Review: TheBalm Nude 'Tude

 I really don't need another nude palette (bear in mind need =/= want), so when I received this palette as a Christmas gift from my brother, I was thrilled.  Can't say no to a gift, after all!  This is TheBalm's offering of a neutrals-only palette, cropping around the same time as all this Urban Decay Naked hoopla.  I've had a few experiences with TheBalm -- so far, all good.  They currently make my favourite blush (Hot Mama) and bronzer (Sexy Mama), so I had high hopes for this palette.

This palette costs $38 CAD -- way cheaper than what UD Naked costs here, but the cost per oz is actually fairly similar.  If you were to purchase UD Naked in the States, the cost per oz is a little better than with Nude 'Tude.  The texture of these shadows is comparable to that of Urban Decay, they apply smoothly with minimal fallout.  Some of the matte shades swatch a little chalky, but on the eye they blend beautifully without getting murky.  Do you need both (or all three, if you also have Naked 2)? Likely not.  They're not similar palettes, but I can safely say that one will work better for you than the other.  And if it doesn't, there aren't so many different looks you can create between them that you need both.

What I will say is that if you have one eye look and you occasionally like to change up the colours and achieve a different effect that way, Naked is where it's at.  If you like to change up your eye shape with different eye shadow techniques, Nude 'Tude is better for that -- since it provides highlight, lid, crease and liner colours in a variety of shades, it's a much more versatile palette.

Sassy, Stubborn, Snobby, Stand-offish

 Sassy is a white shimmer -- it's too pale for me to use as a highlight.  Stubborn is a lightened baby pink with silver shimmer.  Snobby is a pale gold, like a shimmery version of UD Foxy.  Standoffish is a slightly warmer version of Snobby.

Selfish,, Sophisticated, Sultry, Schitzo

Selfish is a midtone taupe shot through with silver shimmer.  Sophisticated is a cool, dark brown with a fine multi-coloured glitter running through it.  Sultry is a matte, warm, medium brown -- picture UD Buck without the grey undertone.  Schitzo is a khaki brown shimmer.

Sexy, Serious, Silly, Sleek

Sexy is a matte, dark burgundy -- almost plum.  Serious is a matte black, not as black as UD Blackout.  Silly is a silver-shimmered dark brown -- Sophisticated's cool twin.  Sleek is a brown-black which is way more pigmented than Serious.

TheBalm is available at Rexall, and is regularly available on Hautelook for a discounted price.

What are your other neutral palette favourites?  Anything else I should try from TheBalm?

Review: Cle de Peau Extra Silky Lipstick

MAC Hug Me, Cle de Peau #129, Chanel #54 Boy, Buxom Dolly

I've mentioned before how much I hate concealer-nude lips -- they trot the line between porn star and zombie in the least attractive way.  I'm forever searching for that perfect pinky-nude -- slightly lighter than a my-lip-but-better colour, nuding out your lips just enough to accommodate a smoky eye. 

I caught sight of a Cle de Peau lipstick on Kijiji (sketch) and decided to check it out.  I found one single colour swatch of this on Temptalia (or I likely would have assumed it was a fake), and decided to throw caution to the wind and get it. 

The lipstick itself is a long, slim tube; Dior makes a similar one.  I'm really surprised that the cap doesn't close with one of those satisfying clicks, but I can see that the shape of the product might get in the way of such a detail.  The texture of this lipstick is extremely soft -- it will glide over your lips like softened butter (and the bullet will indent in a similar fashion), but be warned, it will emphasize roughness like nothing else.  That said, this is the most moisturizing lipstick I've ever put on.  It reminds me of the texture of Clarins Lip Perfector actually.  Lipsticks as soft as these don't have the greatest wear time (I got about an hour and a half with no eating/drinking), but if you get a vibrant enough colour, it'll usually leave a nice stain. I've also read that these lipsticks don't retract once you've twisted them out, so attempt that at your own risk!

The colour on me just doesn't work.  Sadness!  On my hand the swatch looks fine, but on my pigmented lips, it pulls oddly baby-pink. My body chemistry is weird.  I can't help that.  Also, in the same way that Chanel Boy does, it makes my lips look weirdly full.  I know most people want that, so this is probably good for people with smaller lips, but on me it becomes a caricature of my natural lip.

And the search goes on...

Cle de Peau is available at Holt Renfrew (and the occasional shady back alley). Extra Silky lipsticks will run you about $62 CAD.

Lazy 5 Minute Face

While I'm usually very comfortable with not putting any sort of make-up on my face, the New Year tends to bring out a more "polished" version of me.  You know, the best Procrastinator there is -- no dirty dishes in the sink, a fridge full of raw ingredients instead of condiments, and an 11 pm bedtime.

I'm already defecting on my shiny self; my bedtime has become more of a get-into-bed-and-watch-Youtube-time, I'm starting to introduce bread and butter back into my life, and there are a few mugs that could use a good soak.  What's remained though, is a polished, 5-minute-face that keeps me polished with minimal effort and looks natural.

After my skincare routine, I squeeze out a pump and a half of Josie Maran's Argan Matchmaster Serum Foundation -- this is a new buy I'm testing out, and so far I adore it. It's got such light coverage that at first I can't even tell where I've put it, but later on in the day I'll catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and be like, "I did put something on!"  After smoothing that on with my hands and buffing out with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, I'll sweep Clinique's Airbrush Concealer under my eyes and use the same brush to buff it out.  It's a little dark for me now that it's winter, but it works with enough blending. I use my fingers to tap Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage on any red areas or blemishes, and blend out the edges.  I'm usually one to go for blush over bronzer, but lately I've been enjoying having cheekbones!  Tarte Mineral Bronzer in Park Ave Princess has the tiniest bit of shimmer in the pan, but applies rather matte-looking.  I use the Real Techniques Blush Brush to apply this under my cheekbones and onto my temples.  I need a little bit of shading in my eyes, so I've been using my Hakuhodo Kokutan T brush to apply the same bronzer into my socket.  Whenever people visit me, I brush this across their fingertips and as creepy as it sounds, they adore it.  To finish, I apply a generous coat of Prestige My Blackest Lashes on Shu-curled lashes.  Check me out, I'm remembering to put mascara on!

And because I enjoy parallels such as these:  if you don't count the tools, there are only FIVE products in my FIVE minute face.  I'm a nerd.

My Skin Saviours: Acne

I've always been relatively lucky with my skin. Through high school, I had very few blemishes, if any.  My brother had quite serious acne so my mom started me on facials when I was 12 or 13, in hope of avoiding any emotional or physical scarring.

It worked, sort of.  It worked right up until I stopped getting facials, which was when I went off to university and got lazy about them.  I don't blame the facials for this exactly -- I think what happened was that I never really bothered to take care of my skin because someone else was taking care of it for me.  When someone physically squeezes the gunk out of your pores every two or three weeks, it's hard to understand the merits of regular cleansing and toning.  Throw in the typically terrible eating habits of a first-year, and already-grubby face was due for a massive eruption.

It cropped up slowly, and I think the absolute worst of the breakouts didn't show up until my third year.  That was when I started to do some massive research into my skin type, finding out what was triggering the breakouts and what I could do to calm it.  I went on a round of antibiotics, which helped, but it was such a pain I quickly gave up on it.  Nearly three years later, my skin has calmed down and I've got a small by formidable army of products that I call upon.

You'll remember my first Clarisonic post -- I don't use it as religiously as I used to.  It got really expensive to replace the pads, and once my acne calmed down, using it twice a day seemed rather abrasive.  I've cut it down to once a week (if that) when my skin starts feeling sort of ratty.

My Drug Store Favourites

I can feel that this week and the next is going to be a little department store-heavy, so to shake things up a little, here are my thoughts on the other end of the spectrum.  Some of these things you'll have seen me use or heard me talk about before, and that's just a testament to how much I really, really love them.  Being a stickler for texture, pigmentatio and wearibility, I don't often like drug store products, so if I like something from the drug store, you know it's worth a second look.

  

Products Mentioned

Wet 'n' Wild Comfort Zone Palette

Revlon Lip Gloss in Nude Lustre, Pearl Plum

Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude, Wine Not

NYX Blush - Red

Prestige - My Longest Lashes, My Blackest Lashes

Real Techniques Brushes -- Stippling Brush, Deluxe Crease Brush

What else do I need to try at the drugstore?  Let me know in the comments!

Haul: Le Metier de Beaute Birthday

Clockwise from right:
Le Metier de Beaute True Colour Eye Shadow in Chameleon
Le Metier de Beaute Colour Core Moisture Stain Lipstick in Madaket
Le Metier de Beaute True Colour Eye Shadow in Tamarack
Le Metier de Beaute True Colour Eye Shadow in Bordeaux

On this last repeating day of our century, I'm turning 23.  I can't remember if I've ever posted about my birthday before, but I couldn't not -- 12.12.12!  I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.  A part of me also wishes I were turning 12, but then that got me thinking.

23's not a landmark birthday, but this year has been a strange one for me.  For the first time in my life, I haven't been in school, I've lived completely alone, and I've written somewhere other than this little corner of the internet.  These changes have been anticipated and gradual, and honestly, I feel like the exact same person I was 17 and heading off to boarding school.

One very pronounced change has been all the grown-up makeup I've been buying.  I've always been obsessed with quality and texture, but now I can feel my relationship with cosmetics changing.  Before, I'd lunge at anything new, fresh, different and purchase even if I had something exactly the same in my collection -- buyer's blindness if you would.  Not to say that that's not still happening, but I've been looking to fill holes in my collection, or replace sub-par products with higher quality versions.  Not to worry any of my younger readers though, as there will still be a new Urban Decay palette that tugs my heartstrings and leads me to my nearest Sephora.

The photo above is a tiny Le Metier de Beaute haul I made a few days ago -- they had these at Winners, of all places, and I leaped on the chance.  I've never tried their products before, so I'm excited to play with these and let you know what I think.  First impression:  These have insanely long names.  The packaging is gorgeous, but a little fingerprint-y (hey, I didn't say my vocabulary would mature).

For those who have celebrated with me, wished me well and put up with my non-stop chatter, thank you.  It has been a fantastic birthday experience so far, and I can't wait to see where the next 12 months take me.

I hope they bring Twinkies back though.

Review: Chanel Foundation Brush

There's a certain prejudice against a traditional, paddle foundation brush.  The past few years have offered us some amazing foundation brush options that have pushed aside ol' traditional -- the Sigma F80, CoverFX 160 and the Sephora Airbush #55, to name a few.

After methodically watching every single Lisa Eldridge video this summer, I noticed that she almost always uses a traditional foundation brush.  If The Great One herself uses it, there must be some merit.  She favours the Boots No 7 one, and in her Chanel Confidential videos, she sticks with her Chanel one.

What I liked about this brush in particular was the thickness and density of the bristles.  The last paddle foundation brush I owned was by EcoTools and it wasn't thick at all.  Some people like that for the flexibility, but therein lies the magic of the Chanel foundation brush.  The bristles are beautifully dense at the base of the brush, which gives the brush the stiffness it needs to push the product around your face.  They taper gradually at the tip, and this thinner end is great feathering out any edges.  The size is perfect for my face, and I don't see anyone having an issue with it.  It fits comfortably around my nose and under my eyes, so I've been using it to blend in my concealer as well.

This doesn't drink up nearly as much product as other foundation brushes I've used, so be aware that however much foundation you apply to the brush is pretty close to how much will end up on your face.  My favourite aspect of applying with this brush is that it makes it really easy to go back and add coverage -- with a kabuki or a buffing brush, I find that I end up with similar coverage everywhere, even if I don't necessarily need as much on one area. 

Chanel's No. 6 Foundation brush is a synthetic brush that measures just over six inches and comes in a velvet pouch.  In Canada, it costs $47 CAD, and is available at Chanel counters.