Downsizing and a DIY Lip Palette

Since coming back and having binged intensely on make up in Europe, I've been thinking...why can't I downsize?  Although this blog may lead you to believe otherwise, I've always been a person who wishes she had one go-to.  As in, one holy grail (HG) red lipstick that satisfies all my red lip needs and I'll never use another again.  We can all dream, can't we?

I've been reading several posts on essential beauty items and downsized makeup collections, I've decided to take matters into my own hands.  This past week, I've taken it upon myself to throw away anything I haven't used in one calender year.  I gave myself 12 months because my skin colours swings rather wildly throughout the seasons, so I end up purchasing for two skintones.  I started with my lip products, which needed desperate help.

Remember this?

I think that was about half.

I've managed to get it down to this.  I'm thinking of eventually doing a makeup collection, if you'd be interested.  Once it's all sorted and weeded out of course!

But one thing I knew I wanted to do in my downsizing process was to create a lip palette.  I normally prefer bullets, but I realized that this was a fantastic way to Back to Mac colours I wasn't sure I wanted to let go of quite yet.  Also, since I think I'm going to adopt a one-in-one-out policy (don't quote me yet, no big, sweeping declarations here), I wanted to find a way to fit a couple extra colours in here.

Hence, I read a random DIY article, stole a pillbox from my dad and went to town.  There are a million and one DIY videos/posts on how to make your own palette, but the gist is this:  Flame, bullet, spoon.  Light a candle, put your lipstick in a spoon and hold it over the flame, and pour.

I also read this really interesting post where a girl's lip colours changed after depotting them.  Of course this put me into a lip-depotting existential crisis where I couldnt decide how much of the bullet to leave behind.

Clockwise from upper left:  Revlon Certainly Red, MAC Pro Longwear Lip Creme in Good to Go, MAC Viva Glam V,  Joe Fresh Baie Sauvage

The answer?  None.  If you have wells as deep as mine, they'll just barely cover the bottom.  If you look in the upper left compartment, you can tell where I realized I didn't have enough product.  Also, lipstick hardens extremely quickly, in the time it took me to melt more of the bullet, the bottom layer had already solidified.

L: from the bullet, R: from the palette
Certainly Red, Baie Sauvage, Good to Go, Viva Glam V

I didn't lose too much pigmentation, but I will say that Viva Glam V (far right) lost some of its shimmer.  And it doesn't show up exactly in the photo, but I think Baie Sauvage has a touch less blue, which is actually fantastic for me -- it made me look the tiniest bit dead before (see it on my friend Peruana here).  Certainly red got a little more sheer, but I think that's to be expected if you plan to dab on your lip colour with your fingers.  I haven't used these with a lip brush yet, but I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out.  I chose these colours because I figured that wherever I go, you can't go wrong with bright fuschia, classic red, muted, shimmery nude and orange to warm everything up.  I know some people like to group colours together (all red, all nude, etc) in larger palettes, but I think for daily use, this works for me.

What colours would you put in?  Any downsizing tips for me?  I'm kind of struggling with foundations.

My Concealer

It's way too hot for foundation.  Agree/Disagree?

What I've been doing instead is a Lisa Eldridge-esque point concealing, but without foundation underneath.  To do this, you need a concealer that matches perfectly with your skin.

Clockwise from Left
Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda 07 Concealer Palette
Cle de Peau Concealer in Ochre
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-3
YSL Touche Eclat*
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Peach
Clinique Airbrush Concealer in 02 Medium

1. Sonia Kashuk's palette comes with a green corrector (you can see me use it in a video here).  I am so insanely olive-toned that I use this as my base colour -- it matches my skin exactly. You need a minuscule brush to get into the pit of the scars and cancel out all the redness.  Also, you want to place the pigment directly onto the scar/spot and softly feather out the colour into the surrounding skin.
2. Cle de Peau's ultra-pigmented concealer  comes in when I need a little foundation (usually MAC's Face and Body) or tinted moisturizer.  Since most foundation colours are not green enough for me, I end up using a different colour of concealer to match it.  I use it under eyes and on blemishes with my finger or a Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush.
3. Secret Camouflage by Laura Mercier comes with two colours -- as of right now, I match the darker tone in this compact.  For nights out when I want more coverage, I'll actually just go over my entire face with this compact and a stippling brush.  That will probably be my next video.
4. YSL Touche Eclat has a star because it is not a concealer.  This product has a surprisingly low rating on MakeupAlley.com, but if you read the reviews (all 230934 of them), you'll find that most people are disappointed with its coverage.  It's marketed as a brightener, so the idea is to use it as a highlighting product in conjunction with a base product.  I usually end up using this on people to even out eyelid discoloration or along the cheekbone for a cheek highlight.
5. Bobbi Brown Correctors are great -- I don't usually use a concealer over top.  I love the texture of this, but I do feel that it gets a little heavy and too 'done' looking if I don't have foundation on underneath.
6. Clinique's Airbrush is the exact same colour as my Bobbi Brown Corrector, but since it's a liquid, the texture is much lighter, and I can use this on its own.  Just don't forget to wash the brush every few uses.

Bonus: Vintage Makeup also asked me (ages and ages ago) to compare TheBalm's Time Balm with Cle de Peau's concealer -- I bought the wrong colour and it's still a little dark for me, but first impression:  Cle de Peau is a bit softer, and blends in a little easier.  Also, the colour allows for use all over the face.  Time Balm only works under the eye because it's so pink-toned.  Then again, for those of you who are pink-toned...might just work for you :-)  

Happy Monday, dears!

my first Chanel lipstick...

Last week, I graduated from university, and my aunt handed me this.  We don't really do graduation presents in my family, but I suppose this falls into that category.

It's not like I shy away from high end makeup, but for whatever reason, I have never even entertained the idea of a Chanel lipstick.  It felt too grown up/classic/out of my league.  Having tried this though, I can visualize the beginnings of an haute lipstick binge.

This is a Rouge Allure lipstick in #28 Romantic.  On the bullet, it's a cool-toned berry colour with a very pink base.  The house's name is stamped on the side of the bullet, which twists out of a gold casing.  Funny enough, my aunt couldn't figure out how to open the lipstick.  There's a spring-loaded compartment that the bullet rests in, so you press on the gold bottom of the case, and an edge will pop out so you can remove the case.

The formula is extremely smooth but not too creamy -- right on par with all my department store lipsticks.  The colour payoff is excellent, too, almost opaque in one swipe and definitely opaque in two.  There's a tiny amount of reflection so the finish is pretty satin-y.  I personally prefer matte/cream finishes, but I can see a lot of people liking this.  In the swatch the colour is rather true, but on my pigmented lips, leans much redder.  It's a bright raspberry pink, which almost works on my skin.  

I'm not sure why, but I don't absolutely love this colour on me when I first apply it.  After blotting and powdering the brightness tones down a little, and it works better with my skin.  Isn't that weird?  I love NARS Schiap more than anything, but this just doesn't work.  Clearly I can't do anything in between; I need BRIGHT or muted.  To make this work, I'll apply a milky-peachy gloss on top -- something like Revlon Nude Lustre or Stila grapefruit works really well. 

This has been kind of a Chanel week.  What should my next item be?  Let's go three for three.

Chanel Diwali

I have been lusting this colour since last year's shows.  For a long time, there were so many photos that offered the tiniest glimpse of glowy, gold goodness on the models' tips, and from those I already knew I was in love.

Then one of these came out, and I was sold.

Yesterday, I caught a tweet that mentioned that the Bombay collection was up for sale, so I called my nearest Holt Renfrew and immediately put one on hold.  When I got back to my apartment, I didn't even bother to properly shape my nails or buff away my cuticles; I just needed to see how this metallic would translate.

The colour itself is a perfectly balanced combination of gold and silver, kind of what I imagine the Armani Eyes to Kill #19 to look like after you've used it a few times.  I find the best way to judge a colour is to see if it catches your eye at a glance and in different lighting.  For example, I knew I was in love with Chanel's Blue Satin when I was showering one day, and though you couldn't see the shimmer in my dim bathroom light, the navy still had an infinite amount of depth.  Also true with this one -- no one would think that a silvery gold would be unusual, but once again, Chanel has managed to create a deep "glow" about it that you can't describe until you've seen it in person.  If you've previously used another Chanel metallic, you'll understand.
Occasionally (especially for a hand-talker like me), it'll catch the light and give a pearly-white shine.

The formula is exactly like all other metallic Chanel polishes -- it can streak, but if you take your time with application, you won't have a problem.  If you also use their base coat and top coat, the finish will be even smoother.  The shimmer is extremely fine, almost as though the formula has no base colour, and they've packed metallic powder into a bottle.  In one thin coat you can still see a little of your nailbed, but it is completely opaque in two thin coats.  I have a feeling this would be a one coater if you could spread the polish evenly enough.

  

Base Coat: Butter London Nail Foundation
Polish: Chanel Diwali, two thin coats
Top Coat:  Butter London Hardwear

Diwali is available at all Chanel counters for $27 CAD.  It is also available at Holt Renfrew.

Interview Makeup

Over the past few weeks I've been heading to a series of interviews, and my look hasn't really changed from meeting to meeting.  It's an extremely basic, pared-down look, since I'm headed towards something a little more corporate/conservative.  My goal was to achieve a natural look, but with a little bit of effort -- this is one of those times that I think it's okay to look like you've put on a lip colour and that you've bothered to pluck your eye brows.  On the flipside, I don't want to look like I spend a lot of time on my look or have my makeup be the focus of the interview.  Can you imagine if all they remembered was how perfectly winged my liner was?

My look had to be clean, not too perfect, natural and easily touch up-able (that's officially a word on this blog).  My partners in crime...

Eyes:  I don't suggest anything too shimmery; it can look really harsh under fluorescent lighting.  Not to mention it can look semi-trashy if it's a cheap shimmer.  I also think this is the time to exercise a one-colour rule -- don't go for a look that requires four different colours, it'll just stress you out.  I did a simple wash of colour over the lid, but people with a crease would get the same kind of definition by placing the colour in their socket line.  Give your brows a quick brush, and fill them in just enough to look complete and natural.  As for eyeliner, I went for brown, even though my hair is so dark.  It looks much softer, almost like it's not there, and my mascara was dark enough to make me look like I still had lashes.

Clockwise, from bottom left:  Pupa Baked Eyeshadow in Warm, Urban Decay Buck, Korres Bronze Brown, Clinique High Impact in Black, Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Sepia, MAC Brow Pencil in Lingering

My Skincare: Moisturizers

There was a time that I never moisturized.  I was firmly in the school of "Well, if I have oily skin, my skin makes its own moisture, why should I pay good money to add to the oil when I could use that same money to purchase harsh, oil-free chemical exfoliants?"

Yes, I was that girl.

It wasn't until one of my friends who has the most beautiful skin in the world told me that she doesn't use cleanser, but she faithfully moisturizes with Nivea Soft that I got all moisturizer crazy.

(Funny enough, I thought it was an old family secret or something, but no, she just liked the commercial.  She was that girl.)

Since then, I've branched out and tried a few more things.  Moisturizer is one of those things I'm still really fickle about -- I'm wildly curious about all the different ones that exist, but simultaneously terrified that each new one I try will wreak havoc on my skin.  It's moisturizer limbo.

From left to right in the photo above, I have arranged the bottles from most moisturizing to most mattifying.

1. Jojoba Oil -- This essential oil acts most like our skin's sebum, so I was the most comfortable trying this as an all-over moisturizer.  I can't use too much or I break out, but I tend to apply a few drops all over and soak up the excess with a tissue.  Otherwise, I mix it into one of the other moisturizers if I'm looking for a natural kick.

2. La Roche Posay Substiane Yeux -- Technically, this isn't a moisturizer, but I still use it when my skin is in serious need of deep hydration.  I tend to use it at night like a mask and apply it in a thick layer without rubbing it in.  Then I wake up with the ultra-hydrated, glowy skin and I'm happy for the entire day.  I don't use this regularly, only when I feel like my skin is in need of a mild treatment.  Maybe this shouldn't have gone under moisturizer...

3. Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentré -- this is every makeup artist's holy grail moisturizer and I totally get it.  It's light but super-duper hydrating.  I've found these past few weeks that it's been a little much for me, so I no longer use it during the day.  You can also use it to remove makeup or as a hydrating mask, but I haven't tried it for either of those things since I have other products that I like for both those functions.

4. Aveeno Positively Radiant SPF 15 -- I like the finish this moisturizer gives, and it doesn't leave my skin too dewy-looking.  I usually follow up with an actual sunscreen, but I use this on days that I'm in a hurry and/or am being lazy.

5. NeoStrata Oil-Free Moisture Infusion Lotion -- I'd never tried anything from the Neostrata line before this product; to be quite honest, I'd barely heard of it.  A boy in my local Shoppers Drug Mart convinced me to buy it when I was spending my points and I'm so, so, so glad he did.  I don't often go for oil-free things, but this is a godsend when I choose to put makeup on.  It has such a lovely, smooth finish that I don't feel the need to use primer when I've used this lotion.  I've used this at night and haven't woken up with excess oil on my face.

6.  Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Moisturizer -- I got this as a 100-point perk from Sephora. I think this dries even more matte than the Neostrata and also seems to have a slight airbrushing quality to it.  I'm not sure exactly what it is, but this is the moisturizer I use on hot days when I don't want to wear makeup.  This is also one of those magical oil-free moisturizers that doesn't leave my skin madly overproducing oil, but that may be because I don't use it every day.

Rest assured, I've purchased a handful more moisturizers on my trip which I'm so ready to test out! I'm contemplating a Germany haul but...how many hauls would that already be this year??

Review: Tarte Lipsurgence matte lip tint

Envy, Exposed, Lively, Fiery

The name's a bit of a mouthful, but don't let that stop you from inquiring!

I picked up my first one of these around Christmas, and the other three recently joined my collection.  If you can see, Lively is weirdly proportioned.  Its cap is also different -- I'm not sure what happened there.

Fiery, Lively, Envy, Exposed

Fiery: Red.  Just red.  Not tomato, not brick, not vermillion, not blood-red, not blue-red, not fire-engine-red.  Pure red and only red.  I'm wearing it in my foundation roundup and a recent haul.

Lively: Bright fuschia that's not too blue-based.  And it doesn't oxidize red like NARS Schiap does.  This was the first one I purchased.  Looks GREAT with a brown smokey eye.

Envy: Is it brown?  Is it berry?  Is it plum?  All three, depending how much you put on.  First layer:  It's a coloured-in version of my lip colour.  Second layer I get a berry stain.  Third layer and I've got that 2012 SS runway lip. This is a dark that I think would work on anyone because it's so perfectly neutral.

Exposed:  A mauvey-nude, leans a little cool but settles into something suitable for warm skintones.  Reminiscent of Revlon's Mauve it Over but much less blue.

I have no idea why I didn't keep these in order as I was shooting

Texture: Colour-wise, it's beautifully matte.  Product wise, it feels like you have nothing on.  However, these can emphasize dryness or encourage any existing flaking, so make sure your lips are smooth beforehand.  There's a slight mint flavour upon application, but disappears fairly quickly -- I think it's supposed to be part of the plumping action?  I can't tell because my lips are already huge.  I think the plumping action has more to do with the colour you choose rather than the formula itself.

Wear Time:  Not amazing.  Contrary to the product claim, this doesn't so much act as a stain as a fantastically-textured lipstick.  If you're looking for something with insanely wear longtime, you're better off with something more liquidy like those new Maybelline 24-Hour liquid lipsticks or a high-pigment lipstick patted on. This has slightly better wear time if you push it into your lips in really thin layers.

Price: $31 CAD for 0.1 oz, so it's pretty pricey. It's slightly more reasonable in the States.

Indirect sunlight

Flash

Like the Tarte blushes, this colour range is fantastically edited.  I mentioned in this post how much I love a brand that edits itself well, and Tarte has done an amazing job of it.  There are also two more ranges of lipsurgence, one that's  glossy and one that's less tinted, but for such a pricey product, I'd get the matte version just because you can add gloss and sheer out colour if you like.  In terms of colour and texture, these are hands-down HG.  The staying power could be a little better, but otherwise these are well worth the money.