Monday, August 26, 2013

The Edit: Autumn Lipsticks!


Hi girlies! I'll be brutally honest with you; fall season is approaching big times! Here in Canada, it's been getting colder and a bit groggy, sadly. So put away those pretty corals and flashy pinks (just kidding, I still wear them all year round) and search your makeup stash for vampy reds and rich pinks. Today, I'll be suggesting a few of my favorite lip products that match the beautiful season that is autumn.

For the vampy lady:

-MAC Rebel: A rich berry shade with a satin finish.
-MAC Viva Glam III: A deep browny red with the perfect matte finish.
-Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey: A sheer glossy dark red.




For the girly girl:

-Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick: A blue undertoned deep berry/pink.
-Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Apocalyptic: A dark but still flashy fuschia with a glossy finish.
-Wet N' Wild Matte Lipstick in Mauve Outta Here: A medium purple/pink with a matte finish.




For the natural babe:

-Wet N' Wild Matte Lipstick in Bare It All: A browny nude with a matte finish.
-MAC Pâtisserie: A neutral toned pinky nude with a sheer finish.
-OCC Lip Tar in Hush: A vintage nude/pink with a satin finish.


Saturday, August 17, 2013

The Wishlist #5: New Launches!


I dont't know about you, but recently I've been overwhelmed by how many amazing launches have been hittin' Sephora (not good for my bank account at all!) Marc Jacobs new makeup line is probably the most exciting as the products all look stunning! So here are my ''new launches'' pick:

1. Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks: These are phenomenal, I swatched them at Sephora when I was in New York and I was a bit stupid to not buy at least one, I guess I wasn't feeling well that day. They are über pigmented and glide on like a dream, the colors are all beautiful (they have 20 shades to choose from and two different finishes). 

2. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: What a naughty name isn't it? This mascara looks amazing, the brush is huge and the packaging feels very luxe. Not to mention the name, what if it was really better than sex? Just kidding ;)

3. Marc Jacobs Shameless Bold Blush: I love Marc Jacobs and I am a blush junkie, could it get any better? I am not sure which shade to pick yet as I haven't seen them in ''real life'' but I literally could buy them all!

4. Too Faced Lip Injection Color Bomb: These are basically long-wearing matte lipsticks/lip stains with the Lip Injection technology in them. They look so fun and cute! I've heard mixed review but I will have to see by myself as I love Too Faced!

That's it girls! I hope you enjoyed this short but sweet post.
What is on your wishlist right now? Tell me!

xx
Laurence

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Getting That Glow On: The Best Highlighters!



You know me, I love my skin to look healthy, glowy, dewy, you name it. Surely I do get a bit of help from a couple of products, especially highlighters, they are the best way to amp up your glow. The most universal, in my opinion, is the Nars Orgasm Illuminator, a glorious abricot non-glittery liquid that looks beautiful on every skintone. You can either mix it with your foundation for a sublte lit from within glow, apply it on the high points of the face or use it as a base for a blush in the same color family (Nars Orgasm blush anyone?).

My next pick is, surprise surprise, Benefit High Beam! You will adore it if you are fair to medium I'd say, since this liquid highlighter is very pink hence would look a bit unatural on really tan skin. This is the only one I keep repurchasing and kept using for the last couple of years. Why? It mimics the perfect almost ''wet'' effect on the cheekbones, really natural looking!

Another great pick for fair skins is Dior Shimmer Star Powder in Rose Diamond, everything about this product is perfect. It is finelly milled, you can never go wrong by applying too much and it can be applied all-over the face for a soft-focus glow. You can also go for the Amber Diamond which is the bronzy/warm sister of Rose Diamond. Definetly worth every penny if you ask me!

A more budget friendly option, which I found recently, is ELF Gotta Glow. As I heard, it's an almost exact dupe to Nars Albatross Highlighter! It is very gold, almost straight out yellow but looks oh so flattering on me. I reckon it would look great on all skin tones so definetly give it a go if you are looking for something new and cheap to try. I was actually surprised to see that it wasn't that powdery, which is amazing for only 3$!

Last one, Benefit Watt's Up, a universally flattering warm toned highlighter. It has a cream to powder finish that glides so easily on the skin without rubbing and blends in effortlessly. It is literally like putting silk on your face! I got it at Sephora for my birthday and I'm really tempted to get the full size now. It doesn't look natural when I am stark white (yes I am a vampire!) so stay away if you are a porcelain dolly!

From left to right: Nars Orgasm, Benefit High Beam, Benefit Watt's Up, Dior Rose Diamond and ELF Gotta Glow.


Sunday, August 11, 2013

My Evening Skincare Routine (For Dry/Sensitive Skins)

My evening routine is probably my favorite part of the day. I like to take my time and take care of my skin for a lot longer than in the morning. I don't know about you but it feels so relaxing to me. All those smells and massages on your face, heaven!



1. Obviously, removing our makeup at night is crucial, I'm sure you all know it by now! To do so, I use my Nivea Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, soak two cottons pads with it and put them on my eyes for about 30 second. I then wipe it off without scrubbing too hard.

2. Keeping up with the makeup removing step, I use the Bioderma Créaline H20 to remove the bulk of my lipstick, foundation and all that jazz. By now, my makeup should be all gone!

3. As a cleanser and also to remove the last bits of my makeup, I massage a pump of the No. 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser onto my skin for a good 3-5 minutes. Soak a washcloth in not too hot water and gently remove the cleanser. I then rinse it off with tap water. This cleanser feels so rich and luxurious, like an at-home spa treatment!

4. I also use toner in the evenings and I recently settled for the divine Caudalie Beautu Elixir, one of my holy grail. Instead of spritzing it directly onto my skin, I put a few pumps on a cotton pad then use it as a regular toner. It brightens, soothes and makes your skin glow!

5. Next step is a treatment for those pesky imperfections a.k.a zits. La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I works wonders for me, I apply a tiny bit onto my breakouts and I have to say, It works a lot better than the super famous Effaclar Duo.

6. To hydrate my really dry/dehydrated skin, I rely on my much loved Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Cream, a moisturizer packed with vitamins and minerals with a yummy orange scent. It packs on moisture like crazy, just how I like it!

7. Last step (yes, finally!) which I do only if my skin feels parched, is patting 3-4 drops of the Boots Botanics Facial Oil on top of my freshly applied night cream. I noticed my acne scars fading a lot since I started using this oil and it also makes my skin feel baby soft when I wake up the next morning!

xx
Laurence

Friday, August 9, 2013

My Morning Skincare Routine (For Dry/Sensitive Skin)

Hi dolls! Today, I'll be sharing with you the routine I do in the mornings to keep my skin healthy and glowing! During these last months, I developped a strong interest towards skincare and I found a lot of amazing products. While still keeping it simple, this routine has been doing wonders for my face! Let's get to it, shall we?



1. The most important step, which a lot of us skip, is cleansing. I try to stay away from foaming cleanser since they dry out my skin terribly and just do not feel right for me. Recently, I discovered the oh so amazing REN ClearCalm Clarifying Clay Cleanser, a creamy clay based cleanser that draws out all impurities without stripping or irritating my skin. It helps to keep my frequent breakouts at bay and I am a huge fan of the smell, so soothing! I massage it onto my dry face, emulsify it with a bit of water and remove it with a flannel soaked in warm water. Then rinse.

2. After patting my face dry with a towel, I spray a good amount of Avène Thermal Water onto my skin. This step might be optional but it does neutralize the PH of that bad tap water you just used on your face and helps with my redness and rosacea. It feels so good, I just let it air dry then move on to toner.

3. Toner, a step I recently introduced to my routine (thanks to Caroline Hirrons!), is so important to me. It prepares your skin to receive whatever you are going to put on top. My choice is the Clarins Exfoliating Brightening Toner, a true gem. It gently exfoliates and fades those pesky acne scars overtime. I apply a great amount on a cotton pad, swoosh it allover and let it dry.

4. Last step is injecting some moisture back into your skin. I am rather picky about my moisturizers but the one that currently fulfills my needs is the Clarins Daily Energizer Cream. Perfect for summer; refreshing, light and smoothing. A great base for makeup aswell! They do also make a ''gel'' version of this one if you have more of an oily/combo skin, definetly worth a try.

xx
Laurence

Monday, August 5, 2013

The Review: Sonia Kashuk A Kiss On The Cheek Cheek And Lip Palette

Wow, what a mouthful was that one! This lip and cheek palette is a little gem I found on sale at a random Target during my recent trip. I couldn't resist since 1. I looooove blushes, 2. A palette gets even better and, 3. That coral color really got my attention. These blushes are not exactly creams, they have more of a sheer gel-like formula, they do feel a bit tacky on the skin (which I honestly don't mind). With these, you have to expect more of a stain or a flush of color rather than a full on pigmented application. Don't worry, they still can be layered or you can even put a matching powder blush on top to intensify the color if you prefer that. The finish is beautiful; dewy, glowy and almost plastic like (does that sound weird?). Surprisingly, the lasting power is great for the formula they have. On the lips, they get even better; sheer, glossy and super long-lasting. Needless to say, this was an amazing buy, the packaging and the product inside it are both gorgeous!

So ladies, are you sold on this one? Which color is your favorite?

xx
Laurence

Saturday, August 3, 2013

The Review: NYX Blushes

Hi girlies! When I went to New York last week, I deseperately felt the need to get my hands on some NYX products and the ones that caught my eye were the Cream Blush in Glow and the Stick Blush in Orchid. I thought why not since I love cream blushes during summer. I wasn't honestly expecting a lot from these two (don't know why really...) but I ended up falling in love at first use. The Cream Blush ,being my favorite from both, is extremely pigmented and leaves a beautiful dewy glow on the skin. It looks über natural on the cheeks and I also like to use it on my lips for a matchy-matchy look. Probably not the most long-lasting, though it truly is a beautiful cream blush with a near perfect formula. 

The Stick Blush on the other side really is long-lasting because of its cream to powder formula. It glides onto the skin effortlessly (I love to apply it directly from the stick and blend with my fingers) and leaves behind a megawatt glow. Some people compare it to Nars Orgasm and I kind of agree on that one, it's not identical but still pretty close! 

Overall, great blushes for great prices (about 6$ each), who doesn't want that? These get a big thumbs up from me without a doubt!

xx 
Laurence