Makeup Shakeup #1

Hey girls!

This is going to be a new, "recurring" thing on this blog - once in a while (because, as we all know, this blog does not seem to run on any semblance of a schedule), I am going to write a little post about what I am using to do my makeup in the mornings. There are going to be weeks where I don't actually post one of these "makeup shakeup" posts (thanks to Gemma at Gemsmaquillage for the concept!), because I won't change what I'm doing very drastically from day to day. Obviously I'm not going to do an entirely new post when I change bronzers, or blushes alone. I'll only repost when a number of things are switched up. I seem to have quite a bit of makeup, so I'm trying very hard to use some of what I have up before I invest in any more.

Lately, I have been going for quite a simple, "barely there" makeup look - part of this is because my office isn't the kind of place to wear neon eyeshadows, and partly because I'm usually getting ready at about 6:30 in the morning, and I am only half-awake doing this. It's got to be zombie-proof!

So, here's all that I've been using of late:

Even with all of these products, I am able to get ready for work in about 20 minutes, which, for someone who used to take about an hour at it, is actually a feat! 

The image I took excludes things like my moisturizer, which I will always use before makeup, so I don't really count it as makeup, it's in my general "skincare" category (If you do want to know which moisturizer I use, I'll be more than happy to review it, as I love it!). It also excludes any brushes or other tools that I use, as those are also not makeup! :P

Anyway, what I do have in there are things that I've been using on the regular for the past week or so. There will be a list after I'm through rambling away here about how and why I do my makeup in the morning of all of the products I've been using recently. There are 22 products in total, but some it takes about 20 seconds to use and then I'm through with that one and on to the next! That's my justification, anyway.

So, to the meat of the subject! Every morning, before I go to work (or before I reveal my face to the general world around me), I do a full face of makeup. Not only is this to cover any minor imperfections (acne, scarring, etc.) on my part, but also to stop me from terrifying anyone who might see me (ie. small children, the elderly, anyone who is afraid of zombies). I seem to have an assortment of things that are "wrong" with my skin lately. I do not know why, but it's acting up really badly these last few weeks. I went from having really dry, literally flaky skin, to half-oily and literally acne riddled skin. Concealer has been my best friend, lately, and the Erase Paste you see is nearly empty, and it makes me sad. 

I also recently bought the Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten, which I had been searching for in stores near me for I can't tell you how long! I was trying to be very good and not purchase it online, because I hate having to deal with shipping costs, and the fact that often times my packages get stuck in customs (I had one stuck in for nearly a month once), which then winds up costing more money. On a typical bestie-date with my friend, we wandered into Sephora. My lucky day! This was the last one in the shade I had so coveted left in the store. I was/am ridiculously pleased that I was able to pick it up. It functions a lot like the Mac Paint Pots, or now the Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo Shadows (try saying that five times fast). I've never tried paint pots to know how they stand up, but I know the Maybelline ones work quite nicely for me, they just don't seem to have a colour close to this champagne-gold. I wear it under eyeshadow. I've been trying to "shop my collection" to find a colour close enough to the actual kitten colour that I don't have to actually shell out the money for the real shade (Thank heavens for Temptalia's Dupe List, let me tell you!). I've found a few that work, so in an effort to reduce the physical size of the things I have to handle in the mornings, I have been using the lighter of the two shades in my NARS Silk Road duo. It's a tick more yellow than the smudge pot is, but it still looks nice. I may try using Mac's Naked Lunch over it next…

Anyway,  I've also really been into cream blushes lately. Unfortunately, I seem to only have three to choose from, and one of the colours doesn't suit the spring/summer season. Bummer. I'm using the (possibly discontinued) Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in peach satin, because it gives a really pretty flush without looking like I have six inches of makeup caked on my face. It also blends really nicely, which I like. I'm going to be sad if they've discontinued these in favour of the new Dream Bouncy blushes. I've actually been using this type of blush (not this exact pot) since high school. I've repurchased them several times over! 

Anyway, I've pretty well run out of things to say, and I don't want to get into reviewing every product on the list, so, that said, here's the list of things I've been using every day:

1. Benefit Eye Bright Pencil

2. Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

3. NARS eyeshadow in Abyssinia

4. Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Pencil in 0L (it's black)

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess (sample sized)

6. Benefit Erase Paste in Shade 2

7. Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara (Blackest Black)

8. Mac Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

9. Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten

10. Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller

11. Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

12. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese

13. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (regular shade)

14. Mac Lipstick (shade may vary - this one is in "Chatterbox")

15. Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in #20 Peach Satin

16. Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara

17. Skin 79 Super + BB Cream

18. NARS eyeshadow duo in Silk Road

19. NARS eyeshadow in Cyprus

20. Tarte ReCreate Primer (Sample Sized)

21. NARS Multiple in Copacabana

22. Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

That's it! If you have any recommendations of products I need to try, especially if those products are cream blushes, please do let me know! 

Hope you're all having an excellent day!

xoxo,

-A. 

I Love My...

I Love My... Tiny Bag!!

Okay… so I only bought this bag yesterday afternoon, but I'm obsessed with it!

Here's why…

1) It's TINY. When I say tiny, I don't mean like "oh, this is smaller than the giant bag I'm used to carrying around." I mean, this thing barely (BARELY!) fits my coach clutch, blackberry, and my keys. With those three items in the bag, there is no room for an EOS lip balm. There is probably room for a single lipstick tube, or a normal-sized Mac Lipglass. But that is all. I am honestly thinking I should probably find a microscopic wallet to go in there so I have room for my iPod… which is also tiny… (it's the newest iPod Nano model) I think I may have a minor "tiny stuff" addiction…

2) It is SUCH a bright yellow! Seriously - it reminds me of a yellow highlighter. I love the smack of neon it gives an outfit (I say smack because that's kind of what it does to your eyeballs; I happen to firmly believe that it is utterly impossible for any shade of neon to simply "pop" - that it is neon automatically indicates that it really does slap you across the face)  - it's so obnoxiously bright that it actually goes with quite a lot of colours, in my opinion.

3) I love the shape of this bag - it's a sturdy little rectangle, that holds it's shape regardless of how much I try and shove into it. It stands up on its own when it's empty, but it isn't uncomfortable when you wear it across the body.

4) The strap. I love that it's kind of belt-inspired. The length is adjustable - it can be a cross-body bag (the length I am using now), or you can shorten the strap and just wear it on one shoulder. In my mind, that almost makes it like having several bags in one, cute little package.

5) It is not a gigantic tote or hobo. I am definitely that person that got used to wearing a gigantic bag that weighs about 10 pounds - this is not only bad for the health of my bag and shoulders, but is also extremely frustrating, as in the bottom of one of my many "pits" as my mother calls them (because they are seemingly endless holes where things go in, but never go out… which is rather more like a black hole than a pit, but you get the idea), is always the nondescript thing that I am looking for - whether that is my phone, or my wallet, I ALWAYS end up dumping out my entire bag to find SOMETHING. Not with this little baby! Obviously since it is a struggle to fit more than 3 things in it, I will not have any trouble locating my stuff. That, I am always good with.

I bought my little yellow love at Old Navy. It is currently on sale, and comes in a few other colours, to my knowledge. If you can't find one at your local Old Navy, here are some other options for you! (I didn't cap the price, but I have some for every budget.)

Bags: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Product Let-Down #1

Hey Girls!!


Today I wanted to quickly share with you one of those products that I am sure we have all come across. It's that one that you saw in about a hundred videos on Youtube, and people were basically raving about, or a friend recommended it to you, and because you trust her opinion, you picked it up. You tried to love it, but it just wasn't going to happen, and so, it either gets tossed, given away, or, if you're me, sits in your collection for months on end, until you forget how much you hated it, and pull it out again.


I was really let down by this product in particular:

This is the Maybelline Falsies Mascara. Not the falsies flared, or any other falsies incarnation.


Reasons why I really, REALLY wish I'd saved my money on this one?


1) The formula of this mascara was hellishly clumpy when I opened it. It literally globs on the brush, and therefore, those globs transfer to my lashes.


2) The brush itself is utter shit!! I like the fact that it's flexible, but whatever they used to make the bristles on the brush doesn't comb out my lashes one bit. It might as well have no bristles at all.


3) The formula is also really, REALLY wet - This is not to say that I like dry mascaras, but I don't like it to feel like I'm spreading some kind of salad dressing onto my eyelashes. Literally, that is the consistency that I feel as though this mascara has.


I'm sure I could think of more reasons than those three, but I want to keep these posts short and sweet (considering that I usually ramble on for days, it will be a welcome change for all of us), just to avoid getting overly in-depth over it. This mascara did not work for me, I don't like it, and I will not repurchase this. I also will not be purchasing any variation that Maybelline happens to come up with on the product from here on out.


What products are you particularly unimpressed with lately? Leave me a comment and let me know so I can avoid them!


xoxo,


-Ally

I'm Loving.... #1!

Hey Girls!


I really wanted to do this post to tell you all about the things, colours, ideas, and trends I've been loving in the last little while! I wanted to kind of use this as a way to communicate to you what I'm gravitating toward, and what is inspiring me lately. This should also tell you about what I've been wearing lately until I can find a real-life camera that takes pictures that don't make it look like a sugar-high child with parkinson's disease (pardon my political incorrectness - don't be offended!) took the picture for me. Long story short, my current camera completely sucks, and I can't afford a new one.


Enough of the camera bashing! (I'll get something rigged up soon, I promise - then we'll have Outfit of the Day posts, too.) This post is supposed to be about things I'm loving, not things I'm griping about. I've found some examples of things to show you, so you can get an idea, visually, of what I'm talking about, rather than me just talking on and on for this whole time and you all sitting in at home (or work, or school!) willing me to shut up, haha.


The first thing I really wanted to talk about was Crochet!

 Top, Bag, Sandal, Headband

My mother is actually a huge knit-a-holic, if she isn't at work, eating, or asleep, chances are best she's knitting... something! It's kind of cool, though - I'll never run out of socks, or mittens in the winter. :) That said, she also crochets. The last time I went out shopping with her, I pointed out a really cute crochet vest (I think it may have been at Old Navy) - she told me to find her a pattern and tell her what colour yarn to look for, she'd make it for less money. I totally love that!


I have been loving that the vintage and hand-made look at crochet has been making a comeback this summer. I think this is mostly thanks to the surging 70's trend - when flare-leg jeans, stick straight hair, and crocheted almost anything were a big deal. Well, it's a big deal again, and I am in LOVE with the crocheted sandal in the picture above. I also think that these '40's-inspired headbands with the wire in them are super cute. (a great place to find them is at Dolly Bow Bow - a website run by a UK Youtube Guru - Kate has a ton of different colours and patterns to choose from, ships worldwide, and is priced reasonably.) They add a great vintage touch to your look, as well as being a bit out-of-the-box from your normal headwraps and hairbands. This particular one happens to be crocheted, which makes it kind of "double-vintage." I think the top I picked out (despite being kind of an awkward burnt mustard shade) could be really cute over a bikini at the beach, or just over a tank top or bandeau for everyday, but really only if you keep the reast of your outfit fairly plain and neural.


Obviously when you're working with a trend like crochet, you should be careful to not wear top-to-toe crochet, otherwise you'll just wind up looking like a big pile of yarn. It's okay to keep the trend (as with all trends) to a single item in your outfit - it can work as either the focus (note the sweater), or as an accent piece (as in the case of the sandal, headband, or bag). As a focal point in your outfit, it's okay to go big and chunky with your crochet piece, because it's the part you want people to notice first. The accent crochet is meant only to add texture to an outfit. (I'm going to go over the "point" of accessorizing in a future post - kind of a how-to mix with a "why?") Accents like this should not over-power the rest of your look!


The second thing that I have seriously been loving lately are adorable little flats like the ones you see below.

Flats (Clockwise from Top): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

 Because of some problems I've had with my knees in the past, heels are a doctor-perscribed no-no for me. As sad as that may sometimes make me, I have come to really enjoy finding cute and different flats like some of the ones you see above. Thankfully, I'm already pretty tall, so I don't have to worry about people towering over me (yay!). Embracing flats has probably been one of the best things I have done for myself. Unlike a lot of other kinds of shoes, flats really do come in a variety of styles and colours, making it really easy to dress any outfit up, or make it more casual.


I have been really enjoying the fact  that flats (like the ones seen above) are starting to imitate shoes that before only came with a heel on them. (Example - espadrille flats. They have the straw-looking stuff around the bottoms, but they aren't a wedge!) I am particularly fond of the black floral flats above - they are T-Strap flats. We've all seen T-strap heels, but these are flat (obviously!) - I love that the style remains the same - vintage inspired, and overall very cute. I feel like the fact that these are a flat makes them more versatile - you could literally wear them anywhere, and with almost anything, and you can get that same cute "throwback aesthetic" as with the heels, but they are obviously going to be guaranteed to be more comfortable, just based on the fact that they're flat.


Flats are also a great alternative to flip-flops for summertime. I know myself that on days when I'm feeling particularly lazy, I tend to go for my stack of flip-flops. They're just that easy. If I'm not three-quarters asleep while I'm putting shoes on, I normally am able to remind myself that I really just have to shove my feet into a pair of flats, too, and I usually convince myself to go with the flat instead of the flop (ha!).


I could probably spout off for days about how much I love flats. Suffice it to say I wear flats more than anything else. Most have holes in them, or are damaged from rain or other weather-related things, but I refuse to part with them.


The next thing I really wanted to turn your attention to are knee-length skirts. All of the ones in the picture I've posted are from a UK website called Dorothy Perkins. I'm obsessed.

Top Row: 1, 2, 3

Bottom Row: 4, 5, 6, 7

The reason I love these particular skirts is because they are not only super cute, but also because they are so classy, and girly. They're covered enough to be appropriate for a workplace situation, but also cute to wear just out with friends, or on a date. They're modest, and don't demand a lot of "flash watching" (ie. careful how you stand so that you're back end doesn't find itself exposed to the universe), and, at least for me, they're a bit easier to create outfits around than a maxi skirt. Because I'm not insanely tall, and I have to wear flat shoes all the time, I find it's quite easy to walk on a maxi skirt, which makes it difficult getting around.


I am, in case you couldn't already tell by this blog, a very girly girl. At any moment, you will probably find me in something that is overtly feminine - like florals, girly prints (like the butterfly one, seen above), pink, or gigantic bows... except today, oddly enough. Due to this, I also love skirts and sundresses for summer. Again, easy pieces with enough structure to still look pretty and presentable, but not so much that I'm suffocating. I try to look presentable at any point, because I am a firm believer that first impressions do count, and that they count for a lot. Think about it - if you were dressed like a slob, would people be drawn to you? If you talk to them, would they focus on your words, or the fact that you look like garbage? It only makes sense to look relatively decent, because you never know who you're going to meet or even when. I don't want to miss any opportunity over a pair of sweatpants; but that's just the way I look at it. You don't have to agree with me!


The last thing I've been super into lately (don't ask me why) is the colour yellow!

Scarf, Wristlet, Top, Skirt 1, Hat, Headband, Watch, Ring, Skirt 2

This isn't limited to just clothing - I don't actually own that much that's yellow, but depite that, I have been finding myself really drawn to the colour. I window-shop online sometimes when I'm feeling bored (ie. when I'm not furiously typing blog posts), and I've been finding myself clicking on more and more yellow! This is kind of odd for me. I'm usually a pink/purple/blue/green girl. Then, I went on a neutral kick - I looked at things, and wore things, in black, brown, navy, grey, and white. I guess now it's yellow. Hmm... maybe I crave colours, instead of craving food? No... that can't be it! I crave food too!


Okay, now that we've established that I'm a wierdo (don't worry, I'm good with it), I've been loving all kinds of things in yellow - from tops to skirts, to dresses, to accessories. I am actually fawning over this yellow Dooney & Bourke clutch, as well as the two skirts, and the floppy hat... well, the whole picture, if I'm honest.
I'm not sure what my next "colour craving" is going to be, but I'm liking this one. Brights are huge for summer, and pairing yellow with things in other colours is pretty easy - it's one of those colours that only really clashes with a couple of things. My favourite kind of "unexpected" yellow combinations are yellow with purple, and also yellow with aqua/turquoise. I love it. :)


Well, that's what I'm loving for now. I'll probably do more of these posts, because they're fun for me to write (not that the others aren't!) and they give you a lot of insight into what's going on fashion-wise in my head right now. My head's a scary place sometimes, but the fashion part is always fun!


Talk to you very soon!


Love,


Ally.


xoxo

Time To Lock & Roll! - A Review

Hey Girls! 

I have been looking at the Tarte Lock & Roll eyeshadows for a while now, ever since watching a video by Blair Fowler (aka Juicystar07, on YouTube) where she raved about their quality. I had thought, and still do think that the concept is actually a great idea – a cream shadow layered under a powder shadow of the same colour – the cream acts as a colour base, and the powder sets it, literally locking the colour onto your lids.

Well, I wandered into my local Sephora about a month ago, and I picked up two different shades of these interesting little shadows – The first in Quartz (a kind of dusty metallic pink) and the second in Rose Gold (literally, it’s Rose Gold - the colour is almost exact, and it is also metallic).

(Photo courtesy of Tarte Cosmetics Website)

According to the Sephora website, these shadows are formulated without Parabens (which can cause cancer, apparently – although, the bronze shade in these shadows does include Parabens, so I’d avoid that one like the plague!), sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, petro-chemicals, and Phthalates. I have no idea how to pronounce that last one, let alone its “function” in cosmetics. Generally, if I can’t pronounce it, I try not to eat it, or slather it all over my face, so I am totally okay with that not being included in the list of ingredients. What they do include, are naturally-occurring ingredients, and good-for-you things like Mineral pigments and vitamin E. Personally, I would be more than happy if all of my makeup included only naturally-occurring substances, and lacked anything that could seriously hurt me. I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment. This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop using makeup by any stretch of the imagination (the prospect of me not wearing makeup actually makes me laugh, it’s just so silly!)

Anyway, getting back to topic, if you look at the product photograph on the Sephora website (like I did), and you zoom into the brush applicator of the cream side of the product, you will notice that it looks like there is just a bit of chunky glitter on that brush. The product itself does not look chunky. For me to say that the “Cream” aspect of this shadow was not chunky would be an outright lie. The product comes out in clumps, and tends to cling all the way up the length of the brush. This actually looks kind of gross as the product clumps up on the brush – I was a bit shocked when I first tested it out and found this.

The directions for use are listed on the Tarte website, and read as follows:

“Step 1: Brush a sheer wash of the Vitamin E-enriched cream shadow on lids—wait about 10 seconds for it to dry.

Step 2: Tap roller ball to actuate product, then roll the matching loose mineral-based shadow directly on top—the binding agents in the cream shadow will lock with the powder, creating a crease-free, budgeproof finish.”

To be frank, if you follow these directions, what you will have on your eyelids is a mess. This look is not going to be a good one – if you follow step 1 literally and use the brush to kind of paint your lids with the cream shadow, it will be fairly thick, not to mention chunky! I tried this once, and took it off again, it was way too much product all at once. What I do instead, and what I recommend, is to follow the following steps to achieve the best result overall.

Step 1: Prime your lids with your favourite eyeshadow primer (I suggest Urban Decay’s Primer Potion)

Step 2: Dot some of the cream shadow on your lids using the brush.

Step 3: Pat the product to spread it over your whole lid using your ring finger.

Step 4: Wait a few seconds, until the product starts to feel tacky or sticky.

Step 5: Roll the powder shadow over the tacky cream base.

Step 6: Wait until completely dry, and then finish makeup as normal.

It actually takes me a full 6 steps to use these shadows, not the 2 recommended by the company. I also recommend putting a primer on before the cream base, only to ensure that the shadow really will not crease. I’ve never tried using this shadow without a primer, simply because I’m a major fan of primer, and I have oily lids, which will cause anything to crease and slip all over the place. It wouldn’t be a fair review if I hadn’t used the primer, basically. I have biased lids, haha.

These shadows, once properly applied to the lids, are extremely pigmented. I can see the metallic nature of the shadows being an issue for older eyes, or for people who don’t like a ton of sheen to their shadow. Because these shadows are so pigmented, and are really the definition of metallic, their application must be done carefully, and with a steady hand. It is really easy to apply them quickly, once you have practiced, and know what you're doing. Trust me, as good as I am about makeup, and being careful, my first application of these was a nightmare. I managed to get the sticky cream shadow base almost all over my eye area - even out toward my temples. It also got in my eyelashes, and was rather difficult to get off. Once the cream shadow turns tacky, it is no longer blendable, so you're either stuck with your mess, or you have to wipe the whole works off using makeup remover and try it again. 

Now, once the shadow is on my lids, over the primer, it does not move! It’s been really hot where I live lately, and in the heat of the sun, it didn’t move. It didn’t move when I actually managed to get sweat in my eyes, and it didn’t move when I got caught in a torrential downpour (complete with thunder and lightning!)! This stuff does what it says it’ll do – it lasts FOREVER.

That said, the staying power of the shadow itself does not mean that it’s hard to get off once you put it on. I just use a “Yes to Cucumbers” makeup wipe, and as normal, gently press it onto my lids, and hold it there for about a minute, and the product just wipes away. It actually comes off slightly easier than my Benefit creasless cream shadow/liners, but not as easily as a simple powder shadow. I think it has something to do with the fact that the cream initially dries a bit tacky, so it sticks right to my lid.

Overall, the only kind of “negative” point I could find about the concept was the chunkiness of the cream product. Once you pat the shadow onto your lids with your finger, the chunks kind of break up/dissolve/spread out/stop being chunky, and the whole product becomes smooth. The wear on these is as advertised. I don't find that they crease, and they don't slide down your face as the day goes on. I think, if I were going to grade these (a la Temptalia, or my teacher-alter-ego), I would give them a B, simply because of the chunk factor, which is more gross than anything else, and because they can be a pain in the behind to apply. I would recommend these to my girls who are on the go - they are a time-saver, and they stop you having to re-apply throughout the day. They are also very portable, because they are about the same size (length-wise) as a mechanical pencil, and about the same width around as a regular pencil. 

Interested? Purchase yours online via Sephora or Tarte's websites.

I hope you enjoyed this post - or at least found it informative.

Talk soon.

Love,

Ally.

xo