Hair Chat | Hair Donation

I have always put an incredible premium on my hair -- it's probably far too much of a part of my identity, but what can I say?  It has the capacity to instantly change the way I feel about myself, to pull me out of a funk, to practice and improve at something.  I love my hair, and I can't imagine going a day without it.  I detailed my hair journey once, from Grade 1 bowl cut to a horrifying senior year perm.  Check it out here.

That said, there are women every day who have lost their hair due to various forms of cancer treatment.  My decision to donate my hair came when I began working with Pantene Beautiful Lengths* and National Donate Your Hair Day -- so many people came out to support and contribute, it was hard not to start thinking about it.  There were so many stories of women who had received wigs; having hair helped them regain their confidence and sense of self.

Check out the video below -- I'll explain more about the donation process and the requirements; you can see exactly how long my hair is and how much I cut off, and the length it's at after I'm done.

#ponyitup!

*I work with Pantene to execute the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign; all opinions and experiences are my own!

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.