Content Restful Times

I'm really down with this "hygge" idea. 

If you haven't heard this Danish word, get yourself acquainted. My Danish colleague pronounced it for me ("hooghe") and its so adorable when she says it. It's sentiment of surrounding oneself with warmth, coziness and the good things in life is something we should all take part in.

Year of Decluttering: In Review and Final Numbers

I missed my third quarter decluttering review. By the time I realized this, I had mostly given up on controlling the makeup situation. But a nice reminder from the women's shelter that I donate to gave me energy to do a final push to get good unused and almost new items to ladies in need.

Saving My Brother: Moisturizing without Moisturizer

My brother, Arthur, has a special kind of lazy. The skin on his face might be bone dry, using anything like cream might cause stinging, and he would really rather it all just be better but...he won't moisturize. "I just don't like the way it feels!" With his logic, the feeling of lotion on his face, is worse, than knowing the top layers are mimicking the topography of the Atacama Desert. 

The Last Minute Purchase

I really am hopeless; best intentions aren't enough to hold me back. It happened. Even when I said I would buy less, and especially buy less makeup, I made a beauty purchase.

The re-promotion of my favorite face wash drew me into Sephora but what really cinched the purchase was seeing a little red box of BITE finally restocked. My hands shot out faster than my mind could caution and my feet took me swiftly to the check out.

Happy Holidays

Hey Dude,

Another year is coming to an end and during this festive season, I'd like to wish you and your loved ones the warmest of well wishes and seasonal greetings. May your next year be met with success, a positive spirit and personal growth! 

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Jenn

PS. ABZ will be starting up again in the new year.

Ode to the Stick Highlighter: 3 Perfect Places to Highlight

I know you can highlight your cheeks. I know you can also highlight the inner corners of your eyes. But when I highlight, there are a few more places on my face that I like beaming up and I have found stick/tube highlighters, like the ones photographed, to be the perfect tool for those areas.

FOTD: Too Cute from Paul and Joe

Its just too damn cute. Everything. The prints, the embossing, the use of cardboard and the shapes. Paul and Joe* beauty is the product line that was made to live on your vanity and to indulge your inner girly girl.

Full Coverage Isn't For Everyone (ft Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation*)

I've loved many things from Kat Von D and I thought the Lock-It Foundation* ($42CDN, 30ml) was going to be something crazy good. High coverage, matte finish, and 24 hour wear are intense promises and I've read many positive reviews. Don't let my preferences hold you back from covering up but recent explorations with the Foundation* sets another tick against full coverage foundations. 

Question: What's the Best Protective Hand Cream with SPF?

My arms and hands are becoming more speckled with age and every time I discover a new dot, its too soon since the previous. These surprise discoveries are making me consider going glam and wearing full arm length gloves like Ms Dita von Teese but that's really not my look. Since it takes years for spots to come out, this is latent punishment for years of sunscreen neglect.

My Current Skin Routine

It takes forever to finish bottles of skincare so an update every...11 months (my last one was in Feb) feels ok to me. I haven't switched tactics, still going strong on anti-pigmentation and hydration but there's a renewed focus on eye care. As my colleague once told me, once 30 hits, I better be slathering on all the anti-aging potions. Best to start now, I figure.

Being True to My Make Up Life: Lessons Learned While Purging Illamasqua Cream Pigments

You will be so surprised to know how long these photos have been sitting in my Drafts. So long in fact that most of these have since been purged from my collection. While I had such high hopes for the Illamasqua Cream Pigments, I realize now that I should have known they wouldn't have ended up in my permanent collection.

Unflattering Office Lighting

Now that its winter time, I apply my makeup in the dark. Well...that's an exaggeration, but my 7am bedroom might as well be a cave. 

New To Me

It's a great pleasure to get little beauty packages through the mailbox and it's always neat to be introduced to a brand for the very first time. I don't always say yes to brands that reach out. There are SO many new brands and they just keep coming. I used to want to try any brand that was launching but it presented the 'paradox of choice' and I'm pretty OK to let some things pass on. I did say "I do" to these new brands though. So here is a quick introduction to Teeez Cosmetics, Maison Jacynthe and 3B Box.

Red Lips and Whiskey

 

Though I love eyeshadow, a red lip makes me feel a million times more sexy. Even a smokey eye can’t compete with the instant sex appeal of a red lipstick. Now, when I wear Make Up For Ever’s M401* (Hot Red by Icona Pop, $27CDN, 0.12oz) and add on a spicy fragrance like Commodity's Whiskey ($120CDN, 100ml), the I have admit that I feel pretty good.

FOTD #16: Sharing Too Much Love for MUFE and A Full Make Up For Ever Fall Look

I love Make Up For Ever. Even David has noticed and he is able to name MUFE is a brand (he also now recognizes MUFE products and says "Hey that's Make Up For Ever, you love them!"). While MAC also has a background in make up artistry, Make Up For Ever incorporates professional and artistic quality products with a real sense of fun and play which I feel that MAC lacks. 

I've been wanting to do a full Make Up For Ever face look post for a while to exclaim my love. So here it finally is! This is something you can put together for an evening out during a Fall night and uses some of the latest and greatest from the brand.

12am Denny's Grand Slams

A couple of weeks ago, a friend turned 29. If you don't already know, you can get a free Denny's Grand Slam on your birthday and it was his little heart's birthday desire to have dessert at True Confections followed by a midnight, just turned 29, free birthday meal at Denny's. Being a close friend, I couldn't deny him the simple pleasures of excessive sugar followed by diner breakfast foods so I, alongside another, put aside our bedtimes and accompanied him on this food mission.

Taking Back Roses (ft. Coach the Fragrance*)

 I was going to start this post by listing the numerous ways I've become an "old person". Bryan Adams on repeat, hot water as a beverage, bed times near or at 10pm are easy examples. I thought my new appreciation for rose scented perfumes (most recently in the Coach Eau de Parfum* ($90CDN, 50ml/$115CDN, 90ml) was just the latest discovery in my journey to 90 but I realized what a disservice that was to a perfume note that is so classic.

Lip Conditioning: Working Hard for that Lipstick

Lip prep isn't something I care too much for aside from regular day-to-day maintenance. Lipsticks should work for me and not the other way around. But when lips are constantly looking cracked even under the best of lipstick formulas, then I'm sorry but "Its not you, its me." The latest Dior Holiday Diorific shade Charm* ($46CDN) (perhaps finally a peach shade I can get behind when all others have washed me out) made me realize this and I had to break out the big guns which promised overnight lip conditioning results.

In the Moment #35: The Yoga Expo

I went to the Vancouver Yoga Expo and it really was awesome (to be honest, it was better than I expected. Maybe you're like me and you think there's something a little weird about "yoga people". I've sat in classes where yoga instructors told me that the moon goddess was particularly powerful this month and to be careful, and I've been told to focus on my inner light and connection with the Earth. All this makes me feel like Yoga can be a bit woo-woo but the physical practice is still something I'm curious to learn more about.

If David Wore Cologne...

I had hoped that the Mr Burberry Eau de Toilette* ($100CDN, 3.3oz) would be wearable for a female but nope. Such a shame since the bottle is beautiful and the grey tones look so polished on my dresser. Its doubly unfortunate that David isn't a fan of fragrances because this is one I'd love for him to wear.