2013 Skincare Favourites

So YouTube tells me I haven't uploaded a video in nine months.  Yikes.  Hopefully the next one won't take me another school year to figure out!  In this video, I'm sharing some skin discoveries from the past year -- if I'm not mistaken, almost every single item has changed!

Except for Avene Eau Thermale.  Nothing's even come close to replacing that.

Apologies for the rapidfire speech, I had a LOT of product to get through.  If you have any questions, just ask!

Favourite Makeup of 2013...

I'm constantly searching for the perfect wardrobe uniform, 5-minute face, capsule everything.  It explains my obsession with white button-downs and double-duty products.  In the last half of 2013, I managed to nail down a 10 minute routine. Let's go.  For 2014, we'll aim for five minutes.

On days I absolutely need my makeup to last, I'll start by smoothing on a layer of Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.  It bullet-proofs my makeup better than anything else.  Next, I'll squeeze out a pump of Koh Gen Doh Aqua Foundation in OC-2 -- on days I'm particularly pale, I'll throw in a pump of Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 53 and a dot of Yaby Wasabi Corrector. Is there anything like colour-matching to get a girl going?

Nothing much has changed in my face concealer department -- I'm still mixing Cle de Peau Concealer in Ochre and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-3.  Under the eyes though, I've boarded the Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer bandwagon.  The clincher?  I use Fair/Light, so I'm not sure what people paler than me are supposed to use.

I started off 2013 thinking I knew how to contour.  Then I came across Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium -- it changed my life, my cheekbones and my eye sockets.

On days that I need a little glow, I use Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone on the high points of my face and Soleil tan de Chanel around the perimeter.  Try this if you've ever been a victim of fluorescent lighting.  As for blush, check out my 2014 beauty resolutions to see what I hope to rock this year.

On the lips I've been switching back and forth from natural with Make Up For Ever Rouge Natural #9 to ubervamp with Tom Ford Black Orchid Lip Colour.  I'm also very partial to layering either one underneath my blush of the day.

And eyes -- I'm still faithful to Prestige My Blackest Lashes, layered with whatever's handy.  Sometimes I'll line with a black eye shadow, but I'll usually just deepen my socket with my beloved Dior Impressions Cuir.

That's all folks!

Except for skincare of 2013.

And brushes of 2013.

Beauty Resolutions for 2014

1. I'm going to make an effort to wear lipstick.  My lipstick collection has finally surpassed my lip gloss collection in sheer volume, so no excuses for not wearing a lip colour!


2. Use up samples!  Most people have a sample box.  I have a sample desk organizer. Maybe I should threaten myself with a no-buy period?


3. Wear bright blush.  There is nothing quite like a hot pink or orange-red to brighten up your flush in the winter.


4. I'm not sure when this started, but recently (ahem, the last six months) I've been terrible at taking off my makeup before going to bed.   I've decided that I can't get into bed until I at least do a once-over with Bioderma and Shiseido cotton.  I've also been testing a cleanser that makes me want to skip Bioderma so stay tuned.


5. Sleep.  Water.  I'm on the hunt for a water carafe and a pillow spray.  Suggestions welcome.

A Bit of Bronze

I'm one of those people who's never burned a day in my life.  I'm waiting for the pain-free hours of lying out in the sun to catch up with me, but until that day, I've always been able to tan easily and not worry about burning, peeling or maintaining.  If anything, my skin tone is one of those that won't let the colour go -- I never go back to the level of paleness that I was.  I joke regularly with my friends that my skin colour is an amalgamation of a lifetime of sun exposure.

That said, when I heard about Caudalie's Divine Legs Body Moisturizer*, I had to see what it was all about.  Since I'm no longer privileged enough to have summers off, I'm much paler than I've ever been.  I didn't realize how pale my legs start off!

My other issue with self-tanner is that they're often a weird colour.  Even extremely famous versions that are famed for leaving you properly bronzed go a little wonky on me.  My skin is quite olive so I tan a strange taupe-y gray colour, and Caudalie's Divine Legs is the perfect marriage between the colour I would like to be and a colour I can pull off naturally.

The product takes your legs down a few shades, but you can definitely control the depth of your tan by putting more on.  I've also used this on my stomach whenever I wear a crop top -- instant abs.  It's marketed as a body moisturizer so it leaves your skin feeling soft and hydrated.

I enlisted Tod's help for this post -- she's much lighter than me so she's tried a number of self-tanners.  Here's what she had to say:

"It's a pleasant consistency.  I find a lot of them gross -- like, greasy.  At least the ones I've used in the past.  It's one of the more natural-looking fake tans I've had in a while.  It's kind of nice that it's not permanent, that it washes off in the shower.  It's less of a commitment; in case you make a mistake or something.  The other ones that are more permanent that last a few days, if you forget to avoid your knees, then you're stuck with dark knees for four days.  At least if you mess this one up, it's only one day."

For the swatch below, I took one single pump of the product and rubbed it into my thigh -- please bear in mind that I'm 5'10 and my thighs are longer than most people's.

Left: One pump of Caudalie Divine Bronze, Right: bare skin

*PR Sample

Current Rotation

In the very beginnings of Into The Gloss's blogging career, she showed us her own daily makeup.  Since that very moment, I've lusted that Container Store organizer, fruitlessly searching for that exact model in Container-Store-less Toronto.  You can actually find it at Neat, but it's twice as expensive.  Je refuse!

Even with the purchase of a Clear Cube, I found my desk littered with my daily makeup paraphernalia.  I've found that corralling it in one place has really helped me use up products and switch them out more regularly.  That's right. Prepare yourselves for an epic empties post at the end of the season *fingers crossed*.

After washing my face, I'll apply a serum -- either Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, or my new-found Caudalie Radiance Serum.  Immediately after I'll use my equally beloved Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Fluid, which leaves me with glowing, hydrated skin with a kick of SPF without any sort of white cast.  Huzzah.

Next I'll mix myself a base -- a combination of Kanebo Sensai Fluid Finish Velvet Foundation in 203 and 204.5, with the tiniest dot of MUFE Aquarelle in #6 Apple Green.  It makes any foundation match my skin perfectly, and it doesn't make me break out.  I'm weirdly diligent about switching out my favourite concealers, but lately I've been loving a combination of Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Peach and Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage #3.

After my base is done, I'll start playing with various cheek products.  Usually a dot of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (I don't ever think I'll get tired of this product) on the tops of the cheek bones, and a dusting of Guerlain Meteorites all over to set everything.  Then I'll contour with NYC Sunny Bronzer (sent by the lovely Roses and Rouge), and a light wash of Chanel Joues Contraste Rose Petale to tie it all together.

For lips I'll use any number of lip products -- I've purchased a Muji 3-drawer to contain it all (video? Would you be interested?), and on my eyes, I've gone fairly neutral with Le Metier de Beaute Tamarack, or the Cle de Peau Eye Color Quad #9.  Lately my lashes have been loving Benefit They're Real or Max Factor Masterpiece Max.  For extra-long, Bambi lashes, I layer them.

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that this is way more makeup than I've ever worn in my life.  Thing is, ever since I started working my grown-up job, taking 10 minutes to really work on my skin and detail my face is possibly the most relaxing part of my day.  I'm not giving it up any time soon.

Can I help you develop a regular makeup routine?  Comment below and we'll get together on Lorious.com!

Ode to the Clarins Lip Perfector

It was inevitable that I would write about this.

After mentioning this product here, here, here and here, it was time for a real review.  Never mind that, I have one of these in my bag, on my vanity, and at the office.  If I drove, I'm sure I'd keep one in my car.

This lip product is -- hands down -- my most used lip product of 2013 so far.  I first purchased 01 Rose and 02 Apricot in a duty-free shop, and happily went about glossing my lips with what felt like cake frosting.  I can't even decide which part of this product I love the most: its hydrating ability, the scent or the texture.  The last product I felt so strongly about was the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint.  This is exactly like that, but a thousand times more hydrating.  Worth. Every. Penny.

The only thing that I felt was a little lacking was the colour.  No more!  Earlier this year, Clarins released a few more shades to suit a greater variety of skin tones.  I received 04 Petal* and 06 Rosewood* and instantly set to swatching.  While 04 is far too light for me (it's an extremely pale nude on Tod -- great for blanking out lips for a dramatic eye looks), 06 is my perfect nude.  The colour is close to my skin tone without looking like, ...skin.  There's enough pink to bring a little life back into my face while containing enough brown to nude out my lip.  The natural colour makes application almost painfully forgiving -- no mirror required!

The texture is that of a traditional gloss, but instead of sitting on top of your lips, it sinks in and leaves them comfortably hydrated.  It smells beautifully of caramel and all I want to do is reapply.  I've never finished a lip product this quickly, and given the 10 ml of product you get, that's especially impressive.  Note: a MAC Lip Glass is only 5 ml.  I've only finished a couple of those in the 10 years I've been using MAC.  I only discovered Clarins a year ago, and I'm almost done with my second one.  

At $20 a pop, these aren't the cheapest lip colour or lip balm.  But for both?  Think of it as two products that are $10 each.

*PR Sample

Tom Ford

Narcotic Rouge.  As though red lipstick wasn't addictive enough on its own, the inspiring and completely dashing Mr. Tom Ford had to go and raise the bar on lip addiction.

It's taken me over three years to finally, finally succumb to a Tom Ford lip product.  People are fairly divided on whether the formula is really that good, and isn't that other brand's lipstick just as good for a fraction of the price?  It's all a matter of opinion, but I think we can all agree that Mr. Ford raised the bar when it came to luxe lipsticks.  Some people might even say that after a decade of Lip Glass, Juicy Tubes, and Lip Glazes, he made lipstick cool again.

And how could you not be?  Picture pulling this divine, black-lacquered (or if you were lucky enough to hop onto the bandwagon during the bone white packaging, kudos!) case out of your clutch.  I've never been one to condone applying lipstick in public, but imagine yourself, casually leaning on a cocktail table, popping off the cap to expose a beautiful gold case.  Then the base twists up to reveal the most perfectly rich red.  It's just pink enough to add a pop of brightness, but the extremely high pigment will finish your lip look with just one swipe.  Then it disappears back into your bag as though it had never been.  That flash ebony, gold and scarlet will have people taking a second look.  Where did it come from?  Where did it go?

The colour is perfect for the summer.  It's different than my regular blue or orange-based reds -- this reminds me of my first MAC lipstick ever -- Brave Red.  I don't have that one to compare for you, but Narcotic Rouge starts off with a bright hot-pink base.  It's the ultimate Marilyn Monroe colour -- even the finish is glossy, just the way she liked it.

Tom Ford is available at Holt Renfrew for $55 CAD.