Thursday, 30 July 2015

Illamasqua Lipsticks: Climax, Posture and Underworld

illamasqua lipsticks swatch review climax posture underworld

I'm pretty pleased that I picked up some of Illamasqua's lip products during the big Bay clearance last year. A lot of the colors are a bit outrageous and not-office-appropriate but I managed to choose a few that were slightly safer and very interesting.

Tuesday, 28 July 2015

DHC Eyeshadow Palette BE01 Alluring Amber


*Press Sample


 Of course when offered some products to review, I will always try and see if there are interesting eyeshadows. I was sent the Alluring Amber eyeshadow palette from DHC ($18CDN).

Sunday, 26 July 2015

Further Adventures in Hoarding or Being a Collector


I've already concluded that I've deluded myself about travel palettes, but I still have a few unexplained palette purchase. Eyeshadow palettes will alway be tempting but, by looking at my cheek palettes, I've taken makeup hoarding to the whole new level of becoming a Collector.

I've had the hardest time selling my NARSxGuy Bourdin cheek palette. I waffled about it endlessly and finally placed it on the blog sale. But my irrational self wouldn't let me give it up for less than my selling price. Even then, I wavered with a few potential buyers on Craigslist and Kijiji. You have no idea how often I've looked at the palette, which I've barely used, and said, "I wish I knew how to quit you!"


Thinking about my latest blush palette purchases, the Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot and Tarte's Pin Up Girl Palette, I've reached a conclusion. Both weren't super exciting to me yet I picked them up anyways just out of curiosity. Makeup purchases are no longer just about acquisition but also about collecting from different brands. I need to admit that, I want to try everyone's formula, in a variety of shades, and bonus marks if it can be done as economically as possible.

The thing about being a Collector is that, unless you're a collector yourself, you won't understand the appeal of placing things in boxes to sit on shelves untouched. It doesn't make sense to anyone else but you and more often than not, other people will classify your collection as clutter, excessive or a waste of money . This realization leads to a conundrum. There is a fight between what is or is not an ideal level of makeup satisfaction. If this involves a reference library of makeup then I need to kill the slight nagging feeling that, I have "too many things". But if I truly believe in paring down, then...well, I'd better put some of these on sale once I get my collection all together when I move back home. What to do...what to do...

When was the last time you battled with this? Are you a Collector?

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Friday, 24 July 2015

FOTD #12: 'Cause in the Summer, Sometime We Swim


I've been playing around with the latest from Make Up For Ever. This summer they're hitting the waterproof theme hard and if I spent anytime at a pool and ever cared to wear makeup while doing so, the waterproof aquatic selections from MUFE would be first pick.

Thursday, 23 July 2015

Laughing with the Universe

Hey Dude,

Just a quick note that blogging activities have been at a standstill lately. In one of those 'laugh with the universe' moments, my Mac Air decided to stop working and the replacement of the logic board is going to cost me $$$. This has been wonderfully timed alongside all the other expenses I've been incurring this month due to the move and my zealous attempts to do all the things in Toronto while I can.

Suffice it to say, I won't be spending much time catching up on my Bloglovin' roll but have some posts pre-scheduled and will be answering my emails/responding to comments. Things will hopefully get back up and running at full speed by mid-Aug but I'm contemplating taking the later half of August off.

Either way, hang in there while I try to dig some change out of my couch to pay for the repairs.

Jenn

Wednesday, 22 July 2015

In the Moment #32: Colette Bakery

colette grand cafe toronto bakery review

My laziness prevents me from exploring cafes. I know that amazing little oases of calm exist around Toronto, offering wifi and delicious baked goods but locations seem just a bit too far to purposefully lug my computer and book to. Sometimes though, a spare 30 mins in an exactly right location allows for a charmed encounter with a wonderful coffee spot. While being early for an appointment, I yelped to find that Colette Grand Cafe at the Thompson Hotel (550 Wellington St W, Toronto) was nearby and I ducked into their bakery quickly for a light bit of breakfast.

Monday, 20 July 2015

Thoughts on Perfumes/Beauty at Home


I was taking a shower one day when I noticed how some of my clothes and robe still smelled like the concocation of perfumes I had worn for a few days that week.  Re-sniffing them reminded me of how much I love the scents I own and how I sometimes forget to put anything on.

Sunday, 19 July 2015

Life Lately: On Minimalism, Military Ducks and the Necessity of Chairs


You may already know this, I feel like I've been saying this repeatedly, but I'm permanently moving from Toronto to Vancouver at the end of July. The moving process is in its advanced stages and what once started out as the above living situation has since moved onto the below (I also just sold my coffee table a few minutes ago). With still weeks to go (at the time of writing) before my one way flight to Vancouver on the 29th, each new piece of furniture sold has been an amusing shuffle in living comfort and an experimentation on new boundaries of minimalism.


Saturday, 18 July 2015

Exploring DHC

*Press Samples


DHC unexpectedly reached out to me when they saw that the DHC Cleansing Oil was one of my favorite oil cleansers. They told me that you could order DHC off their official Amazon Canadian site. This is great news! T&T seems to only carry their cleansing oil so I took their offer to review a few products and received the follow to play with.

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Blushing On Demand

*Gifted

Dior Cheek and Lip Glow swatch review

If I could mimic, on demand, that almost-there glow that comes from being just a touch embarrassed, standing too close to your crush or having jogged slightly to catch the bus, I would. That little bit of blush tells people, yes there's blood rushing through these veins and it can make me look darn cute. But honestly, any of those three situations are too emotionally and physically unstabilizing for my preference and I would rather not exert myself to look attractively alive. I hear pinching your cheeks is an option, but in this day and age, that's a bit too vintage for me.

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Deminishing the Fears of Bronzing

*Press Samples
Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion 15I 10M swatch review Pro Bronze Fusion Kabuki review

My hesitation to bronze stems from a fear of the unknown. The fear of not knowing what shade to use and the fear of not knowing how to apply it. On some base level, I knew that "too orange" was bad. "Too orange" sounds like something I should avoid and its the automatic descriptor of bronzers gone wrong. But whenever I swatch bronzers, I have no real base comparison for what "too orange" even means. As with some other beauty topics, I'm just bumping around in the dark, trying to figure it out.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Force Mechanics for Lashes


Wiggle your flexible mascara brush head at me and my System One brain will nod in agreement, awed by how bendy that plastic is. Flip the spoolie up and down a bit and you'll almost fool me with your mascara pole dancing. But then my System Two brain kicks in and I'll wonder, what kind of lashes can exert enough force to bend the wand as advertised?

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Currently Reading #6

Delicious by Ruth Reichl  The Third Plate by Dan Barber  The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham

If you haven't noticed I've been trying to do one book and one food post per month. I'm hoping to round out my blog topics and I have other interests, outside of beauty, that I would love to share. These three more books have been on my side table lately.

This fiction plates a treasure trail of letters between James Beard and a young correspondent during war time with a side order of food descriptions that can only make you hungry and curious. I didn't know that the editor of Gourmet magazine writes fiction and this one features what happens when Billie, while working at a food magazine discovers old hidden letters when digging through the magazine's library archives. Charming, would be an apt descriptor for this quick delightful read.

This book has been a major inspiration. Dan Barber, Chef and owner of Blue Hill restaurant in NYC and Stone Hill Barns, discusses the responsibilities chef have to ensure sustainable food production. Chefs inspire other chefs and diners to try new foods with the unintended consequences that come with increased demands for these new items. He showcases how good farming can support good (heartier, healthier and tastier) foods.  Example after example illustrate how our current farming systems sacrifices soil health and nutrition. Just reading about his experience tasting and cultivate ancient grains and baking breads from them has me convinced that the average consumer has no idea what wheat actually tastes like anymore. I will end here by encouraging you to pick up this engaging and genuinely readable book. It guarantee it will reshape how you think about what you eat.

I just started this one. I've tried reading another Cunningham book before but don't remember finishing it. Something about Cunningham's style doesn't quite gel with me but the premise of this one (promising to be beautiful, comedic and tragic) seemed like a good reason to try this author again. We follow the lives of Tyler, Beth and Barrett as they navigate their respective hardships. Tyler is an addict. Beth is dying of cancer. Barrett, having lost love repeatedly, has turned to religion. We'll see how it all turns out.

What's on your side table? 

Friday, 10 July 2015

Beauty In the Office


Today, is actually my last day of work in Toronto. I'm entering in to the scary world of un-employment while I prepare to move back to Vancouver and start packing my things. To celebrate the end of...safety..here's a look at my work desk.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Choices

make up for ever mufe step 1 equalizer mattifying primer redness correcting primer review swatch
 Though I was given the opportunity to try all 10 of the MUFE Equalizer primers, I keep coming back to these two. The Mattifying Primer and the Redness Correcting Primer are both from the texture correcting set (though really, why is the latter in that category?) and just seem to work for me right now.

Monday, 6 July 2015

On Dior Lip Addicts

dior tie dye lip addict nude fever coral trip red bliss fuchsia utopia review swatch look

I own a Dior Lip Addict in Millie (a shimmery berry shade) and in general quite like these. Dior Lip Addicts contains 25% less wax than most traditional formulas and are supposed to gives a modern sheer look with mirror shine. This summer's Tie Die* ($34CDN) version has a contract color running through the tube in a CD shape.

Saturday, 4 July 2015

Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils and The Korean Lip Look

*Press Sample


 When my friends come over, they are sometimes surprised with the number of foreign (typically Asian) magazines I own. Korean, Chinese, Japanese, I can't read them but I love paging through them. In the Korean variety, the ombre lip has been a heavy feature, not only on the printed page but on screen as well. Perfectly faded brilliantly bold color is so fresh but still magnetically alluring and the Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils* (available in Aug, $12CDN, 0.04oz) are specially made to help you achieve that look.

Thursday, 2 July 2015

Peanut Butter, Apple, Celery, Edamame Salad over Buckwheat Noodles


After trying a few an interesting salad via a vegetarian friend of David's, I've really been getting into the salad thing and not only that, but trying out different things I've never used before. Way too much of a fan of peanut butter, I found this Peanut Butter, Celery, Apple, Edamame Salad.