pale-skinned or dark-skinned girls are essentially a blank canvas for colour, so a wide range of colours and looks will work.  Her only request was to become "an extremely hot version of myself."  The lady was in luck -- that's what I do best.  I wanted to focus on a defined eye with lots of lashes and to make sure her brows and lips didn't disappear into her face.  

Base:  For her base we picked up Urban Decay Naked foundation which she'll apply with her fingers. Working with your fingers will essentially give you a mini face massage, which will add an extra glow to your skin.  This foundation is extremely buildable so she can layer it over any blemishes, if any pop up.  For her contour, I used NYX blush in Taupe to shade in her cheeks -- try not to take the contour too close to the mouth or it can leave you looking a little skeletal.  Finish with a sweep of Dior Amber Diamond on the brows, inner corner of the eye, and the tops of the cheekbones and you'll have all the shape you need in your face.

Brows:  If there is one thing you should do on your wedding day, it is your brows.  Emma has an amazing brow shape, so there wasn't much shaping needed.  Her brows have a lot of blonde in them, so I used MAC Lingering to colour in the hairs and make them reflect less light.  For brow beginners, try not to colour in your skin.  That is, lightly feather the brow pencil into the hair; it really shouldn't touch your skin at all.  See how far you can get with just that bit of colour in the actual hairs -- if you need more coverage or shaping, then you can start applying the product directly to your brow bone.

Eyes:  I used Marcelle's Face Powder in Translucent to prime her lids -- for brides, I prefer powder to prime the lid because it helps shadows go on much more softly.  A regular primer will help intensify the colour, but the increased pigment will be harder to work with.  A loose powder will give you the same smooth application, but help the colours blend.  Next, I used a shimmery, bone-coloured shadow (from the Dior Incognito palette) to go over her mobile lid.  I used Urban Decay Busted to shade in the entire crease, from the inner corner to outer corner.  This makes her eyes look a little more deep-set.  I also took the same shade and shaded under the eye for more definition.  I used a Prestige Waterproof Eyelienr in Sepia to tightline her lashes to give them a little more depth.  I winged out the liner just a tiny bit to help give her eyes a little lift.  For the reception, she's going to add a tiny bit of L'Oreal Telescopic Liner in Black to the tightline for more intensity. 

Lashes:  We used the Andrea ModLash #21 lashes -- a really short, natural-looking lash that just added a tiny bit of bulk.  I originally went with my go-to lash, the Ardell Demi-Wispies, but they were way too big for her face.  Something to keep in mind when you try lashes on!  I used the Duo Dark Tone lash glue and we applied them to mascara'd lashes.  I chose a waterproof, volumising formula: Prestige My Waterproof Lashes.

Cheeks:  Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface is my go-to bridal shade.  I've used this colour on a number of people and it has yet to fail me.  It's the blush I go to when I'm not sure about the rest of my makeup.  Since there's going to be flash photography at the wedding, don't be afraid to put more blush on than usual.  A good way to check how much makeup you're missing is to take a photo in full daylight.  

Lips:  I love a good lipstain for weddings.  In terms of colour, I try not to do too bright -- it's hard to maintain as it is, but with all the drinking and kissing and talking, it'll just be another unnecessary source of stress.  I don't condone a nude lip -- I know a lot of girls who like nude lipstick tend to go with what they're comfortable with, and the hideousness that is flash photography will just leave you dead-looking.  I like a bright (not neon) pink.  Here I used Tarte Matte Lipsurgence in Hope, which works for a variety of skin tones.

A few bonus tips for brides:

• Practice!  The more you do your makeup, the better acquainted with your face you'll become.  You'll learn exactly the way your face contours and the sort of blush placement that suits you best.  You'll also learn where exactly your brows get sparse or where the hairs are unruly.  Little things like that make all the difference when it comes to a photo.
• Keep it simple -- don't try to rock a colour you're not comfortable with.  Stay in the family of what you normally wear (or if you don't wear makeup, colours that are already in your face), and just apply it slightly more vibrantly than you would normally.
• If there's one place to spend money, it's your base.  Skin is the most finicky thing to photograph, so spend money on a good foundation and powder.  Skip any and all silica powders as they tend to flash back in photography and make you look ghostly.

Got a wedding makeup tip? Sound off in the comments below!

Best and Worst: MAC Brushes

The first brushes I ever bought after I started blogging were MAC brushes.  Before that I was much more of a finger painter, convinced that brushes were a way to squeeze money from you and falsely convince you that you were your own makeup artist.  This has turned out to be half-true: I'm still a finger painter at heart, masquerading as an artist.

After a year or two of painstakingly researching, collecting, and Craigslist stalking for all the brushes I wanted, it's gotten to that point where I don't really want more MAC brushes.  In fact, I could do with a few less MAC brushes.  I'm contemplating selling them, but I've always been sketched out at selling anything online...seasoned blog-sale experts, advice greatly needed!

As they say, hindsight is 20/20, so here are a few brushes I would repurchase to this day (some of them I have), and a few that I would have skipped.  I should also mention that these are not my Top 5 favourite brushes ever, these are only my MAC favourites.  I've been playing with the idea of a brush collection or a 10 Brushes I would Repurchase type of dealio (although I guess I've already kind of done that here...), but I'm not sure how that'll pan out. Sound off in the comments!

Speaking of brushes...have you entered my Real Techniques giveaway yet?

Dior Impressions Cuir

I made my first StrawberryNet order a few weeks ago -- I was nervous since I've been burned by brokerage fees before, but when I saw this item, I bit the bullet and ordered.  This is one of Lisa Eldridge's All-Time Favourites, something she keeps in her own makeup bag.  I didn't think much of it when I looked at it -- meh, another neutral shadow palette -- but then I started idly Googling swatches.  That's a risky little game, innit.

Now that I have it, it's even better than in Lisa's video.  The combination of a warm, chocolate brown, a    smoky, bronze-gold, and the minky highlight makes it the perfect, everyday trio.  These colours are pretty dupeable, but having them housed in one gorgeous compact and embossed so incredibly beautifully makes me glad I have it.  If you're new to my blog, I'm kind of travel-makeup obsessed; I adore anything multi-use, travel-size, travel-friendly, packing-friendly, all-in-one.  Packing for a trip is about 40% of the enjoyment for me.  Yup.

This is an older palette (limited edition from 2008), so the colours aren't quite as pigmented as what I usually expect from a Dior eye shadow.  They are still gorgeously creamy and easy to apply, so I don't mind.  In fact, this would be a great palette for beginners who can't manipulate too much pigment.

The packaging is the same size as a Dior Quint or their highlighters.  I don't think Dior packaging is especially sturdy, but I have yet to break one.  That's impressive because I break most things, as evidenced by the number of laptops I've had in the past eight years *cough*seven*cough*.

Bottom line:  Do you need this?  Not unless you're a vintage Dior collector.  You could also make do with MAC Mulch, Urban Decay Smog and... I don't think I own a colour quite like this one, but it looks like something Laura Mercier or Lancome would make.

Do you have any limited-edition loves?

Weekend #1

I don't particularly adore regular weekend posts, but they do come in handy when I feel the need to overshare (especially if you've forgotten your phone at home and deeply miss Instagram despite not using it that often).  This weekend I'm taking the office to the coffee shop and comfortably settling in at 7 Grams on Avenue for the next two days.  Wish me luck!

Saturday mornings are meant for self-gifting.

Essentials to make any coffee shop feel like an office:

Coffee

Clarins Lip Perfector in Apricot

Sharpie Pens (LOVE THESE)

Planner (i.e., work equivalent of a Book of Shadows)

Headphones

A wedding look I did last weekend that I'll blog this week! 

To avoid the Google Reader panic, follow me on Bloglovin'!

Happy Saturday, lovelies! 

Real Techniques Core Collection

Real Techniques, the baby of makeup genius Samantha Chapman from Pixiwoo, made its way to the Great White North.  Actually our weather has been relatively precipitation-free, so...Great Grey North?  Gone are the days that I endlessly stalk the interwebs for iHerb.com coupon codes.  They are now readily available at Wal-Mart and www.farleyco.ca!

Real Techniques bristles are made of synthetic Taklon fibres.  I have a ton of natural hair brushes which I love, but recently, synthetic brushes are getting better and better.  A lot of people ask me if I prefer natural or synthetic.  I say you need both.  I adore synthetic brushes for buffing --not for blending, but specifically for buffing.  I think if you want to diffuse colour and work it into your skin, you need the smoothness of a synthetic brush.  That said, because there is less texture in a synthetic brush, it's really easy to overblend and make colours look muddy.  Base products are where synthetics rule.  Also, they dry a million times faster than natural brushes.

Today I'm reviewing the Core Collection*, but I've done a review on other  Real Techniques brushes.

Contour Brush
This small, rounded brush of medium density works well with contour because it's less dense than the others.  It grabs product lightly so you don't end up with stripes of brown on your cheeks.  The small size also helps you control your placement.  This could also be a good foundation brush if you wanted light coverage, but my giant face takes too long to cover.

Pointed Foundation Brush
I was surprised at how small this brush is; the bristles are the same length  as the setting brush, which also surprised me with its minute size.  The bristles on this brush are very stiff -- if you flex the bristles, they'll bounce back very quickly.  This makes it great for waxy products like the Bobbi Brown correctors/concealers.  I do think it's a little too stiff to blend the delicate skin underneath the eye but it's great for getting around your nose or for applying eye shadow primer.

Detail Brush
This brush tapers to a point, something I find that a lot of other lip brushes lack.  I usually prefer an angle brush or a square brush to apply lipstick, but the tapered bristles on this brush give a nice enough line if you don't have an angle brush to spare.  This is also great for getting that inner corner highlight on your eyes, and for detailed application of brightener.  I usually use this to place my under-eye corrector and blend out with another brush.

Buffing Brush
By and far my favourite brush in the entire set.  I'll do a proper comparison with the Expert Face Brush, but here's a spoiler:  This brush kicks ass in terms of even foundation coverage.  The brushes splay out perfectly on your face, distributing product in an even layer, and the round shape is so conducive to product-swirling.  I might need a backup.

These sets come in a hard, black case to store your brushes.  Simply slip your brushes through the elastics and fold in half.  The other thing you can do with the case is to turn it into a stand: fold the case the opposite way and tighten the drawstring so it props up your brushes.  I personally store my brushes in jars, so I don't use these too often, but I keep them for travelling.  I've never found a brush roll I like, and travelling with them any other way feels like I might warp the hairs.

I'm giving away a set of Real Techniques brushes in my giveaway (along with two bottles of Batiste Dry Shampoo!).  Find out how you can win here.

*PR Sample